Members of the Missouri School of Journalism faculty, coordinated by Prof. Daryl Moen, judged the contest. There were 1,392 entries. For questions, contact: Mary Lu Abbott, SATW Foundation administrator, 713-532-6461 or MaryLuA@satwf.com.

Category 1: Grand Award-Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year

Gold: Jane Wooldridge, The Miami Herald
This overall category demands versatility as well as talent. When you accompany Jane Wooldridge to Hanoi, or on a cut-rate cruise, or watch her welcome strangers into her home, you are in the company of a writer with a sharp eye, a keen ear and a light touch. In a strong category, her work stands out. She is both a diligent reporter and a master storyteller.

Silver: Carol Pucci , The Seattle Times
Her project on independent travel in China must be the definitive package on that topic. Her other writing combines sensitivity and utility. Readers of the Times are fortunate.

Bronze: Millie Ball, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans
Millie Ball didn't have to leave home to find the subject matter for delightful and informative writing. Her accounts of playing like a tourist and then tourist-seeking in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina are worthy of page 1.
Category 2: Newspaper Travel Sections

2A – 500,000 or more circulation

Gold: The Boston Globe, Douglas M. Warren , Travel Editor
Crisp elegance prevails throughout these thoughtful Travel sections. Underlying the elegance is a sense of fun and adventure. It makes for a great mix for the readers, whether they want to enjoy exotic travel or rough it in the nearby wilderness of Maine and New Hampshire. The sections are packed with helpful tips and great photographs.

Silver: Los Angeles Times, Catharine Hamm, Travel Editor
The Los Angeles Times Travel sections say: Let's go, let's go now. Every page is thoughtfully designed and filled with photographs and text that take readers – whether the armchair variety or the actual adventurers – on a wonderful trip. A great example: "Before the bon voyage" is a treasure trove of information, sure to be a keeper for readers.

Bronze: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Amanda J. Miller, Travel Editor

Whether it's the Traveler's Aid or If You Go breakout boxes, these sections make the extra effort to help readers plan and enjoy their travels. Clean and consistent design leads readers through the sections with ease. And, the topics – all-out fun, relaxation, history, adventure, exotic – serve a variety of readers.

2B – 350,000-499,999 circulation

Gold: The Miami Herald, Jane Wooldridge , Travel Editor
With an overall retro look, The Miami Herald's Travel sections are fun and accessible. The centerpiece stories are wholly engaging and well-written. In one issue, for example, the unexpected pairing of a story on Las Vegas' centennial with one about the early years of stewardesses made for delightful reading. The inside pages feel meaty with "news you can use" features about traveling near and far, with kids and without kids, with money or without it. 

Silver: The Oregonian, Sue Hobart, Travel Editor
The Oregonian's Destinations sections have a clean, inviting look that promotes readability. Good use of maps assists the storytelling, and the writing is first-rate. Inside pages include an easy-to-read "Get Going" calendar and solid secondary stories. The Oregonian knows its audience: The places spotlighted have a dash of daring but aren't too far out. There's also good "if you go" info.

Bronze: The Globe and Mail, Toronto, Adam Bisby & Karan Smith, Travel Editors
These Travel sections rely on creative graphics and photo illustrations for the covers. One issue had one of the best story ideas in this category: "Find your travel tribe." It used illustrations and short, smartly written text blocks to describe types of travelers: Cultura Vultura; Shoestringus Thriftus; Scenestera Fashionista; and Adventurus Outdoorsus. But wait – there's also a quiz.

2C – Up to 349,999 circulation

Gold: Ottawa Citizen, Laura Robin, Travel Editor
"How to" is the theme in the Ottawa Citizen's Travel section. Every issue includes breakout boxes to help readers navigate their way around the world. This section pays particular attention to readers who want to explore their own country – Prince Edward County, Montreal, Toronto and beyond Moose, Mounties and Mountains.

Silver: San Jose Mercury News, Linda Zavoral, Travel Editor
The San Jose Mercury News Travel section earns kudos for its down-to-earth practicality, presented in a let's-have-fun style – an excellent ideal for a Travel section. Three covers – N.Y. Fashion: a shopping guide, An Insider's Guide to the Cactus League and Battle of the Beds – offer a wealth of useful information to help readers. Hike of a Lifetime, a journal of a 2,658-mile hike by a 10-year-old and her parents along the Pacific Crest Trail, is bound to inspire the stay-at-home readers to venture out, too.

Bronze: The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Millie Ball, Travel Editor
The photographs from Antarctica are achingly beautiful – just one example of several in this section that capture readers' attention. Features such as Armchair Travel: Books to go by, Paper Trails: Where will we find you next? (written by readers), and Great Getaways: Locals' notable trips help readers and invite them to be a part of the adventure.
 
Category 3: Magazines

3A – Travel Magazines

Gold: National Geographic Adventure, John Rasmus, Editor in Chief
Superb story selection, varied writing styles and forms (first-person, second-person, narrative, explanatory, investigative, service), stunning photography and well-thought-out theme issues combine to make this magazine a reader's dream.

Silver: National Geographic Traveler, Keith Bellows, Editor
Strong story selection, well-crafted writing and a good match between text and photographs make this magazine worthy. Especially noteworthy is the national park rating cover piece.

Bronze: Via, Bruce Anderson, Editor
The variety of destinations covered and the compelling writing stand out. The cover story about the endangered state of California missions is an especially interesting, useful feature.

3B – Travel Coverage in Other Magazines

Gold: Bon Appetit, Barbara Fairchild , Editor-in-Chief
Experiencing the food is always one of the highlights when traveling. Combine a healthy portion of intriguing feature writing with a dollop of useful and interesting service pieces that help readers find that special food and the chefs who make it, and voila: a recipe for excellent travel writing.

Silver: Outside, Leslie Weeden, Travel Editor
People who prefer to play "outside" are looking for the kind of writing that offers an aesthetic sense of place as well a foreshadowing of the adventure that awaits. With incredible detail and informative reporting, this magazine's travel pieces transport the traveler

Bronze: enRoute, Arjun Basu, Editor-in-Chief
Travel features written in a narrative style that conjure images of people, place and time provide Air Canada's passengers with a special treat when they reach for this magazine in their seat-back pockets. The "Itinerary" department makes sure someone compelled by the seductive travel writing knows how to get where they want to go in a helpful, straightforward way.

Category 4: Newspaper Article on U.S./Canada Travel

Gold: Catherine Watson, "In Realms of the Spirit," Los Angeles Times
This is a haunting, lyrical look at an Indian pueblo in New Mexico and the inhabitants who remain committed to preserving its sacred nature and their connection to it. It reads as if it were a short story. The author does a terrific job of giving outsiders a look inside this important part of America's past and present.

Silver: Spud Hilton, "Healing New Orleans Getting Its Groove Back," San Francisco Chronicle
The writer does a wonderful job of putting the reader in the middle of New Orleans as it exists today, comparing its colorful past with the daunting present and determined future. Great use of colorful descriptions mixed with useful information.

Bronze: Peter Mandel, "Both Sides Now," The Washington Post
Humorous, enjoyable comparison of the Canada and U.S. take on Niagara Falls. Easy to read and well-organized, this "report card" serves the reader well and will be a valuable addition to those traveling to the famous landmark.

Category 5: Magazine Article on U.S./Canada Travel

Gold: Andrew Nelson, "Why I Went to Boise," National Geographic Traveler
This article was a fun read with good detail, packed with service if you wanted to take a trip like this. The writer makes you feel as if you went with him. Attention-grabbing lead and title. Great tone and wonderful use of quotes.

Silver: Steve Hawk, "Oahu's New Wave," Islands
For the uninitiated, the piece had a casual tone. It doesn't make you feel as if you had to know the terminology or jargon before you could read the article. Excellent job of setting scenes and picturing – in words – the people and places.

Bronze: Bruce Stockler, "Saved By Sequoias," Hemispheres
This trek into Sequoia National Park by two Los Angeles magazine editors who lack outdoor survival skills is reminiscent of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods." Humor and human error figure in the picture. It's big on description and has some good turns of phrase: "We stare into nature's black mouth, listening."

Category 6: Newspaper Article on Foreign Travel

Gold: Harry Shattuck, "India: An Assault on the Senses," Houston Chronicle
This is a well-written essay that captures the vivid contrasts of India. Writing about the complexities of India – and traveling in India – is a daunting task, but this piece exceeds expectations by combining descriptive language with straightforward facts about the country. The writer adds specific travel tips for future travelers.

Silver: Howard Shapiro, "Europe in Winter," The Philadelphia Inquirer
This straightforward narrative builds a case for winter travel to Europe. The reader can practically feel the cold, wet weather – and also experience a sightseeing trip without tourists, an opportunity to truly experience Prague, Brussels and Barcelona. 

Bronze: Terry Richard, "Game Show," The Oregonian
A drive-your-own safari and diving in proximity to great white sharks may not be for everyone, but this piece describes South Africa in a way that even more passive travelers should be enticed. Laced with humor and full of description, this article offers an inexpensive way to experience South Africa.

Category 7: Magazine Article on Foreign Travel

Gold: Donovan Webster, "Footsteps of My Ancestors," National Geographic Traveler
This might be the mother AND father of travel stories. The writer's search for his genetic origins, from Central Asia to east Africa, the Middle East to Europe, is full of wonderful surprises. Yet its beauty for the reader is the gathering sense that, despite barriers of color, culture and geography, we are all one.

Silver: Kira Salak, "Rediscovering Libya," National Geographic Adventure
This captivating tour of a country so long closed to the outside world anticipated, by nearly a year, the recent flood of pieces welcoming Libya back to the community of nations. The writer traces the route of the first Westerner to explore inner Libya and comes away with a flawlessly written portrait of a place of natural wonder and mystery.

Bronze: Patrick Symmes, "The Book," Outside
This unusual story, ostensibly tracing the existence of a little-known, self-perpetuating guidebook written by and for young Israeli globetrotters, is also an unflinching look at the cultural collisions all travelers encounter.

Category 8: Newspaper Photo Illustration of Travel Article

Gold: Pauline Lubens, "Natural Wonders/Galapagos Gallery," San Jose Mercury News
The surprising lead image of reclining sea lions is poetry in a photo. The monochromatic tones make the sea lions disappear into the sand. The photographs in the package represent a variety of animals, distances, sizes and species.  Even humans on the beach at sunset are included in this comprehensive, alluring set of images. The "albatross dance" is particularly strong.

Silver: Jamie Francis, "Jackpot Junket," The Oregonian
The photographs show emotions and moments so well that they transport readers to Elko, Nevada, with these Casino Express passengers. We see the flight, a slot tournament, a perfectly lit portrait, a detail of dirty fingers on a slot machine, a cityscape and of course, a polar bear. 

Bronze: Paul E. Rodriguez, "Train to the Top," The Orange County Register
Each image in this essay is beautifully composed, and the package is a pleasure to view.  Readers are along for the ride from Oslo to Bergen, Norway, watching the scenery and private moments between passengers. The front image of the frozen scene is breathtaking.

Category 9: Magazine Photo Illustration of Travel Article

Gold: Steve McCurry, "Footsteps of My Ancestors," National Geographic Traveler
A different kind of journey – through time and cultures to trace origins of the author's DNA – yields a richness and diversity of experience, environments and people. Stirring combination of portraiture and scenic photography, of modern culture juxtaposed with simpler living. Stylistically consistent, strong use of color.

Silver: Brown W. Cannon III, "In Living Color," Virtuoso Life
Excellent storytelling images in an India travel story from Darjeeling to Rajasthan. The sense of place in these images is stirring. They incorporate a wonderful visual wit and sense of detail. Excellent use of different camera angles to give us an optimum view of each locale.
 
Bronze: John Huba, "Shanghai," Town & Country Travel
Superb combination of overall scenes alternating with telling portraiture of people and smaller environments help convey the richness of travel to this city.

Category 10: Special Packages/Projects

Gold: Beatriz Terrazas, "The Call of the River," The Dallas Morning News
The Rio Grande is much more than the shallow river that separates Texas from Mexico. Terrazas travels with photographer Erich Schlegel to the Continental Divide, to the source of the nation's third-longest river and follows it south, elegantly telling the story of the Rio Grande and of people whose lives are touched by it. Their stories reflect some of the most difficult issues of the American Southwest.

Silver: Richard Bangs, "Expedition: Eiger," Richard Bangs Adventures on Yahoo
This is a compelling read about John Harlan III's attempt to climb the North Face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps, one of the most difficult ascents in the world. The attempt was particularly dramatic because Harlan's father, America's first "rock star" mountaineer, died making the same climb 41 years earlier. This is a great adventure story from beginning to end.

Bronze: Carol Pucci, "China on Your Own," The Seattle Times
Of all the how-to packages, Pucci's stands out because it's comprehensive, authoritative and fun to read. She goes beyond thumbnail sketches and avoids unwieldy articles with effective dispatches that tell interesting stories about the day's adventures and give useful advice on the side. For some parts of the package, she fields questions from readers who have been following her travels. Pucci captures the sense of place while making readers feel that they could have an adventure like this, too.

Category 11: Self-Illustrated Article

Gold: Jill Schensul, "Making Peace With Vietnam," The Record, Hackensack, NJ
This story has an equally strong mix of compelling photographs and gripping words. The author walks readers through a friendly Vietnam while she asks and answers hard questions about a war that ended 30 years ago. This is a thorough package with helpful information, maps and sidebars. Particularly strong is the story about her visit to My Lai. 
 
Silver: Michael DeMocker, "Paris Macabre," The Times-Picayune, New Orleans
These stunning, but creepy, black-and-white images demand attention. While the story idea is good, the photographs bring the page to life. They are stylized with high contrast and darkened edges. The story keeps a rapid pace and, like the photographs, it never loses the reader's attention.
 
Bronze: Janet Fullwood, "Red Rock Fever," The Sacramento Bee
This author has a beautiful eye for light, as seen in both the fountain bubbles and mountain bike photographs on this adventure in Utah. The compositions are neat, clean and full-framed. The story is fun to read and humorous.

Category 12: Article on Land Travel

Gold: Jamie Elvidge, "Heart of Africa," Motorcycle Escape
This is a touching story about a motorcyclist who travels to distant and exotic South Africa to cruise its twisting back roads, only to find that the beautiful landscape's true treasure is the people who inhabit it. Excellent information for people who might want to replicate his experience.
 
Silver: Brian J. Cantwell, "Wonders Big and Small in Counties Far and Wide," The Seattle Times
Cantwell proves that true traveling can be done on the cheap just a stone's throw from home. He tells the story of his trek across rural eastern Washington through the eyes of the people he meets, not from the driver's seat of his Toyota Prius. Readers learn where to go to meet the most interesting locals, how much it will cost to get there and how to enjoy the experience once they arrive.
 
Bronze: Rob Buchanan, "The High Hills of Freedom," Outside
Buchanan taps into rich Scottish tradition as he begins his quest to "bag" all 284 of the Munro peaks of west Scotland's Highlands. Beautiful description and apt storytelling combine with practical information to make this a wonderful package.

Category 13: Article on Marine Travel

Gold: Rolf Potts, "Cycladian Rhythm," Outside Traveler
This author regales the readers with Greek myth, geographic insights into the archipelago and descriptive language while reporting on a sailing vacation through the Cyclades. Readers not only feel the wind and water but also can easily understand the intricacies of marine travel.

Silver: Trevor Meers, "Ghosts of the Lakes," Midwest Living
The writer gets Midwest Living readers into ghostly tales of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, a unique graveyard that keeps the boats in great shape because of the icy fresh water. Readers are introduced to folklore right in their own back yard with vivid detail and history.

Bronze: Susan Spano, "New Kid on the Med," Los Angeles Times
Many publications reported on the easyCruiseOne, the new cruise ship with a distinct difference – low-end costs. This piece did a great job of explaining the trip with candor and humor, always answering questions just as the reader was beginning to wonder. The writer filled the piece with what works and what needs to be fixed.

Category 14: Article on Adventure Travel

Gold: Mark Jenkins, "A Short Walk in the Wakhan Corridor," Outside
A remarkable subject was captured with just the right amount of drama. The writer's eloquence, voice, tone and detailing put the reader right next to him on this adventure along Afghanistan's ancient route to China.

Silver: John Flinn, "The Path to Enlightenment," San Francisco Chronicle
Flinn's sense of humor offsets this unusual travel adventure in Japan with just the right amount of tact. The subject is fascinating, and his pacing and voice make this piece a pleasurable and fascinating read.

Bronze: Chris Welsch, "Into the Blue," Star Tribune, Minneapolis
An incredible package. The center spread with graphics and info boxes about the Great Barrier Reef elevated a story topic that has been done numerous times. Welsch's descriptive voice glides the reader through the story.

Category 15: Travel News/Investigative Reporting

Gold: Barbara S. Peterson, "The Great Escape," Conde Nast Traveler
This article takes a hard-hitting look at how airline passenger safety could be improved by improving evacuations. The writing is compelling, and the story is solidly grounded in data analysis, participatory reporting and documents.

Silver: Anne Belli, "At Sea and at Risk?" Houston Chronicle
This in-depth story examines problems with medical care and health inspections on cruise ships, something that few passengers may think about before boarding. Using information from the federal government and interviews with former passengers, the author shows the scope of the problems at sea.

Bronze: Jonathan Tourtellot, "Destination Scorecard: How Do 55 National Park Regions Rate?" National Geographic Traveler
This piece measures the health of U.S. National Parks using a panel of experts from a number of disciplines and gives readers the results in attractively designed, easy-to-navigate pages. The writing is sharp and to the point, conveying the pertinent details.

Category 16: Service-Oriented Consumer Article

Gold: Leslie Weeden & contributors, "Best Trips 2006: The Wanderlist," Outside Traveler
This winner stands out because it is organized and user-friendly, full of detail for dreaming but void of frivolous description. It's the straight facts in a conversational tone, keeping in mind a wide audience, who even if uninterested in a safari could be entertained by the collection of 40 different adventures. What is most impressive is the amount of helpful information packed in such an easy-to-find way.

Silver: Jane Wooldridge, "For Deals in a Hurry, Online's In," The Miami Herald
This is a great example of a how-to, step-by-step article on using the Internet to find the best travel deal. The article goes beyond listing Web sites with explanations. It gives the down and dirty on, among other categories, airfare, car rental and quick packages. Readers get the idea that the writer actually uses these strategies.

Bronze: Michael Kaplan, "Vegas Secrets," Southwest Airlines Spirit
This is a journey to a new kind of Las Vegas leaving out the Sin City's usual suspects. One of the 15 secrets revealed is one of the best Thai restaurants in the country located in a strip mall filled with karaoke joints and a pool hall. This is a fresh look at the clichéd casino neon-lighted metropolis. Secrets are exposed in the list with address and phone numbers and firsthand accounts.

Category 17: Environmental Tourism Article

Gold: Mark Jenkins, "Bush Bashing," Outside
Interweaving the details of a trek through the forest of Tasmania's Styx River Valley and the continuing story of the commercial assault on the island's eucalyptus trees, the writer renders a stellar and disturbing tale. This is a terrific example of travel writing at its poignant best.
 
Silver: Ken McAlpine, "Galapagos Endangered," American Way
With so many inviting travel articles being written about the Galapagos Islands, this writer sounds a much-needed alarm over the increasing number of tours to the famous islands and the threat the increase poses. While never denying the beauty of the islands and its memorable effect on any visitor, the article is a solid example of responsible journalism.
 
Bronze: Scott Kirkwood, "Wolf (& Consequence)," National Parks
This could have been a routine story on the reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone National Park. Instead it packs in fascinating scientific detail on the surprising effects on the environment and deals with controversies that remain over bringing back the wolves. A fresh, vibrant approach.   

Category 18: Cultural Tourism Article
Gold: John DeMers, "Crescent City Comeback," HemispheresThe devastation of New Orleans has been explored in countless news stories. However, this article does an effective job of exploring the realities of what needs to be done to preserve the cultural heritage of this great city and possibly change the perception of the New Orleans as just a party town. The author also goes one step further in pointing out that the city belongs not only to its residents but also to the entire country.

Silver: Fe Liza Bencosme, "Boogie Noches," Islands
Merengue is perhaps better known, but "son dancing" – a blend of Cuban, African and European forms – is a distinctive part of Dominican identity. Bencosme crafts a narrative rich with details of the look and sound of son culture, as well as the tastes, sights and history of areas tourists likely don't visit very often.

Bronze: Rudy Maxa, "Thai Takeout," National Geographic Traveler
Maxa makes your mouth water. The various culinary delights drive the story, but you also get a glimpse of the life and culture of Bangkok and the surrounding area. The out-of-the-way places they go in search of unique Thai dishes and the people they come across reveal Thailand.

Category 19: Personal Comment

Gold: Dai Huynh, "The Things I Left Behind," Houston Chronicle
Three decades after the fall of Saigon, a daughter of Vietnam returns to her homeland to confront the consequences of her father's decision to sacrifice himself and send his family to America. Sorrow, loss and regret accompany Dai on her journey, but this essay doesn't pander to emotion. What emerges instead is a raw appraisal of the choices we make and how those choices shape our destinies.

Silver: Alison Wright, "Postcard from the Edge," Yoga Journal
When a logging truck rammed into a bus in a Laotian jungle, it left Alison Wright at the doorstep of death. To heal her shattered body, Wright began a five-year spiritual journey that took her from doubting doctors to the mountaintops of Tibet, where she renewed her Buddhist faith. Wright's is an emotional story, told with boldness and love.

Bronze: Rod Davis, "Remembering New Orleans," Southwest Airlines Spirit
In the wake of Katrina, a New Orleans devotee returns to the Big Easy to find a bit of hope in the desperate landscape. An essay of love, remembrance and celebration with a surprising conclusion – that a little bit of the old New Orleans lives in all of us.

Category 20: Travel Book

Gold: Joan Tapper & Nik Wheeler, "Island Dreams Caribbean," Thames & Hudson
The real test of a winner is whether the book compels you to pick it up again and again, makes you want to share it with friends and inspires you to launch a travel adventure of your own. This knowledgeable, experienced and talented writer-editor and the lush, artful images of a skilled photographer deliver on all counts.

Silver: Dave Stamboulis, "Odysseus' Last Stand: The Chronicles of a Bicycle Nomad," Sanuk Press
Here's a travel writer as off-road warrior. Yes, it's a first-person tale unlikely to make you jump out of your seat and bike around the world; it's too daunting a task for most of us. But it's a marvelous tale, with twists, turns, humor, pathos, the expected (but still marvelously enjoyable) and unexpected.

Bronze: Phil Karber, "The Indochina Chronicles: Travels in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam," Marshall Cavendish Editions
Karber offers a modern-day look at a region that wore out its media welcome 35 years ago. Karber's story of his return is executed with style, insight and honesty.

Category 21: Guidebook

Gold: Douglas Stallings, Jessica E. Lee, Melissa Klurman , Editors, "Fodor's Caribbean 2006," Fodor's Travel Publications
This astoundingly organized guidebook will answer virtually any question about the Caribbean that a traveler might ask. The contents as well as the sections called What's Where, Island Finder, If You Like and If You Want help readers get oriented. The island sections are consistently organized so that they can be scanned for information or enjoyably read. A lot of great information is packed into this book.
 
Silver: Christopher P. Baker, "Moon Handbooks Costa Rica," Avalon Travel Publishing
This guidebook is a fun traveling companion. The text is witty and has personality. The country, region and local maps are indispensable, and the organization is easy to learn, making this a perfect reference guide. The Discover Costa Rica section does a great job of suggesting itineraries for those with limited time.
 
Bronze: Jan Friedman, "Eccentric California," Bradt Travel Guides
This is the guidebook for anyone who wants to see ugly-dog contests, alleys with 50 years worth of chewed gum on the walls and G-String Guy on his Rollerblades. Well-researched, it will guide you with a sense of humor through California's quirkiest festivals, attractions, museums, tours, food and shopping. 

Category 22: Internet Publications/Web sites

Gold: http://www.WorldHum.com, Jim Benning & Michael Yessis, Editors
World Hum/Travel Dispatches from a Shrinking Planet gathers engaging narratives, informative how-to articles, interviews, columns and blog entries into a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate site. Blog entries cover not only the usual tourist destinations but also places like Botswana, Afghanistan and, under the category of Space Tourism, low-Earth orbit.

Silver: Lonelyplanet.com, Helen Souness, Digital Publisher
You are not alone at Lonely Planet Online, which amasses a truly impressive collection of information in the form of guides, columns, travelers' blogs, links, news and message board postings. The site includes content optimized for mobile phones and PDAs, so you won't be alone even when you're on your own.
 
Bronze: Newyorkology.com, Amy Langfield, Editor
The Bronx is up, the Battery is down, and Wi-Fi is coming to Central Park. Part blog, part online guidebook, NewYorkology.com excels at providing timely information for Manhattan tourists. Under the direction of editor Langfield, NewYorkology combines original material with a well-chosen collection of off-site links, making the site a great starting point no matter what your ultimate destination may be.
Category 23: Internet Travel Article

Gold: David Plotz, "An American Barbecue Pilgrimage," Slate
Plotz traveled the continent in search of the best barbecue in the nation. Well-written and engaging, the series contains much-needed literacy information (what are burnt ends?) while avoiding condescension. The series captured the feeling of eating several excellent barbecue meals without the gastric discomfort inherent in actually doing that. 

Silver: Jacob Weisberg, "Book Hunting in Britain," Slate
In the best tradition of travel writing, Weisberg manages to be completely engaging about a trip that few of his readers will likely take. He provides a reading experience that can stand in for the actual travel itself. The series intermingles excellent description with sparkling wit and makes obscure publishing history interesting.

Bronze: Seth Stevenson, "Should I Move to Amsterdam?" Slate
Stevenson manages to answer a question that has been asked by anyone who has spent an extended period of time somewhere unfamiliar and has wrestled with the problem of going home again. Rather than a travelogue, it's an extended mediation on finding a home in an unfamiliar place.
Category 24: Special Purpose Travel

Gold: Seth Stevenson, "Baja, Top to Bottom," Slate
This writer set out looking for constrained adventure, and he certainly found it. Whether it was his almost very bad night at the cantina, the unusual request of giving a couple of soccer-playing soldiers a ride to their match, the long hours alone in the car or stumbling onto the perfect, secret camp spot, the writer tells his tales with masterful description, wry humor and unabashed honesty.

Silver: Eric Pryne, "Welcome to Your Motherland," The Seattle Times
The writer does a wonderful job of telling the story of his 16-year-old stepson's journey to his native South Korea. The story is documented but not so overdone as to take the heart from this compelling tale. The writer does a wonderful job of detailing the emotions felt by everyone in the story while keeping the focus on the boy and his journey.

Bronze: Anthony Cerretani, "Chasing Spirits," Outside Traveler
This personal take on the biggest regatta in the Caribbean is both informative and entertaining. The writer spends as much time describing the nightlife as the regatta, and that is fine because, as he says, this regatta is half-work, half-play. Strong description and use of chronology.