Gwen Pratesi is a Florida-based James Beard Foundation Award Finalist in Journalism and an award-winning culinary and travel writer with more than 17 years of experience. She is the co-owner and author of PratesiLiving.com and a regular contributor to the Travel section of U.S. News & World Report. She freelances for other publications, including The Points Guy, Garden & Gun, Cruise Critic, Frommer's, Fodor's Travel, AAA - The Extra Mile, AARP, Southern Living, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Reader's Digest. She also has bylines in trade publications, including TravelAge West, Travel Weekly, and Travel Market Report. In addition, her work has been featured on MSN, Yahoo!, and Business Insider.