Jennifer Hardy

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Location
San Antonio, Texas
School
Missouri State University
Expertise
United States road trips, Dog-friendly travel, Travel and weather safety
  • Jennifer is a lifetime "wanderluster," having lived in 12 cities and 10 states from Nevada to Florida, immersing herself in communities and cultures.
  • Jennifer has taken road trips across the country with three dogs over the past 25 years, giving her firsthand experience with pet-friendly hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
  • After surviving a St. Louis tornado as a child, Jennifer spent years focusing on the science and safety elements of natural disasters and is now a certified weather spotter for the National Weather Service.

Experience

Jennifer's journalism career is fueled by two instincts: asking the right questions and sharing the answers. She worked in local newsrooms across the country for 25 years as an editor, producer, executive producer and news director until 2021. Taking a break from the rigorous news cycle led her to a freelance travel writing niche for publications such as More Than Just Parks, Travel + Discover Maine, Travel Safe Abroad, Awesome Mitten, and Smoky Mountain Wanderings. Having free time outside of the newsroom allowed her to start storm chasing after experiencing weather events such as the Las Vegas snowstorm of 2008, the Rim Fire of Yosemite in 2013, Hurricane Irma in 2017 and the second-largest snowfall in Lincoln, Nebraska's history in 2021. Her travel and weather anxiety turned into a research superpower, resulting in more confident travels and valuable insights to share with others.

Education

Jennifer has a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism from Missouri State University in Springfield.

Islands Editorial Policies

Islands content is created by a team of veteran writers and editors passionate about travel. Outside experts with deep field knowledge sometimes inform our work with additional context and perspectives by way of exclusive commentary. Our goal is to offer readers well-rounded and diverse articles that inform, entertain, and inspire.

Our editors consistently review and update articles to ensure they're providing current, relevant, and useful information. Complete information on our editorial process is available here.

Stories By Jennifer Hardy

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