Kap Stann was born and raised in New York State, where most of the traveling she did was on family car trips up and down the East Coast. Now a seasoned traveler, Kap has visited 48 states, toured 10 European countries, worked as a Swiss maid, vacationed in Mexico, explored remote corners of Central America and Southeast Asia, and crossed the Andes on foot to Machu Picchu. Even after all of these experiences, she still maintains that the American South is the most unexpectedly exotic place she has ever seen. Kap's first glimpse of the South took place on a trip to Georgia when she was in her late twenties. Today her travel guides cover every state south of the Mason-Dixon line, from Maryland to Louisiana. Prior to writing guidebooks, Kap was a freelance writer, covering health, labor, education, and women's issues. She has also worked in a media reform organization, and run the public affairs office for the University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley Extension. Kap and her daughter Cory live in Berkeley, California.