BATW president Diane LeBow is attending a food, wine and culture conference in Sicily and will write about her trip next month.

Thanks go to Karen Misuraca for sending this information about BATW members who deserve congratulations for winning awards in the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) Western Chapter travel writing contest: Guide Book: Bronze:  Bruce Whipperman Moon Handboks Guadalajara Avalon Travel Travel Column Silver:...

Diane Covington (left) and her long-lost almost-adopted “brother” Gilbert Desclos with his wife, Huguette, and daughter, Cathy, and Cathy’s sons, Benoit and Romain, in San Francisco Congratulations to Diane Covington who has a very sweet and emotional story titled “Finding Gilbert“...

Diane Covington‘s essay “Finding Gilbert” appears in the June issue of Reader’s Digest.  Below she shares the journey she and her story went on to arrive at that success, and she offers tips and encouragement to other writers: The bottom line?  Believe in your story and never give up!

William “Bill” Foster, a fabulous photographer based in Sacramento, gave an excellent presentation about how to use the internet, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other web tools to promote writers and photographers at the May BATW meeting at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco.

Both Susan Alcorn and Karen Misuraca sent this environmentally friendly tip.  Susan said: There’s a new font, called Ecofont, that reportedly uses 20% less ink when you use it to print out your documents.

Bigger Piece of a Smaller Pie by Lakshman Ratnapala Despite terrorist wars and economic woes assailing the nation and the world, there is one bright spot in the Bay Area economy – tourism to San Francisco.   More visitors left their hearts – and their money – in San Francisco in 2008, than in...

[OK, your website editor admits this is more computer "industry news" than travel industry news, but the Autodesk Gallery is a fun place, and who knows what impact of some of the wild inventions it features might have on travel in the future. -- ed.] Lego Dinosaur at Autodesk Gallery (all photos by...

[Laurie McAndish King has been busy since the BATW press trip to Mendocino.  She's had two articles from the trip published.  You've got to love the lead on her second story.  Here's her note:] Mendocino coast (photos by Dee Rogers) Thanks to Arvis, Sandy, and everyone else who made our recent trip...

The 9th edition of Carole Terwilliger Meyers’ Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern California has just been published. Weighing in at more than 1½ pounds, Weekend Adventures is packed with interesting places to visit. San Francisco’s former mayor Willie Brown said, “Ms. Meyers’...