At the crossroads …
The Food Trail Traveler was founded on of a basic concept: There is an endless universe of experiences in travel — from wandering through a temple in Bhutan thick with incense to blissfully lounging on a white powdery beach in the Caribbean — but there’s only one common denominator for every journey.
Food. Ya gotta eat.
And if you think about it, one of the most popular forms of travel is the epic road trip — so why not combine them? Food Trail Traveler is the first and only travel site and video channel focused entirely on the intersection between great culinary experiences and the romance of the road.
Our goal is to give travelers the tools to explore places, history and culture through iconic dishes and drinks of every variety. And because food is the most accessible way to learn about another culture, when travelers discover the food, they discover the place.
At the center of it all is The Guide, an evolving listing of every “trail” that connects the dots, not just the ones with great examples of a specific dish or drink — from grilling to distilling and brews to boudin — but also trails based on traditional cultural menus, such as a Cajun food trail in Louisiana or Texas.
Every month, we’ll publish authoritative Featured Trail stories about specific, notable food trails, written by longtime travel journalists and content creators, complete with links to destinations, step-by-step maps for following the trail, recommendations on where to stay and on alternative experiences.
Other features: Trail Tales, an archive of links to stories and videos about food-trail experiences that appeared in other publications; a YouTube channel that features a playlist of food-trail videos by other travelers and creators, as well as “Culinary Carpool,” a series of road-trip style videos with travel and food writers documenting a specific route. Also, look for pictures, posts and updates on social media (@FoodTrailTraveler on all platforms), as well as posts on this site with the latest news.
So, savor the meal that is Food Trail Traveler, and if you enjoy it, share it with others. Most importantly, come back for seconds.
— Food Trail Traveler staff
Spud Hilton, editor & host
Food Trail Traveler was started by longtime travel journalist Spud Hilton and a collection of collaborating writers with years of experience in food and travel. And, well, tequila. During 22 years as a travel writer and editor for the San Francisco Chronicle and Where Traveler magazine, Hilton earned 13 Lowell Thomas Awards, the national standard for travel publishing. Hilton has appeared as an expert on programs including “Good Morning America,” CNN International’s “Quest Means Business,” and “Fly Brother with Ernest White II.” He has been a recurring judge for barbecue competitions, including the annual Best in the West Rib Cook-Off in Nevada, and a few days a week he can be found leading culinary tours around San Francisco.
Food Trail Traveler 