It was a memorable weekend in San Francisco helping Moon Guides celebrate 50 years of guidebook publishing. A testament to Moon’s stellar reputation was the attendance of guidebook publishers from as far away as Europe and Asia, dozens of guidebook writers, and over a hundred former and current staff.
Moon was founded by Bill Dalton, with photocopied notes on travelling through Indonesia that were sold at the infamous 1973 Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, Australia. I wrote a short history of the company here.
It was great to catch up with Bill and check out what he believes to be the last remaining copy of the original printed notes, as well as the subsequent 1st edition of his Indonesia book.
With Bill Newlin and his original guidebook to Indonesia
Each table was decorated with a selection of Moon Guides
With Deke Castleman, who took me under his wing and guided me through the early years of guidebook writing.
Bill Dalton’s original 1973 guidebook to Indonesia.