A Professional Organization of Travel Writers and Photographers
BATW News | See all BATW News President’s Column — March, 2010President’s Column — March, 2010

Diane’s summary: “Hurrah for our very successful BATW Awards Presentations on February 20. Updates on our website and ezine, and looking forward to our March 20 program on Branding and Marketing as well as our many exciting programs throughout 2010, with even a spectacular holiday party already scheduled.” (photo © John Montgomery)


BATW BEST 2010 Writing & Photography and Planet Earth Award WinnersBATW BEST 2010 Writing & Photography and Planet Earth Award Winners

Here it is — the long-awaited list of winners in the 2010 BATW BEST Travel Writing & Photography Awards and the 2010 Planet Earth Awards. (photo © Laurie Weed)


April BATW Meeting: “The Power of Travel Writing” — April 17April BATW Meeting: “The Power of Travel Writing” — April 17

The Power of Travel Writing: Gaia Hotel and Spa in Napa hosts our April 17 meeting, which will be a panel of experts discussing the power of travel writers to influence travelers and tourists in becoming aware of cultures and making responsible choices for destinations, lodgings, activities and more.


Member News | See all Member News
See the Winning Photographs from the BATW AwardsSee the Winning Photographs from the BATW Awards

Here’s your chance to see the lovely photos that won the BATW Best Travel Writing & Photography Awards last month. (photo © John Montgomery)


Laurie McAndish King’s Photo is “Smithsonian” Photo Contest FinalistLaurie McAndish King’s Photo is “Smithsonian” Photo Contest Finalist

Major congratulations to Laurie McAndish King, whose photo titled Hidden Frog is a finalist in Smithsonian magazine’s 7th annual photo contest! Laurie took the photo on BATW’s Mendocino press trip last September. It was one of 50 finalists chosen from 60,000 contest entries from around the world. (photo © Laurie McAndish King)


Diane LeBow & April Orcutt Win 2010 Solas AwardsDiane LeBow & April Orcutt Win 2010 Solas Awards

BATW is pleased to point out that two BATW members, Diane LeBow and April Orcutt, won awards in this year’s Travelers’ Tales Solas Awards


Tips & Resources | See all Tips & Resources
Smartphones & the Future of Photo Publishing — Apr. 13Smartphones & the Future of Photo Publishing — Apr. 13

Join us for a joint BATW/ASMP event for photographers and writers: If you thought the personal computer revolution of the 1980s and the Internet revolution of the 1990s were big, well, they were. But a new revolution merging the best features of personal computing, instant anywhere, anytime communication, and carry-everywhere portability promises to dwarf them both. Smartphones, those amazing handheld devices that offer the Internet in your pocket, are the fastest growing segment in both computing and communications. . . .


Gold Rush Writers Conference — Apr. 20 – May 2, 2010Gold Rush Writers Conference — Apr. 20 – May 2, 2010

The fifth annual Gold Rush Writers Conference will be held April 30, May 1 and 2 in picturesque Mokelumne Hill in the Sierra foothills.


“Working on the Road: Myth vs. Reality” (about Erin Van Rheenen) — by Donna Peck“Working on the Road: Myth vs. Reality” (about Erin Van Rheenen) — by Donna Peck

BATW member Donna Peck wrote “Working on the Road: Myth vs. Reality” about BATW member Erin Van Rheenen. It was featured in February on Plugin.com, an online magazine for creative professionals. The article begins, “Being a freelancer is as much about organization and scheduling as talent says Erin Van Rheenen, author of ‘Living Abroad in Costa Rica’. . . . “


Industry News | See all Industry News
Travel Trends: Asia Eclipses America in Aviation Markets — by Lakshman RatnapalaTravel Trends: Asia Eclipses America in Aviation Markets — by Lakshman Ratnapala

Lakshman Ratnapala reports: “Asia eclipsed North America as the world’s largest aviation market, last year. Some 647 million air travelers — more than a quarter of the 2.2 billion passengers who flew worldwide — took to the skies in Asia in 2009, compared to the 638 million air travelers in North America, hitherto the traditional leader in global aviation.” (photo © Bob Ecker)


Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition — Apr. 1, 2010Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition — Apr. 1, 2010

Are your entries ready for the 26th Annual SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition? The deadline is April 1.


Lee Foster Releases Second App for iPhoneLee Foster Releases Second App for iPhone

Lee Foster releases his second app for the iPhone: “Washington DC Travel and Photo Guide”


Articles | See all Articles
“A Leisurely Trip by Riverboat Through the Amazon Rainforest” — by Ginger Dingus“A Leisurely Trip by Riverboat Through the Amazon Rainforest” — by Ginger Dingus

Congratulations to Ginger Dingus, whose article “A Leisurely Trip by Riverboat Through the Amazon Rainforest” won the Gold BATW Best 2010 Travel Writing Award for “Best Text/Photo Combo Article.” Her story begins, “The barefoot fisherman, weathered and sun-browned, silently paddled his dugout canoe up to our drifting motorboat. He carried a handmade spear, two fishing poles cut from twigs and a well-worn rifle. To him, it was just another day’s hunt for groceries . . . ” (photo © Ginger Dingus)


“Both Paradise and Safe Haven” — by David Page“Both Paradise and Safe Haven” — by David Page

Congratulations (four times over, actually) to David Page for winning the Silver Award in the “Best Newspaper Article” category in the 2010 BATW BEST Travel Writing Awards for his story “Both Paradise and Safe Haven.” The story begins “Rinaldo Brutoco awoke to the sound of myna birds and leaf blowers. It was Thursday, the day Gary comes to do the landscaping and clean the koi pond. Beyond the Jacuzzi and the potted aloes, beyond the jumbled flow of lava at the edge of the 17th fairway, golfers played through. Beyond them, in the distance, lay the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Brutoco does not play golf. But he enjoys the buffer a golf course provides against future development. And tsunamis. . . . ” (photo © April Orcutt)


“Backroads of the California Coast” by Karen Misuraca“Backroads of the California Coast” by Karen Misuraca

Congratulations to Karen Misuraca, who won the Silver Award in the “Best Guide Books” category for her book “Backroads of the California Coast” (Voyageur Press). Here is an excerpt from it: “Overwhelming in its vastness, California stretches down the Pacific Coast for 1,264 miles. The state is split lengthwise by a wide central valley, warmed by intense heat of the inland Mohave and Sonoran deserts, and bordered by the high mountain frontiers––the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges. . . . “