Elisa Parhad Elisa Parhad is a writer and photographer based in Los Angeles, by way of Seattle, Albuquerque, Austin, and Japan. Her stories covering art, design, cultural heritage, and history have appeared in BBC Travel, Hemispheres, Travel + Leisure, the Los Angeles Times, LA Parent, Sierra magazine, Faces magazine, Western Art and Architecture, and more. She is the author and photographer of “New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes,” (winner of the New Mexico Book Award, 2010) and “Southern California: A Guide for the Eyes” (IndieFab Finalist, 2016). Cameron Books published her first children’s book, "Los Angeles Is...," in April 2018. She lives with her husband and two young sons in Pasadena, California.• Active member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and SATW (The Society of American Travel Writers)• Founder of EyeMuse Books, a publisher dedicated to high-quality, visually-focused books• Received a bachelor's degree in international business, marketing, and cultural anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin About Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is a top travel media brand with a mission to inform and inspire passionate travelers. Our expert team includes a network of hundreds of writers and photographers across the globe, all providing a local eye on the best places to stay, eat, and explore. We reach an audience that takes 76 million round trips annually, offering valuable travel tips, ideas and inspiration, and products you need to get you to your destination — whether it’s a small town or big city, beach or lake, national park or theme park, road trip, cruise, or long-haul flight, and everything in between. Learn more about us and our editorial process