San Francisco Ferry Building & Embarcadero

Today the prestigious Society of American Travel Writers  Foundation announced the winners of the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition. In the category “CD/podcast/mobile phone” the  Bronze Award was given to Laura Del Rosso, for her Visual Travel Tour,

“San Francisco’s Ferry Building and Embarcadero.”

Judges Comments: “Laura Del Rosso introduces old-fashioned tourism to the full power of modern multimedia. She has produced an elaborate but easy-to-understand travel guide to San Francisco that you can put in your computer — save on your iPod — or simply slip into your pocket stored on your cell phone. Wherever you keep it, you’ll be glad you have it. With a quick click you find a photograph of a place you plan to visit, as Del Rosso’s voice describes what you will see and what you should do when you get there, complete with occasional musical interludes. Prefer print? No problem. Del Rosso’s guide includes a map and a series of .pdf files that alternate between photos of destinations and pages of print explaining what you should know and do when you visit each. The copy is concise, and Del Rosso’s advice is spot on. If you follow it, you’ll hit all the highlights and avoid a lot of the hassles. This is a remarkably sophisticated effort — but easy to use. It’s the closest equivalent you’ll find to having a good friend show you around a city she loves. Travel can be tricky. With Del Rosso’s guide, it should be a treat, instead.”