Moon San Juan Islands

Perhaps Don Pitcher's love of travel came about because he moved so much as a child; by age 15 he had lived in six states and two-dozen East Coast and Midwest towns. Don's family hails from Maine, but being born in Atlanta made him a southerner with New England blood. He moved west for college, receiving a master's degree from the University of California at Berkeley, where his thesis examined wildfires in high elevation forests of Sequoia National Park. When his first scientific paper was published, he appeared headed into the world of ecological research. Shortly after grad school Don landed what seemed the coolest job on the planet: being flown around Alaska's massive Wrangell - St. Elias National Park in a helicopter while conducting fire research. Wild places continued to beckon, and over the next 15 years Don built backcountry trails, worked as a wilderness ranger, mapped grizzly habitat, and operated salmon weirs - anything to avoid an office job. After that first season in Alaska, he spent three months in the South Pacific, and quickly found himself addicted to travel. These explorations eventually took him to all 50 states and 35 countries. Don's Washington connection began with a mid-winter drive across eastern Washington, into Seattle, and down the Olympic Peninsula. He later took over as the author of Moon Washington, and fell in love with the San Juan Islands on his first trip there. In addition to the Washington and San Juan Islands books, he is the author of Moon Handbooks for Alaska, Wyoming, and Yellowstone, and has photographed three popular travel books. Don's images have appeared in a multitude of other publications and advertisements, and his art prints are sold in Alaska and Washington galleries. Don now works full-time as a travel writer and photographer, basing his travels from Homer, Alaska, where he lives with his wife, Karen Shemet, and their children, Aziza and Rio. Find details on his latest projects at www.donpitcher.com.