Her experiences there began with a long backpacking journey in the 1970s that took her from Baja to the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula. She covered the U.S.–Mexico border as a senior editor with San Diego Magazine and as a contributor for the Los Angeles Times, then left full-time employment when a publisher asked her to write a book on the coastal resorts of Mexico. Since then, Maribeth has authored or contributed to more than 20 travel books about Mexico and has received the prestigious Pluma de Plata award for her writing about the country. She has also authored books on Costa Rica, Peru, Argentina, Hawaii, and San Diego, where she lives just a few blocks from the beach with her husband, Gary. Her writings on social, legal, and medical issues, along with her travel articles, have garnered more than two dozen awards from journalism organizations.