Sherry Spitsnaugle

Travel writer

United States

Travel writer Sherry Spitsnaugle first expressed her urge to explore at age four when she packed up her little red wagon and took off for an adventure—around the block. Today, she continues to fulfill her wanderlust, exploring the world and writing about her experiences.

Sherry has won numerous awards for her travel writing and photography, including the prestigious Bill Muster Photo Awards for her portfolio of photos of San Miguel de Allende. Sherry is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association, and North American Travel Journalists Association. Her byline has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, The Saturday Evening Post, RealFoodTraveler, GoWorldTravel, LuxeBeat, and more.

Portfolio
Real Food Traveler
09/12/2024
Oklahoma City's Dining Scene

OKC offers cuisine ranging from chicken-fried steak to fried wontons. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle shares her discoveries from Cafe Kacao in the Asian District to a Barbie-pink tiki bar in the Paseo Arts District.

Go World Travel Magazine
12/14/2023
Spain's Olive Oil Culture

Experiencing the olive oil culture in Extremadura-grove to table-gives visitors a closeup look at this part of daily life in Spain.

Go World Travel Magazine
02/12/2024
5 New Ways to Discover Vienna

Travel writer Sherry Spitsnaugle visited Vienna as a backpacker back in the day, and traveled there recently to rediscover this elegant Austrian city.

Wander With Wonder
01/30/2023
Discover a Wonderland of Sparkle at Swarovski Crystal Worlds

Swarovski Crystal Worlds, located about 20 minutes from Innsbruck, Austria, is an enchanting world filled with sparkle. Read on for what you can experience when you visit. Walking into Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Austria, felt as effervescent and exquisite as a sip of Champagne. Floor-to-ceiling crystals dazzled, and reflections flashed purple and crimson.

Realfoodtraveler
11/25/2022
Dresden, Germany - birthplace of Christmas stollen; learn the do's and don'ts of eating stollen

Along with the carols, twinkling lights, and ornaments hung lovingly on the tree, it’s the presence of specific food and drink that really says “holidays” to us. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle visited Dresden, Germany recently and found out, first hand, just how beloved stollen bread (also called Christstollen) is in Germany and also around the world.

Go World Travel Magazine
02/23/2023
Ski-In Ski-Out Chalet Beaver Creek Colorado | Moving Mountains

My 14-year-old great-niece, Sammy, broke into fits of giggles as she made snow angels just steps from our Beaver Creek rented chalet. "I'm stuck, Auntie!" she called out as she lay on her back, laughing, and stretching her arms toward the sky.

Go World Travel Magazine
05/04/2023
Leipzig, Germany: From Bach to Beer

The St. Thomas Boys Choir's sweet voices resonated like angels in St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, Germany. I listened in awe. I couldn't understand the words in German, but the boys' pure, wholesome tones captivated me. Organ music soared through the church, with its ornate ceilings, white columns, and stained-glass windows.

Wander With Wonder
03/13/2023
Discover Winter Magic and Food in Fairbanks, Alaska

Winter in Fairbanks, Alaska, offers breathtaking views of the Aurora Borealis, periwinkle skies at sunset, and outdoor activities like walking with reindeer. But did you know this town is home to Thai food as good as any in Bangkok? Exceptional Thai food in Fairbanks is just one reason to visit this friendly Alaskan city.

Go World Travel Magazine
05/15/2023
From Flamboyant Sunsets to Foodie Faves: The Best of Scottsdale

The desert sky became more vibrant each minute as the sun set in northern Scottsdale. I shot one photo after another, thinking the sky was at its best. Colors of day-glow orange and pale pink filled the evening sky with silhouettes of saguaro in the foreground.

Real Food Traveler
04/21/2023
Cucina del Capitano Menu on Carnival Breeze Cruise Ship

Many cruise lines offer specialty dining options, smaller, themed restaurants that are available at an additional cost. That's in addition to the variety of dining options included in the cruise fare. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle shares the experience of the Cucina del Capitano menu as well as other fun activities on the Carnival Breeze cruise ship.

Real Food Traveler
11/17/2022
How to Savor Sacher Torte in Vienna

It's one of the most iconic desserts in the world and Cafe Sacher in Vienna can make it its claim to delicious fame. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle explains why no visit to Vienna, Austria is complete without sitting down with a slice of the historic Sacher Torte.

Pulse News Mexico
07/15/2022
Seven Things to Love about Todos Santos

By SHERRY SPITSNAUGLE Motorcycles gunned their engines on a busy street of Todos Santos, in Mexico's coastal state of Baja California Sur, as I bit into a juicy pork taco smothered in tomatillo, followed by a healthy swig of icy Pacifico beer. A friend and I sat at a cardboard table on the small patio...

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
11/23/2021
It's Christmas every day in the cozy village of Seiffen, Germany.

In an effort to bring you some new voices on Ottsworld, here is a guest post from writer Sherry Spitsnaugle. I met Sherry S at a Denver event and found out that she was a travel writer! So not only does she have a cool name, but she also has a way with words!

Real Food Traveler
06/22/2022
Small Ship Cruising with UnCruise Adventures

If sailing on the big, blue ocean is your thing, but an ocean liner is not, small ship cruising may be just the thing for you. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle tells us what it's like to travel, eat, and play with UnCruise Adventures. Hungry for more? Try this UnCruise recipe for Crab Stuffed Salmon.

Realfoodtraveler
12/03/2021
Dresden, Germany - Home to Christmas Stollen

Along with the carols, twinkling lights, and ornaments hung lovingly on the tree, it’s the presence of specific food and drink that really says “holidays” to us. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle visited Dresden, Germany recently and found out, first hand, just how beloved stollen bread (also called Christstollen) is in Germany and also around the world.

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
08/16/2022
Weekend in the Pikes Peak Region: Where to Eat, Stay, and Adventure

In 1893, Katharine Lee Bates was so inspired by the magnificent view of Pikes Peak, that she wrote the celebrated words to "America the Beautiful." The glorious Pikes Peak Region indeed evokes spacious skies and purple mountain majesties. Who wouldn't want to spend a weekend in Colorado Springs exploring this majestic region?

Luxe Beat Magazine
01/11/2022
Bavaria's Schloss Elmau: Luxury Dine, Stay and Spa Retreat - Luxe Beat Magazine

"Anything is possible at Schloss Elmau," my server said, smiling, in a slight German accent, when I asked if I could order a variation to a dish from the pre-fixe dinner menu. Set high in the Bavarian Alps with a view of Germany's tallest peak, the Zugspitze, Schloss Elmau Luxury Spa Retreat & Cultural Hideaway [...]

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
05/25/2022
Weekend in Denver - Where to eat, stay, play

At 5,280 feet above sea level, the Mile High City offers culture, history, galleries, great restaurants, and brewpubs. A weekend in Denver is the perfect way to sample what the city has to offer. Denver is known as the Napa Valley of craft beer, where eating and drinking rank up there with biking and hiking.

Realfoodtraveler
05/13/2022
What to expect when cruising with kids

Going on a cruise for the first time with a pre-teen is a special experience – they are old enough to be really conscious of what’s going on while still young enough to feel the magic of it all. Writer and great-aunt-extraordinaire, Sherry Spitsnaugle, tells us what it's like to cruise with kids, especially when that kiddo is teetering on teenhood.

TravelWorld International Magazine
06/23/2021
The Elegant Greenbrier, Home of the Top Secret Bunker - TravelWorld International Magazine

The most popular thing to do at the luxury Greenbrier Resort i n West Virginia isn't being pampered at the spa, playing a round of golf on one of its world-class courses, or indulging in its legendary fine dining. The resort's most requested activity is a 90-minute tour of what's known as the bunker, the former top secret U.S.

Go World Travel Magazine
11/30/2021
'Tis The Season For Tamales

Marilau Ricaud greets my adult niece Kelly and me and invites us into her kitchen, just off a cobblestoned street in a sleepy neighborhood of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. We have signed up for a three-hour class with Marilau's Mexican Ancestry Cooking School to learn how to make tamales.

Luxe Beat Magazine
03/22/2022
Travel Journalist Sherry Spitsnaugle [INTERVIEW] - Luxe Beat Magazine

It was October 2019 during the SATW annual conference in El Paso, Texas, that I officially met Sherry Spitsnaugle. We just happen to be sitting next to each other at the conference. At the time, I was living in Denver and had reached out to her a few months prior, to see if she wanted [...]

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
07/01/2021
Offroading on the Hatfield and McCoy Trails in West Virginia

Mud splatters my face and the high decibel level makes me cover my ears as I bounce up and down in the back seat of a four-passenger ATV. My knuckles turn white from clinging to the “chicken bar” as the driver picks up speed down the dusty, rutted, narrow path. Branches and twigs scrape our rig – and my arm. I love every teeth-rattling, bone-jarring jolt.

Luxe Beat Magazine
06/29/2021
West Virginia's Greenbrier - Almost Heaven - Luxe Beat Magazine

A vocalist croons John Denver's hit, "Take Me Home, Country Roads," in The Greenbrier's upper lobby and the scent of fresh flowers fills the foyer. Splashed in bigger-than-life vivid magenta and sunshine yellow florals, the resort's lavish décor is the opposite of low-key. Guests have been coming to The Greenbrier since 1778, when they first [...]

Real Food Traveler
12/18/2020
Make Spitzbuben at a Virtual Cookie Baking Party

Like just about everything else in 2020, even getting together to bake cookies with family and friends has changed. Writer Sherry Spitsnaugle and her family got together for a virtual cookie baking party to make festive, authentic Spitzbuben together - while apart.

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
01/19/2021
Do the Reverse of the Masses: Head East of Denver to the Claremont Inn

In an effort to bring you some new voices on Ottsworld, here is a guest post from writer Sherry Spitsnaugle. I met Sherry at a Denver event and found out that she was a travel writer! So not only does she have a cool name, but she also has a way with words!

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
09/29/2020
Coffee and Whiskey - a Match Made in Denver

I’m perched at the bar in the classy tasting room of Deviation Distilling, in Denver’s historic Baker neighborhood, gazing at a fine-looking flight of three coffee-inspired whiskeys co-owner Cindi Wiley has just poured for me to sample. What better way to gear up for National Coffee Day, Sept. 29, than by indulging in the best of two worlds – caffeine and spirits.

Real Food Traveler
11/07/2018
Tasty Day Tripping in Tijuana on RealFoodTraveler.com

The vibe, the action, the grit, the fun, the tacos. Follow along as Sherry Spitsnaugle, takes us on a tasty journey, day-tripping in Tijuana. Cars whiz past a few feet from our crowded, noisy sidewalk table and the smell of exhaust mingles with the aroma of fresh tortillas as I tuck into a pork taco smothered in cilantro and guacamole. I am in the heart of Tijuana, Mexico, on a six-hour food/beer/crafts excursion with a group of six others. A smidgen of juicy salsa goodness dribbles...

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
09/12/2019
Rookie in the Saddle

I’m in the saddle of my trusty steed, Sabino, at the foot of Suicide Pass, nervously staring up at the steep, cactus-lined path. It’s my final morning of a five-day visit at White Stallion Ranch, just outside of Tucson. It seemed like a good idea when I signed up this morning at the last minute. Now, as I study the rocky trail I ask myself, “What the heck was I thinking?”

TravelWorld International Magazine
06/23/2021
The Elegant Greenbrier, Home of the Top Secret Bunker - TravelWorld International Magazine

The most popular thing to do at the luxury Greenbrier Resort i n West Virginia isn't being pampered at the spa, playing a round of golf on one of its world-class courses, or indulging in its legendary fine dining. The resort's most requested activity is a 90-minute tour of what's known as the bunker, the former top secret U.S.

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
04/27/2021
Beyond the Nest: Combining Travel & Wellness for a Passion-filled Life

The day Mary Fusillo and Vanessa Famighetti launched their company, Beyond the Nest, fell on the same day that a once-in-a-century storm was slamming Texas. In Houston, where Mary and her husband live, the couple awoke February 15, 2021, to a frigid home without water, power, or internet.

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
04/26/2019
Nebraska Bird Ballet

The pre-dawn sky is pitch black as I slog in my new Wellies to a bird blind in the heartlands of south-central Nebraska. Here, our group of 18 will await the sights and sounds of the graceful sandhill cranes—some 100,000 of them—now settled on a nearby sandbar of the Platte River Valley. A light mist falls following a night of steady rain as we walk in strict silence: we do not want to scare the cranes. The only sounds I hear are of my rubber boots as I slosh along the puddle-strewn path.

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
09/01/2020
Grand Lake Lodge - a Historical Colorado Destination

I’m sitting in the bow of a two-person kayak paddling the glassy waters of Grand Lake, Colorado’s largest natural body of water. Temps in Denver are forecast to be 100 today, and the early morning mountain air feels refrigerator-cool. Other than a solitary fisherman and a couple sitting in lawn chairs on the shore who give us a friendly wave, the lake and surrounding area are empty. I’ve even removed my COVID face mask but just for a quick photo—please don’t tell the Gov.

In Good Taste Denver
03/20/2019
Delicious Denver Food Tours - In Good Taste Denver

When we travel, we love to go on food tours. They are a great way to experience a variety of restaurants, get to meet the owners, stroll neighborhoods, learn some history and get a unique feel for a destination. We also believe in playing tourist in our own city, Denver.

Ottsworld Unique Travel Experiences
04/08/2021
Travel Solo With These Expert Travel Safety Tips for Women

The mid-day Thailand sun scorched as a fortune teller studied my palm in a bustling Bangkok market. After a few predictable comments, he said, “I see you are very lonely.” Then, he looked me in the eye, grinned, and said, “And, I see a handsome man in your future.” I shook my head in disgust, grabbed my stuff, and walked away. Granted, I was in no real danger, but the experience gave me the creeps. I was three weeks into a six-month journey through Southeast Asia. As a single woman...