Kent St John, Author At GoNOMAD Travel

Kent St John

About Kent St John

Kent St. John was GoNOMAD's Senior Travel Editor since the website was founded in 2000. During that time he circled the globe many times, visiting more than 80 countries. Sadly, he passed away on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. He had an appreciation of subtleties, always finding a way to capture the nuances and essences of a destination, whether he was whale-watching in Nova Scotia, riding the rails in Australia, bungee jumping in China or worshipping the sun on a beach in Brazil.

Posts by Kent St John:

Downtime in Budapest with Kent St. John

Street musician in Budapest. Kent E. St. John photo.

Teahouses, baths and Baroque By Kent E. St. John Senior Travel Editor Sultry Budapest is filled with secrets. While it is beautiful to the eye, it is the unexpected that captures the heart. Unmarked doors lead down into busy bars […]

Jerusalem: Mama Told Me Not To Come

Women pray on the right side of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalemm, Israel. Jean Spoljaric Photos.

GoNOMAD Senior Travel Editor Kent E. St. John visits Jerusalem and shares travel tips about the sites in this historic city in the Mideast.

Taos, New Mexico: Still Heavenly

Taos, New Mexico: Still Heavenly. See their authentic culture, churches, music, mountains and surrounding beauty, food, and lodging

Sleeping in the Hay: Farm Stays in New England

A city slicker gets used to life on a farm, farmstays in New York and New England. A directory of farms that accept guests to come stay on the farm.

Show Notes:

In this episode of the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast, Max shares his lifelong affection for ferries — the working boats that move commuters, islanders, day‑trippers, and football fans with the same steady indifference. Ferries don’t pamper or preen, but they offer something better: a front‑row seat to the water and the most democratic view in travel. Whether you drive a G‑wagon or a beat‑up Volvo, everyone waits in the same line for the same ramp to drop.

Max reflects on the magic of that first engine shudder as the boat pulls away from the dock, the wind on deck, and the shared horizon that briefly unites a crowd of strangers. No TSA, no overhead bins, no seat assignments — just the shoreline sliding by and the slow reveal of a destination coming into focus.

This episode also explores the explosion of ferry service across New England and beyond. On Cape Cod, the Steamship Authority is preparing to open its long‑awaited new terminal in Woods Hole, a modern stone‑and‑glass gateway to Martha’s Vineyard. The arrival of the M/V Monomoy marks another milestone, bringing a quieter, larger, more reliable freight vessel into service.

Boston’s ferry network is growing fast, with new weekend service from Lynn, expanded Winthrop and Quincy routes, and system‑wide contactless payment. The MBTA’s new F‑10 line launches this June, connecting North Station to the Aquarium, the Seaport, and Logan Airport for just $2.46 each way — a rare moment of true transit progress on the waterfront.

Amesbury is preparing a small‑vessel shuttle on the Merrimack River for 2026, linking its waterfront to downtown Newburyport with quick, car‑free hops designed to ease summer traffic. And in New Jersey, Seastreak is running special Hudson River trips to West Point for Army football games — a floating tailgate party complete with a bar, snacks, and big‑screen TVs.

New York City is expanding too, with a brand‑new Staten Island–to–Brooklyn route, the first passenger ferry to make that crossing since 1964. Commuters are already embracing the traffic‑free ride and the chance to start and end their day on the water.

Through all these stories, Max returns to the same truth: ferries are the great equalizer. Once you’re on board, you’re just another traveler watching the horizon. And that’s why he keeps coming back.

Credits

Written and narrated by Max Hartshorne, Editor of GoNOMAD Travel. Produced by the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast team.

Subscribe to the GoNOMAD Travel Podcast

GoNOMAD Travel

Voyascape