| Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of and ispleased to | | | | new flora and fauna, and also newcultures and |
| have as our guest, Tom Watson, author and | | | | lifestyles - that's why "traveling" is such a good |
| freelancephotojournalist. | | | | educationalexperience. |
| Tom is the author of: 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: | | | | Norm: |
| Twin Cities: and The Best in Tent Camping: | | | | How do you come up with ideas for what you |
| Minnesota:(Both published by Menasha Ridge | | | | write? What methods do you use toflesh out |
| Publishing) | | | | your idea to determine if it's salable? |
| Tom also is the author of How To Think Like A | | | | Tom: |
| Survivor: A Guide For Wilderness Emergencies | | | | I try to see what's covered in the current |
| (coming out summer of '05, published by Creative | | | | magazines to see if I haveexperienced some new |
| Publishing, International) | | | | areas that are timely and can be written about in |
| Good day Tom and thanks for agreeing to | | | | aninformative and entertaining way. I love |
| participate in our interview. | | | | photography and usually won't evenconsider a |
| Norm: | | | | story unless I know I have good photo support |
| When did your passion for hiking and camping | | | | for it. That isalso a good selling tool for editors. |
| begin and what kept you going? | | | | Otherwise, I look to resources on the |
| Tom: | | | | Internet, writing groups, etc. that will list topics of |
| Good day to you and thank you for this | | | | interest or announceopportunities. Menasha Ridge |
| opportunity. My dad was prettyactive in the | | | | already had a good base of hiking books |
| outdoors. After leaving the Navy he opened a | | | | butneeded one from Minneapolis. That's where I |
| hobby shop thatcarried a lot of sporting goods. I | | | | was living so it was a chance todo a guide book |
| was able, as a boy growing up in eastern | | | | right in my own back yard. Once you get a 'feel' |
| Missouri, a chance to try out all sorts of | | | | for amagazine you start to anticipate what might |
| equipment - lures, rifles, bowsand arrows. Also, | | | | be salable for them. |
| since my dad enjoyed camping, we took | | | | Norm |
| advantage of themyriad places in Missouri to | | | | What challenges or obstacles did you encounter |
| primitive camp. My cousins lived there, too,and | | | | while writing your books? Howdid you overcome |
| they were avid campers as well. So, since I was | | | | these challenges? |
| about seven, I spent agood portion of every | | | | Tom: |
| summer outdoors. | | | | Frankly the biggest challenge is always if I could |
| By the time I was thinking of college - back in the | | | | cover the state ortopic thoroughly given the |
| late 6O's, my folks weredivorced and I had been | | | | budget (what I'd be paid for it and the expenses |
| living with my mom during the school years. I | | | | I would have to get it done), that I'd find |
| wantedto maintain some outdoor exposure so I | | | | adequate information once Istarted, and most |
| decided to go into Forestry at the | | | | importantly, that anyone would care enough to |
| University of Minnesota, on the St. Paul campus. | | | | want to readabout it. When I started the camping |
| All those factors and mygrowing love of the | | | | book I didn't know which ones I coulduse and |
| natural sciences still keep me going to this day. | | | | which one wouldn't measure up. I'd sometimes |
| Norm: | | | | drive for two hoursonly to find there really wasn't |
| As many of our readers are interested in | | | | a campground you'd want to recommend orthat |
| romantic getaways, could youdescribe eight of | | | | fits your criteria. |
| the most romantic and unique camping areas in | | | | Minnesota's a big enough state that in one |
| Minnesota? | | | | weekend, to cover the area I was researching, I |
| Why are they romantic? | | | | put 1100 miles on my car - and that was out of |
| Tom: | | | | my pocket. You overcome the hurdles by |
| That calls upon my interpretation of both | | | | deciding that you will complete the task and you |
| "romantic" and "unique"campsites. I am foremost | | | | become more savvy in ways of optimizing travel |
| a primitive camper, minimum facilities, | | | | and budget during the research portion. |
| minimumimpact. | | | | Norm: |
| To me a romantic site is private, remote and | | | | How have you used the Internet to boost your |
| amid better thanaverage scenery or natural | | | | writing career? |
| attractions. | | | | Tom: |
| * Based on that I could list almost any campsite in | | | | 80% of my writing opportunities begin from the |
| the BWCA Wilderness as well as any in | | | | Internet. I belong tothe OWAA (Outdoor Writers |
| Voyageurs National Park - most of which are | | | | Association of America). Their website |
| water accessible only. As far as drive-up sites, | | | | offersmonthly updates from editors seeking |
| and those with a bit of walk-in access (my | | | | specific topics. Other websites do thesame. |
| favorites), I have to list the following: | | | | I also use the Internet to verify facts or to learn |
| * Lake Maria State Park - isolated walk-in sites | | | | more aboutsomething new, and check to see |
| scattered along a hill undera full canopy of oaks | | | | what's been published in the type ofmagazine for |
| and maples - fabulous fall colors! Great hiking | | | | which I generally write (kayaking, camping, |
| trail,too! | | | | outdoor gear,tourism destinations, etc.). |
| * Great River Bluffs State Park - this part | | | | Norm: |
| overlooks the Mississippi Riveroffering these | | | | Who are your favorite authors, and why do they |
| incredible vistas. The overlooks are at the end of | | | | inspire you? |
| shorttrails through a dense overstory of maples, | | | | Tom: |
| very peaceful and the vistasare breathtaking - | | | | As a kid Jules Verne always aroused my |
| some with very romantic perches upon which you | | | | imagination and Sam Clemensrekindled the kind of |
| and asignificant other could sit cozily for hours. | | | | feelings I had growing up in Missouri (along the |
| * Lake Elmo Regional Park Preserve. It's so close | | | | samerivers, I might add). I really enjoyed the |
| to downtown St. Paul yet itoffers remote, walk-in | | | | macabre of Edgar Allen Poe andthe poetry of |
| campsites and several miles of cross-country | | | | Robert Frost, pretty mainstream writers - but all |
| trails. | | | | of whomallowed my imagination to complement |
| The campsites are along a walk-in corridor about | | | | theirs. |
| 100 yards from the parkingarea and each one is | | | | Unfortunately I don't read as much as I should, so |
| situated in deep foliage so the privacy level is | | | | authors don't just popout in the conversation. I |
| quitegood, too. These are basic sites without a lot | | | | write a lot, creating my own stuff. If I had topick |
| of amenities close by. Theseare good sites for | | | | an author I've really enjoyed reading recently it |
| lounging around or taking several hikes. | | | | would have to be |
| * Crescent Lake Campground- This is just outside | | | | Gabriel Garcia Marquez - his collection of short |
| the BWCA area, in the | | | | stories are wonderfullyimaginative and slightly |
| Superior National Forest. It's the best laid-out | | | | "weird". |
| campground I've seen -based on my likes. Each | | | | I've always enjoyed Ray Bradbury and the |
| site is either up on a knoll or cut deep into | | | | Twilight Zone bunch of incredible writers. This is |
| thewoods for very private and serene settings. | | | | totally aside from the kind of writing I am doing |
| * Split Rock Lighthouse State Park - One of the | | | | now.guide books and magazine articles. Fiction is a |
| few really good campgrounds onthe North Shore | | | | much harder, higher level I hope to aspire to |
| of Lake Superior only if its not so tightly laid out | | | | some day. |
| as allthe others are. There are walk-in sites | | | | Norm: |
| stretching for about ½ miles alongthe rocky | | | | As there does not seem to be any authoritative |
| shore of the lake, each separated by a forest of | | | | standards that exist forguidebook authors or |
| birch trees. Thesounds of the water against the | | | | publishers, how do you know that a guidebook is |
| shoreline, breezes in the trees and thefreshness | | | | up topar? How do you check out the authorial |
| of the area all combine to make a very soothing | | | | competence? |
| kind of campingexperience. | | | | Tom: |
| * Crosby-Manitou State Park - Like Lake Maria, | | | | To me there are two types of "guide" books: |
| this is solely a backpacker'spark. The sites are | | | | those that are basically acompilation of data, |
| situated throughout the rocky banks of the river, | | | | sometimes cleverly arranged so as to appear |
| many ashort distance from ragging waterfalls and | | | | new anddifferent but basically a collection of lists |
| thundering cascades. | | | | off the Internet. |
| * Very romantic in a Grizzly Adams sort of way, | | | | The other books are opinion pieces using a |
| as are most of these. | | | | particular activity or skill and theauthor's breadth |
| Lake Kabetogama region of Voyageurs National | | | | of knowledge to know what's important, etc. I |
| Park - I couldn't resistoffering the camp sites | | | | feel theauthor has to first reveal him or herself, |
| scattered throughout this park's southern region. | | | | offer a profile so the reader cansay, "yes, I |
| Many are single campsites on small, rocky islands - | | | | identify with this person so what they like I would |
| no chance ofencroachment by other campers! | | | | probablylike". |
| They are all water-accessible, but what'smore | | | | In that sense I approach it from what I would |
| romantic that a boat ride out to a private | | | | consider a goodcampsite or enjoyable trail. I tell |
| campsite surrounded by anational park? | | | | the reader right up front that I am aphotographer |
| Many of the campground in the state forests of | | | | and naturalist so I will stop and smell the roses or |
| Minnesota - Granted some ofthese are popular | | | | take apicture, even along the most seemingly |
| with horse back riders, ORV riders and fishermen, | | | | mundane of trails. I also offer ahistorical |
| but ifyou can find one not being used you can | | | | perspective - most publishers want you to qualify |
| have the entire forest to yourselfwith trails and | | | | yourselfanyway. |
| rivers and lakes in abundance. These offer very | | | | I grew up in Minnesota for the most part (except |
| fewamenities but if you are self contained and | | | | those summers spentin Missouri) and was active |
| interested in romancing the dayaway, you won't | | | | in the Boy Scouts. I spent a lot of timeoutdoors, |
| need any extras anyway. | | | | on trails, hiking and such. I had a sense about |
| Norm: | | | | these books before |
| Would you recommend to honeymoon couples or | | | | I started my research. Another big factor, |
| couples looking for a uniqueromantic adventure | | | | frankly, is that this is abusiness, a pleasurable one, |
| that they try camping, and if so, why? | | | | but a business. Unless you produce a |
| Tom: | | | | productpeople will buy, you won't be in the writing |
| From my perspective, if a guy can find a lady | | | | business for very long. It's atleast a working |
| who truly enjoys camping | | | | hobby and as such demands some discipline and |
| (not parking a big RV on some flat lawn and | | | | fiscaljudgment. |
| driveway), then it won't matterwhere you go. | | | | Norm: |
| However, I think to really understand a person | | | | How do you blend your photo- journalism with |
| you need to seehow self-reliant they can be. I | | | | your travel writing? |
| think camping brings out that and separatesthose | | | | Tom: |
| who need things and those who can make do | | | | People like to imagine themselves in a picture. |
| without complaining. Getthose down right and the | | | | "Wish that was mepaddling that kayak in Alaska!" |
| rest of it will be easy. Finding that right | | | | A good photo draws a reader into the story-let's |
| campingpartner may be the stepping- stone for | | | | them see what you are talking about. |
| many other successful interactions. | | | | Sometimes an editor puts such a restraint on the |
| Norm: | | | | number of words they want. A good photo can |
| Has there been any change in the popularity of | | | | relay needed information with very few words. I |
| camping over the past thirtyyears, and if so, | | | | pride myself in being a goodphotographer and I |
| why? | | | | know that many a story was sold because there |
| Tom: | | | | was good,crisp, colorful support photography |
| There has definitely been a shift in the definition. | | | | offered with the writing. Photos alsohelp me recall |
| It's amazing howmany RV parks with concrete | | | | areas without taking a lot of notes. |
| slaps and broomstick trees are listed as | | | | I spent a full month in Peru and shot probably 30 |
| "campgrounds". There are fewer and fewer | | | | rolls of film. I used about 8 pages of a journal - |
| places to go to actually pitch atent in a pristine, | | | | most of which was identifying some of the photo |
| "campground" setting. | | | | subjects I took. I then goback and review the |
| Our affluent society enables more to buy the | | | | photos to see how many I could offer for a |
| bigger units, but perhaps it's more that as we | | | | variety ofdifferent story ideas. Sometimes those |
| grow older we still enjoy the outdoors and the | | | | images even make it to the frontcover - a nice |
| "assisted camping" units help people do so. | | | | bonus! |
| I think the sways in the economy affect camping, | | | | Norm: |
| too. Instead of long,thousand mile trips for a | | | | What is next for Tom Watson? |
| week, families are taking shorter, weekend | | | | Tom: |
| tripsand are going camping instead of spending | | | | I really want to pursue some fiction writing in the |
| more money on lodging and extragas. Overall I | | | | style of Roald |
| think "camping" in general is slightly more popular. | | | | Dahl, or some of the writers camp for the old |
| Norm: | | | | Twilight Zone series. |
| What does travel mean to you? | | | | As far as magazines and guide- books, I will |
| Tom: | | | | continue to look at them as thoseopportunities |
| Travel means going at least 50 miles on either | | | | appear. It's good income and it allows me to share |
| business or pleasure. | | | | someexciting adventures with those eager to do |
| "Travel" as a hobby or activity, of course, | | | | the same. Thanks for allowing meto share this |
| conjures up images of new,exciting or relaxing | | | | with you. |
| destinations. I am a naturalist, so "traveling" | | | | Thanks again Tom and good luck with all of your |
| meansseeing and experiencing new environments, | | | | future endeavors. |