Hi and welcome! I’ve been a travel junkie since I was old enough to know what travel was, and before that I collected everything “foreign” I could find — coins, stamps, postcards, and any little piece of junk that had “made in somewhere else” stamped on it. I am the author of 20 books, including the award-winning New York Times travel bestseller, America’s Great Hiking Trails (Rizzoli, 2014) and Backpacking and Hiking: An Eyewitness Companion (DK, 2005), which has been published in American and European editions in 12 languages. My recent book is America’s National Historic Trails (Rizzoli, 2020), which won a Silver National Outdoor Book Award in 2021. My most recent book is Hiking America’s National Parks (Rizzoli, 2023).
At Buckettripper, I focus on adventure travel, especially hiking, scuba diving, skiing, and ecotourism, and other activities such as snowshoeing, rafting, and climbing. I have hiked more than 18,000 miles on six continents, including complete thru-hikes of the “triple crown” of hiking: the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide national scenic trails and I have recently been lolly-gagging section-hiking the AT, using some really cool lightweight equipment.
I also enjoy less rugged pursuits: other topics include music, shopping for authentic souvenirs, cruises, spas, and culinary adventures (especially with a keto slant; I’ve been on keto for going on eight years and traveling that way can be a little tricky, but I’ve learned hacks to make it easier).
I am a trained classical pianist. I play keyboards in pop/rock/country/dance bands, and I also play cello, hammered dulcimer, bass, and once in a great while, guitar. When I travel and find music — well, you’ll hear about that, too.
Check out my articles at the Buckettripper archives or visit my other websites: KarenBerger.com, HikerWriter.com, or KarenBergerPiano.com. Just a note: you’ll find stories about hiking trips and destinations here. For hiking skills, gear reviews, planning, etc, go to hikerwriter.com. More links: Wikipedia and Muckrack.