Winner of multiple gold, silver and bronze medals from the North American Travel Journalists Association for travel writing & photography excellence -- earning medals every year since 2018. Gold medal winner 2021 to 2023 in the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association Travel Photography Awards, including Best in Show in 2023. Gold medal winner in the 2023 Excellence in Journalism award from the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association. I have authored more than 16 books and penned many hundreds of feature articles over the years. My travels have taken me to all seven continents and all 50 states in the United States.

I am a co-founder, editor, writer and photographer for HITravelTales.com. HI Travel Tales offers a skillful combination of travel expertise and adept journalism paired with humor and curiosity that results in award-winning content. As earned media, HI Travel Tales listens carefully to a destination’s needs, then goes above and beyond in meeting them…which is why destinations and companies love working with us, as evidenced by the glowing testimonials on our testimonials page.

My photography can be viewed, purchased and licensed on my gallery website at Michael Hodgson Photography -- http://www.michaelhodgsonphoto.com.

Over the years, my work has been published in Men's Health, Outdoor Retailer magazine, The Christian Science Monitor, Adventure West, Field & Stream, Pacific Northwest Magazine, Outdoor Life, Backpacker, Outside, Motorland Magazine, Men's Journal, Salt Lake Tribune, Outdoor & Nature Photography, San Jose Mercury News, Portland Oregonian, Spokesman Review and others. I was also the Tech Zone writer and On-Air Talent for Outside Radio Network in its inaugural year, content editor for PlanetOutdoors and Fogdog (both leading websites at the time), and founding partner of the GearTrends website. My other website, AdventureNetwork, was recognized in 1999 as a USA Today Hot Site, a Featured Expert award winner, and a Golden Globe award winner.

Prior to becoming a full time writer in 1988, I worked as mountain guide, outdoor education instructor, and Nordic ski instructor; as general manager of Western Mountaineering, once a leading outdoor specialty store and sleeping bag manufacturer formerly located in San Jose, California; and as a store manager for Adventure 16, once a highly successful chain of outdoor specialty stores located in Southern California.

During the 1990s and into early 2000s I was widely recognized for my poignant writing style, sense of humor, and knowledge of the outdoors. And for always seeking out the wilder side of a mountain in search of a compelling story and adventure -- like when Mark Burnett of Survivor fame selected me to be the captain of Team Media during the inaugural Eco-Challenge 360-mile adventure race in Utah.