Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: Brad A Johnson Entry Title: Showdown at The Grand Entry Credit: Brad A. Johnson Judge Comment: This is beautifully written and wonderfully captivating. It’s part-restaurant review, part-overview of the après-ski scene in picturesque Telluride, Colorado. The first-person point of view puts readers in the scene and the moment. The writer establishes his authority as someone who knows the town and its people as he focuses on the pair of restaurateurs behind a new chophouse. Readers feel the coziness of the locale and the sumptuousness of the food.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Elaine Glusac Entry Title: A Travel Writer Remembers Arthur Frommer Entry Credit: Elaine Glusac Judge Comment: With warm nostalgia for her first trip to Europe, Elaine Gluzsac writing as the Frugal Traveler pays homage to the author of her travel guidebook on that journey and many more. This is a wonderful synopsis piece on a man who changed the way many of us traveled before Duolingo and Google maps. Frommer was our guide, and he democratized travel. These books changed our lives and our experiences.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Christopher Dong Entry Title: Lost Your Luggage? Here’s What Probably Went Wrong Entry Credit: Christopher Dong Judge Comment: The writer went behind the scenes at Denver International Airport to show readers why and how luggage gets waylaid, but more important, how to prevent it from happening to you. He points out how travelers assume too much and fail to limit the exposure to potential issues, including connecting flights. The writing is helpful and never condescending. The carousel of colorful illustrations captures attention and shows a traveler’s worst luggage nightmares. This is a great how-to guide.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: christopher reynolds Entry Title: A definitive yet unserious guide to L.A. for Yankees fans Entry Credit: Christopher Reynolds Judge Comment: This brief piece is centered on a series of questions about what New Yorkers might want to do or how they can navigate La La Land while in town for a baseball game. But it stands out for how witty it is while sprinkling in tidbits of wisdom and advice. The voice engages readers with an in-your-face comparison of America’s two largest cities and their baseball teams. It’s tight writing at its best.
