2021-22 SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
118 Personal Comment ( Travel Audio-Podcasts and Guides,Travel Audio-Radio,Travel Magazines,Travel Coverage in General Magazines,Newspapers)Back
Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: April Orcutt Entry Title: Frodo in Fiordland Entry Credit: April Orcutt Judge Comment: In this New Zealand adventure tale in the land where J.R.R. Tolkien famous stories were filmed, April Orcutt recounts coming upon a perilous water crossing and being rescued by “six short male figures wearing hooded jackets ... And they had very large feet." The episode is a captivating re-telling of an old experience that elicits a smile and a chuckle.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: National Parks Magazine Entry Title: Lofty Heights Entry Credit: Ernie Atencio Judge Comment: This is a marvelously told story of two young men with uncertain futures finding their way in the world through outdoor adventures. Their story of climbing the Grand Teton peak in Wyoming shows how a journey creates the experiences that can define a life.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Crai Bower Entry Title: Love After Divorce: Sharing a Mutual Passion for the Slopes Entry Credit: Crai Bower Judge Comment: Travel writing is often about unexpected yet welcome encounters. In this case, it was a ski slope where two newly single skiers meet by chance and begin to bond, as fate would have it. It’s an enjoyable read.
Place Name: Honorable Mention Contestant Name: Auto Club of Southern California Entry Title: Traveling Light Entry Credit: Eric Weiner Judge Comment: Travelers are usually on a quest: to reach a hilltop or peak, discover a quiet refuge beside a tranquil lake, find the perfect hamburger or handmade scarf. Or, happiness. Perhaps the biggest obstacle isn't how steep the climb, how remote the lake, or an overabundance of burgers and scarves, but expectations we bring with us. And that, the writer learns, isn’t what makes us happy after all.
