Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: National Parks Magazine Entry Title: Wading In Entry Credit: Dorian Fox Judge Comment: Fox’s voice is poetic without pretense, seamlessly weaving his reporting with family memory in a story about his first visit to St. John and Virgin Islands State Park. This piece, written in lyrical prose, features a deep emotional arc and a tangible sense of place that is emotionally powerful, stylistically elegant and has a timeless quality.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Midwest Living Entry Title: Cream of the Crop Entry Credit: Julia Sayers Gokhale Judge Comment: Smart, well-researched and warmly detailed with a culinary hook, this feature offers a vivid cultural snapshot of how a town revived a local creamery. This is an excellent example of giving universal appeal to a local story and shows how travel journalism can incorporate local economics and history without forsaking charm.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Condé Nast Traveler Entry Title: In Washington State's San Juan Islands, Time Stands Still and Nature Reigns Supreme Entry Credit: Jesse Ashlock Judge Comment: This nostalgia-driven narrative of the return to the author’s childhood “happy place” is equal parts elegant and restrained as it reminds readers of the power of travel across generations. The pacing is calm, yet the imagery drawn through powerful writing lingers to the end in a masterful example of classic travel writing.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Mark Orwoll Entry Title: Highway Stops, Then and Now—from Stuckey's and Hojo's to Dinosaurs in the Desert Entry Credit: Mark Orwoll Judge Comment: The days of vacations past come whizzing by in this reminder of all the ways we used to slow down and enjoy ourselves during cross-country road trips. In this smart, historical narrative, the author expertly captures nostalgia and roadside kitsch without losing pace or relevance.
(OK to give honorable mention)
