Meet Michael Hodgson: photographer, storyteller, official gin-and-tonic tester

Cuisine, culture, history, adventure. Michael travels the globe seeking unique, personal stories that connect readers with people and places. He’s still in search of the perfect gin and tonic. Michael is a winner of numerous awards for travel writing and photography excellence — See his award-winning photography on his photography website here. To see all of his stories on HI Travel Tales, click here.
Born to British parents in Canada but spending most of my formative years in the United States, I schlepped back and forth across the Atlantic frequently with my mum and dad until heading off to college. While there, I had the opportunity to spend a few months in Kenya – and I found myself hooked on discovering cultures, new places, and taking on adventures. My biology major somehow led me into a writing career (hey, this makes sense to me).
As a writer, I specialized in outdoor endeavors, from camping, hiking and mountaineering, to adventure racing, paddling and gear testing. Of course, all that meant travel and adventure! While I consider myself more of a travel writer and artist these days, I remain drawn to wild spaces and places around the world. My travels have taken me to all seven continents.
As an artist, I have always enjoyed sketching and painting in my journals, but recently started creating artwork exclusively on my iPad. My art is inspired by my travels around the world and, like drawings in my travel journal, provide snapshots of the world through my eyes. I am honored that some of my artwork has been sold exclusively to raise funds for philanthropic causes and non-profits, such as Big City Mountaineers. As writer/journalist, I have authored more than 16 books and penned many hundreds of feature articles over the years. Now, I am focused exclusively on travel writing for HITravelTales.com, a website/travel blog I launched in partnership with my wife, Therese Iknoian.
My articles have appeared in Outside, Backpacker, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, The Christian Science Monitor and others. My published books (some of which are actually still in print) include No Shit There I Was, Compass & Map Navigator, Facing The Extreme, and Camping For Dummies.
I am a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA), the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Now that you’ve learned a bit about me, I invite you to meet my business partner, Therese Iknoian, who happens to be my wife as well as my favorite traveling partner.
Adventure Options interview with Michael
Our Most Recent Travel Stories
Stollen 1930: gin tasting inside a 600-year-old Austrian cave
Stollen 1930 in Kufstein, Austria, boasts one of the largest collections of gins in the world, deep inside an historic cave carved into the rocks beneath the fortress walls. It’s a remarkable place to visit, even for those who don’t love or even like gin.
Craignair Inn – a sustainable MidCoast Maine waterfront hotel
Looking for a great MidCoast Maine waterfront hotel? We’d recommend the Craignair Inn on the Maine coast, ideally located on the St. George peninsula, historic, cozy, secluded and yet so close to great sights.
Hartstone Inn’s Electric Daisy restaurant in Camden a delight + bonus recipe
Hartstone Inn’s new Electric Daisy restaurant in Camden, Maine, offers creative, sustainable food that showcases local farms and foods. Plus, many of Chef Dustin Shockley’s dishes include the Szechuan pepper flower called “electric daisy” for an extra tongue-tingling delight. Subscriber Club members get an insider bonus recipe.
Stollen 1930: gin tasting inside a 600-year-old Austrian cave
Stollen 1930 in Kufstein, Austria, boasts one of the largest collections of gins in the world, deep inside an historic cave carved into the rocks beneath the fortress walls. It’s a remarkable place to visit, even for those who don’t love or even like gin.
Craignair Inn – a sustainable MidCoast Maine waterfront hotel
Looking for a great MidCoast Maine waterfront hotel? We’d recommend the Craignair Inn on the Maine coast, ideally located on the St. George peninsula, historic, cozy, secluded and yet so close to great sights.
Hartstone Inn’s Electric Daisy restaurant in Camden a delight + bonus recipe
Hartstone Inn’s new Electric Daisy restaurant in Camden, Maine, offers creative, sustainable food that showcases local farms and foods. Plus, many of Chef Dustin Shockley’s dishes include the Szechuan pepper flower called “electric daisy” for an extra tongue-tingling delight. Subscriber Club members get an insider bonus recipe.
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