Casa Flamingo Literary Arts | Home of Tim O’Brien

Tim O'Brien has been blessed with wanderlust since elementary school, and fortunately for him, he has always had jobs that required travel. In turn he has been given the opportunity to explore the world for more than three decades. He positions each business trip as a new adventure. Tim is currently the VP of Publishing & Communications for Ripley Entertainment, the owners and operators of the Believe it or Not! Odditoriums, Ripley Aquariums, and a host of other attractions in 10 different countries.

A veteran photojournalist, Tim was a reporter for 18 years with Amusement Business, the leading business trade magazine for the amusement park and attraction industries. During those years, he literally traveled the world's highways for a living. His specialty areas of reportage are amusement parks, theme parks, waterparks, amusement rides, tourism, roadside attractions and tourist destinations.

His interest in tourism and attractions began early in his life as he was growing up across from Buckeye Lake Amusement Park, just east of Columbus, Ohio, and that love affair and his wanderlust continues to this day. During the years, Tim has visited more than 550 amusement parks and attractions and has ridden more than 400 roller coasters in 17 different countries. He is a regular contributor to CNBC News, is quoted widely in the national press and is a sought-after guest for Travel Channel TV documentaries and news programs, thanks to his vast knowledge of the business side of amusement parks and roller coasters.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a master's degree in journalism/film production, Tim is also an accomplished photographer and public speaker, having lectured extensively at industry seminars, local high schools, and various civic groups. He serves as corporate spokesperson for Ripley Entertainment. In 2001 he won the coveted Lifetime Service Award from the International Assn. of Amusement Parks & Attractions for his devotion and his "long-term achievements in the amusement industry." He was the first journalist to ever win that accolade in the association's 75 year history.

For his Tennessee books, Tim has traveled from one end of the state to the other countless times gathering fun and funky things for his popular Tennessee Off The Beaten Path travel guide, now in its seventh edition. His journalistic curiosity has taken him down gravel roads, up steep mountains and down deep into forested "hollers" throughout the state.

During those journeys, Tim has met some of the most interesting people, from dulcimer and bird house makers to a French-trained chef who now owns an authentic "Tennessee Meat & Three" eatery.

He has traveled on a lake 300 feet below the surface of the earth, and has sat in the seat of a Cadillac once owned by Elvis. In Tennessee Off The Beaten Path, he shares those and many more experiences with his readers.

When he's not traveling, he's at home base in Nashville, Tennessee, where he lives with wife Kathleen, and his two daughters, Carrie and Molly. His backyard koi pond and gardens continue to win kudos.

Tim’s books include: Ripley's Believe It or Not! Frog Oddities & Trivia; Baseball Oddities & Trivia; Amusement Park Oddities & Trivia; Legends: Pioneers of the Amusement Park Industry; Ripley’s Believe It or Not! 2005 Baseball Media Guide; The Wave Maker – The Story of Theme Park Pioneer George Millay; TP on AB - The Life & Times of Industry Journalist Tom Powell; The Amusement Park Guide; Tennessee Off The Beaten Path; Where the Animals Are; Fun with the Family in Tennessee; and he penned The Essential Guide to Six Flags Theme Parks with his daughter, Carrie.