Travel Classics East's keynote speaker will be Sheila F. Buckmaster, Senior Editor for National Geographic Traveler. As Senior Editor, Sheila F. Buckmaster oversees National Geographic Traveler's "Trips" section, just one of several facets she's covered during her ten-year stint with the magazine. Besides editing, she also contributes stories to Traveler's pages.

Sheila has worked on staff at Skiing, Penthouse, Viva, several inflight magazines, National Lampoon, Side Streets of the World, and Fine Wine Folio. Besides Traveler, her stories have been published by Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle, and the Washington Post. She started World's Fare: Food, Wine, and Wanderings, with pictures and articles syndicated internationally by the LA Times, and was the founding editor of Fine Wine Folio and Side Streets of the World, both for physicians. She also edited and wrote portions of a book about Kevin Fitzgerald, a landscape painter based on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where she lives with her husband, Tom, and their dog, Buck Naked of the Bay. An avid equestrian, Sheila returns to the Hudson Valley and Travel Classics for the second time as keynote speaker.

Only thirty minutes north of Manhattan, the historic Castle on the Hudson's luxurious guestrooms, impeccable service and award-winning restaurant make it a favorite among dignitaries and celebrities. Additional accommodations are provided at the classic 19th-century Tarrytown House Estate. See registration information for details.