National Parks Photo Contest: And the Winner Is...
Mesquite Flats, Death Valley National Park (Erik Dresser)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! Erik Dresser's photograph of the Mesquite Flat sand dunes in Death Valley National Park (pictured above) has been selected as the winner in our National Parks Photo Contest. Taken on a late September afternoon, here's how Erik got the shot:
"My girlfriend and I were in Las Vegas for a mini vacation (and to get engaged) last month and on our last day, we decided to take a day trip to Death Valley, which is about a two-hour drive away. I had seen photos of the dunes and knew that they would be at their most photogenic in the late afternoon, so I planned our trip so that we would reach them at around 6 p.m. It was very hot and windy that day so I went to a spot where the blowing wind would be back-lit by the sun. Despite shooting into the sun, the dunes still have a golden glow due the sunlight reflecting off the sand. This shot is at 200mm. I got some good close-up shots at 400mm, but I chose this one because it includes the ridgeline in the background to provide some scale to the scene."
Technical specifications:
Camera - Canon 1D Mark III
Lens - EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS
Exposure - 200mm, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 200
We were thrilled to receive over 200 entries for the contest, showcasing an amazing array of landscapes in 66 different parks and public lands across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the national parks claiming the highest representation of entries were Yellowstone National Park (31 entries), Glacier National Park (17 entries), Grand Canyon National Park (17 entries), Grand Teton National Park (15 entries), and Yosemite National Park (12 entries). Browse all of the entries here. Continue reading below the jump to view our five runners-up.
Thank you again, everyone, for taking part, plus a big thanks to Karine Aigner for joining us this week to judge our finalists. Karine is a senior photo editor with National Geographic Kids magazine. Here are her thoughts on the winning entry:
"For me, the winning image stood out because it was a different way capturing the Death Valley dunes, which are so often seen front-lit. After several rounds of judging we kept coming back to this image. It captures the the natural world's powerful, yet subtle beauty as well as spirit, and has wonderful layers of various textures from front to back—making the simple composition work. The back-lit sand creates a mood of anticipation. In all, the image beautifully captures a small moment, those that we often miss in our haste to take in and see as much as possible."
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September 28, 2009
America's Best Idea
The hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park (Photodisc)
Master documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' most recent project, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, premiered on PBS last night. Like each of Burns' hugely popular documentaries—including Baseball, Jazz, and most recently, The War, about World War II—National Parks promises to be yet another epic, in-depth look at an important part of our country's history, focusing on the people who helped to pioneer and shape the creation of these important public spaces, something that was a uniquely American idea. We encourage you to watch at least some of the six-part series (although if his other films are any indication, you'll probably find yourself glued to the TV night after night). But of course, the best way to appreciate the national parks isn't just to watch pictures of them scrolling across your TV screen. Get out and visit them! Gaze up at soaring mountain peaks, hike through enormous canyons, raft roaring rivers, climb over sand dunes, and experience for yourself the natural beauty of our country.
If you've visited any of the national parks already, and have some great photos to share, don't forget that this is the last week to submit a photo to our National Parks Photo Contest! You could win more than $200 in hiking gear from KEEN, and have your photos featured on Away.com! We've already gotten tons of great submissions—see them all at our Facebook page.
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September 14, 2009
Share Your Best National Park Photo to Win KEEN Hiking Gear!
Master documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' most recent project, The National Parks: America's Best Idea, premieres on PBS on September 27. We know many of you seasoned travelers out there have visited national parks and have some great photos to share, so in celebration of this new documentary, Away.com is having a contest to spotlight our country's parks. We're looking for your best photo, taken in or of a national or state park, forest, or seashore, that shows off the park's natural wonders, as well as your photography skills. But choose your very best photo, because you're only allowed one entry per person! All you have to do is:
1. Go to the Away.com Facebook Fan Page.
2. Become a fan of Away.com.
3. Type a descriptive caption of no more than 100 words—being sure to include where and in what park the photo was taken—in the text field at the top of the page (where it prompts you to "Write something...").
4. And before you hit the "Share" button, use the Photo icon below the text field to attach your most impressive national park photo.
Your photo and caption will then appear on our Facebook Wall to be shared with fellow travelers.
The grand prize winner will receive more than $230 worth of trail-ready gear from outdoor pros KEEN, to include hiking boots, a backpack, and merino wool hiking socks. The winner, along with several runner-ups, will also have their photos featured on our site. So start looking through your photo albums now, and send us the one that has the greatest "Wow!" factor. We're excited to see what you've got!
Contest ends midnight on October 2. Click here for the Official Contest Rules.
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August 20, 2009
Guide to the World's Best Resorts & Lodges
Cayo Espanto, a private luxury all-inclusive in Belize (courtesy, Cayo Espanto)
For the past 12 months, I have been neck-deep in one of the toughest assignments a travel editor can expect: Scouring the globe for the world's best destination resorts and lodges. I know, it's a hard job gazing at images of unspoiled, faraway places (like the one above), but I wasn't alone for my journey. We assigned a crack squad of travel writers with clips in publications including National Geographic Adventure, Travel+Leisure, and Lonely Planet to track down the cream of the crop, including their selections for the best family resorts, beach resorts, national park lodges, all-inclusive resorts, and six other distinct travel categories. One year later, with my list of must-visit places in a state of morbid obesity, we're excited to announce the launch of Away.com's new Resorts & Lodges Guide, featuring 200 of the world's ultimate destination-resort experiences. If you're looking for inspiration about where to stay next, this is the place to start.
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July 13, 2009
TimBuk2 Bag Giveaway: And the Best Travel Tips Are...
It turns out you all have tons of great packing and travel tips to share! We received nearly 170 tips in our TimBuk2 Bag Giveaway Contest, from how to save space in your luggage, to what gadgets are good to bring on trips, to how to be a more thoughtful traveler. Though there were a lot of helpful and original hints, we eventually chose two winners to win the TimBuk2 bags, listed below. We also chose ten runner-ups (after the jump) that provided hints that we thought were too good not to share, and they will all receive an Away.com t-shirt! If you are one of the winners or honorable mentions, please email press-relations@away.com so we can give you your prize. Thank you to everyone who entered! Even though the contest is now over, keep checking our Facebook Fan Page for more good travel tips, travel news, and new features on Away.com. And check back on our blog for more opportunities to win free stuff from Away!
2009 TimBuk2 Bag Giveaway Winners
Preventing wrinkles
I always pack a small plastic misting bottle in my bag. Each night I decide what I'm going to wear the next day, and spritz the wrinkled clothes. By morning, the clothes are dry and free of wrinkles! I also use it to freshen up my hairdo if I don't have time to wash it. (Submitted by Cheri Jantzen)
Update packing lists
Create a checklist of items you should pack for various types of trips and add to it every time you wish you had something—my husband and I share a Google Document. That way you won't find yourself without your phone charger, the mesh bag for seashell collecting, your hat, allergy medicine, membership cards, etc. (Submitted by Penny Alley)
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June 24, 2009
Give Us Your Packing Tips and Enter to Win a TimBuk2 Travel Bag!
From all those times you've packed and stuffed and restuffed, and then packed for the return trip home, you've probably picked up a few tricks and pointers for how to make the most of your luggage space (especially now that airlines have slapped all these fees on travelers who—god forbid—like to bring ample clothes and toiletries when they travel). So here at Away.com we want to hear about your best packing and travel tips! You might just win a TimBuk2 travel bag, which you can use to put your creative packing skills to the test the next time you travel.
To enter our bag giveaway, become a fan of Away.com on Facebook, and then post your favorite packing tip (or general travel tip, if you just can't think of one for packing), in 60 words or less, to our Facebook Wall (and not as a comment on this blog). We'll select the best two entries to win a chic and trendy TimBuk2 travel bag. But we're sure we'll receive a bunch of valuable travel tips, so we'll share them with you all right here on the blog.
Entries must be posted to Away.com's Facebook Fan Page no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on July 8, 2009, to be eligible. Click here to download the Official Contest Rules.
See the TimBuk2 bags (that you could win!) after the jump.
Continue reading "Give Us Your Packing Tips and Enter to Win a TimBuk2 Travel Bag!" »
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May 08, 2009
Top Ten Cheap Vacations
CHANGE OF SCENERY: Enjoy a meal in Budapest with the Hungarian Parliament Building in the background (Martin Child/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty)
I don't need to tell you why traveling on the cheap is so necessary nowadays. It's pretty impossible to ignore all the signs of economic woe around us—bailouts, high unemployment, and bankruptcies. It's enough to make anyone want to take a vacation. But don't feel guilty about wanting to hop on the next plane out of town. For every dream destination, you can find an alternative that will help you pinch pennies but give you the same qualities you were looking for, all without feeling like you took the budget option. Here's our list of the Top Ten Budget Vacations. Be sure to add your own recommendations in the comments!
10. Berlin, Germany
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April 13, 2009
Away.com Is Now on Facebook and Twitter!
If you like Away.com's travel ideas and inspiration, you can now get updates from us even more frequently, through Facebook and Twitter! Become a fan of Away.com on Facebook and get updates about our latest travel stories and photo galleries right to your Facebook News Feed. Plus, as a fan you can:
- Share your travel photos, stories, and tips. We want to see where you've been!
- Get the latest on seasonal and regional travel ideas.
- Give us feedback on our site and tell us what you'd like to see—we want your input!
And in case you've been living in a cave, and haven't heard about the Twitter revolution (and literally, a Twitter revolution by the youth in Moldova), Twitter is a microblogging website that is growing faster than you can say "tweet." The website allows you to share information and stay in touch with your network of followers on a real-time basis. It's proved a useful tool for travelers looking for recommendations and advice—even food and lodging. Follow us at awayblog on Twitter, and we'll:
- Keep you updated on all the latest travel news.
- Give you updates on new blog posts and articles.
- Post links to cool and interesting happenings around the world (and the Web).
- Ask you for your two cents about travel-related issues.
- And answer any travel questions you've got!
We've already got over 970 people following our up-to-the-minute travel tweets, so what are you waiting for? Become our 1000th follower and we'll send you an Away.com luggage tag, T-shirt, and mug!
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March 31, 2009
New on the Network: Travel Photos
Sea anemone in the waters off of Bonaire (Nathan Borchelt)
Away.com just posted lots of awesome new travel photos on the site. We beefed up our Caribbean inventory (because we know you're all dreaming of sun and sand) with photo galleries of Bonaire Above Ground and Bonaire Under Water. Plus, you can now download screensavers of Bonaire, Grand Cayman, and Grenada.
Also in the spirit of warm, sunny places, we have new photo galleries featuring Kauai, Hawaii; Big Island, Hawaii; and smoking hot lava on Hawaii's Big Island.
Our own Nathan Borchelt put together a great photo essay on the Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest last fall in New York. This gallery is just one more piece of our blown-out guide to New York, where you'll find great trip ideas for the city and upstate.
We also captured the essence of Bangkok, Thailand, in both a photo gallery and a screensaver. If you're looking for something a little more serene, our new Temples of Cambodia screensaver will do the trick.
Like what you see? View more Away.com photo galleries and screensavers now!
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March 26, 2009
Video: Best Family Travel Sites on the Net
Away.com’s Family Travel Guide has been selected as one of the “Best Family Travel Sites on the Net.” Check out the video below (look for us at 1:59!), which is also packed with some other great family-centric sites like WeJustGotBack.com and the world-roving SoulTravelers3.com blog. Did Trip on a Deal overlook any other can’t-miss family-travel resources? Tell us in the comments section below.
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