Mary Gilbert tells stories about people, places, and passions on her website/blog, The Roads Traveled. For Mary, travel begins whenever she walks out her front door. She’s often on extended stays, carving her niche and adopting a local lifestyle. She indulges in artisan food and wine, examines art and culture, and explores history and happenings: cooking like a Provençal chef; toasting a pioneer woman winemaker in Napa Valley; hand-printing scarves using plants in Sonoma County; and being locked – literally – in the Tower of London. Mary’s articles have appeared in such publications as The Charlotte Observer, The Cincinnati Enquirer, and examiner.com.