And the $20,000 Prize Goes To . . .
by Wendy Perrin
Remember the Dream Trip Contest we've been telling you about since January? Now that Conde Nast Traveler's September issue -- the one announcing the winner -- is about to hit the newsstands, I can let the cat out of the bag: The $20,000 dream trip goes to Philadelphia-based world traveler Gene Pembroke, whose feet you see here standing on a frozen lake in Mongolia. You go, Gene!
If I were to tell you how many hundreds of hours went into choosing the winner . . . well, you wouldn't even believe it. First we narrowed the 29,000 contest entries down to 20 finalists. Each finalist was then asked to submit an essay describing his or her dream trip, as well as three great travel tips.
Read Gene's terrific essay and tips and I bet you'll see right away why we chose him. In case you don't, I humbly offer up this explanation that I wrote for our September issue:
"It's easy to love travel's blissful moments. Harder to accept are its frustrations, from language barriers to logistical nightmares. Most challenging of all, however, is turning those headaches into opportunities for cross-cultural understanding. Gene Pembroke does just that by connecting with locals: He drinks with them, strikes up card games, and walks a mile in their shoes, considering the hardships and snafus part of the fun. As Pembroke's photograph and essay demonstrate, a trip's most beautiful moments can be found not only in idyllic environments but also in harsh ones, and not just in sweeping vistas but in the small, easily overlooked details. Pembroke can spot grandeur right under his nose -- or, in the case of his winning photo, his feet. All of these talents -- the ability to befriend those he meets, to leave expectations at home, to view the journey as its own reward, and 'to see a world in a grain of sand' -- help make a traveler a true global citizen, and they are why we believe Gene Pembroke deserves the trip of his dreams."
There's Gene. You can view more of his photos at GenePembrokePhotography.com.
What happens now, you ask? Now I and my team get to custom-design Gene's dream trip through South America and Antarctica. Every few weeks Brook will be updating you on the $20,000 extravaganza we're concocting . . . and what jealous wrecks we all are!
What would YOU do in South America and Antarctica with a spare $20,000 in your pocket? Give us ideas by clicking on "Comments" below.
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That is a gorgeous picture!
Antarctica? Sorry. I hate cold weather. I love traveling, but I don't know that I could bring myself to go. I think it's cold if it's below 70 LOL.
I'm worried that I'm going to freeze on our trip to southern England in late October/early November!
But I could go for South America (in summer) :D
I'd love to see Machu Picchu.
Posted by: tracker1312 | August 21, 2007 at 11:38 AM
I've been to Antarctica & when you go in Dec / Jan, it's summer there and the only time you can travel. Temps were in high 30's - low 40's & delightful. We even took my son & family (including 9 mo old granddaughter). Get his camera ready... there are extraordinary ice berg shots everywhere - literally hundreds as ship passes thru... fab shades of blue. And there is red algae.
Posted by: deannadv | August 22, 2007 at 09:47 AM