May 27, 2006
Reviewing travel writing contest entries 6-10
This will be a refresher on summer vacation plan entries 6-10
Number 6 was a summer vacation in Grenada. This one starts off well with two possible hotels mentioned. The authors also do an excellent job listing expenses and providing options throughout the travel plan.
Number 7 brought back some childhood memories since I used to vacation in Hershey Park and go to Strasburg Railroad with my parents when I was younger. I also appreciate the concise writing style used here, more of an outline than an article. This one received a number of compliments, but not much meaty discussion.
Number 8 made me think of the future because I really want to go on an Alaskan cruise to see the glaciers. Hearing someone who has had the experience talk about the cruise experiences sure made me more confident about taking that Alaskan Cruise.
The 9th contest entry was a great trip to Europe with useful pointers like reserving tickets to Big Ben online 3 months in advance. All in all, 22 days in London, Paris, and Italy sounds pretty good to me! With a focus on art and food, you won't lack for cultural experiences. Since the Italy tour is an optional addition, this vacation was not too long to qualify for the contest.
The last one I'll look back at now is number 10, a Colorado vacation plan. This one received a lot of praise in the comments, but only a few comments provided genuine insight and generated real discussion. This one was designed for parents and teenagers traveling together and includes good family activities like the aerial tram on Day 1. The restaurant recommendations give this plan some good detail.
Again, I'm amazed at just how good the contest entrants are at writing vacation plans. Choosing only 5 winners and ranking them is going to be real difficult. Plus I have to do it soon!
Posted by James Trotta at May 27, 2006 1:01 AM