Photowalks “Walkies” 2025 Awards: Best in Travel

Jordan Bontke, a reporter/anchor for Phoenix’s ABC15, asked me a series of questions in a recent interview that I couldn’t answer off the cuff. Best place I’ve ever been to? Best small town? Best ice cream? Etc.

I was a little flustered, but as he wasn’t the only person who’s asked about the best place ever, so I decided to take his questions and add to them with other categories as well for a Photowalks episode.

The results: the first edition of the “Walkies” awards, based on the 120 locations we’ve covered so far for Photowalks, the best of the best. I invite you to join the fun and watch the episode below.

Meanwhile, the winners are:

Best Surprise: Gold County, California

Nicest People: Sicily, Italy

Biggest Letdown: Battle Creek, Michigan

Best Architecture: Barcelona

Best Road Trip: Route 66

Most Underrated: San Francisco

Most Walkable City Porto, Portugal

Best Hidden Gem: Victor, Idaho

Best Food: Chicago

Best Dessert: Graeter’s Ice Cream, Cincinnati

Best Use of iPhone for photography: Rainy days

Best Scenic Drive: Kingman to Oatman, Arizona

Best Photo Location: Paris

Best Island Getaway: Savary Island, British Columbia

Best Music City: New Orleans

Best Back Roads: Heber City, Utah

Best Beach Town: Manhattan Beach , California

Best Small Town: Taos, New Mexico

Best Out-of-the-Way Small Town: Lubec, Maine

Best City: New York

Best of the Best Overall: Nova Scotia

To find out why these choices were made, click the link above and watch the episode!