L.A. Times’ Christopher Reynolds Earns Three Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards

Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Christopher Reynolds has earned three awards in the 38th annual Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition.

Overseen by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation (SATW), the awards are open to travel journalists and communicators from around the world, and recognize works in more than two dozen categories, including print, digital, audio, video and photography. The honors were presented on Sept. 10 at the SATW’s annual convention in Bogotá, Colombia.

Reynolds won silver for the competition’s top prize: the Grand Award — Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year. In noting his achievement, the competition judges called Reynolds’ writing “strong and served with a helping of flair.

“Christopher Reynolds lends a folksy flavor to his writing as he opens the door to readers and invites them to join the fun as he explores a variety of California places,” they noted.

Reynolds also earned a gold award in the special packages/series category for his guide, The 40 Best California Experiences, a package that details the top destinations, broken into three installments for fall, winter and summer. The judges called the package “delightfully entertaining, humorous and helpful” and lauded its “handy search tool” and interactive map that let readers drill down to specifics.

In addition, Reynolds received silver in the cultural tourism category for his piece, San Francisco’s Chinatown is Caught Between Past and Future, which explores the tensions playing out in San Francisco’s historic Chinatown. “The writing illuminates what is gained and what is lost as a community transforms — how older patrons, families celebrating and affordable menus are making way for hipper, sleeker, more-Westernized venues,” the judges noted.

Reynolds said he is grateful for the accolades. “As you can imagine, travel journalism everywhere has taken a lot of detours over the last two and a half years,” he said. “This recognition is a great reminder that in bad times and good, a big part of our job is helping neighbors (near and far) understand each other better.”

View the complete list of winners at satwf.com.