‘Photowalks TV’ Unveils the 15 Best Walks in America in Special “Walkies Awards” Episode

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — Photowalks TV, the popular travel and photography series hosted by veteran photojournalist Jefferson Graham, has officially announced the winners of its annual “Walkies Awards.” The milestone episode narrows down a massive list of more than 135 filming locations across the United States to crown the top 15 most scenic, navigable, and culturally vibrant pedestrian routes in the country.

Divided into two distinct categories—major metropolitan wonders and iconic small-town loops—the special episode serves as an ultimate visual roadmap for travelers, history buffs, and smartphone photographers alike.

“After covering tens of thousands of steps across big cities and tiny beach towns, you quickly learn what makes a world-class walk,” says series host Jefferson Graham, a former USA TODAY columnist. “It’s about easy navigation where you aren’t glued to your phone every 30 seconds, a natural architectural pull, and a constant sense of visual discovery around every single corner.”

The 2026 Walkies Award Highlights:

Top Metropolitan Wins:

• San Francisco (Best Views): Celebrated for its distinct neighborhood transformations, from the outdoor cafe culture of North Beach to the historic gates of North America’s oldest Chinatown.
• New York City (Easiest Navigation): Crowned for the effortless rhythm of the Manhattan grid and the stark, beautiful transition from urban streets to Central Park.
• Boston (Best Historic Walk): Awarded to the iconic 2.5-mile red brick path of the Freedom Trail, eliminating the need for navigation apps by guiding walkers directly over the final resting places of American revolutionists.
• Chicago (Best Architectural Walk): Honored for the dramatic scale of the Magnificent Mile and the pedestrian-focused respite of the Chicago Riverwalk.
• Savannah (Best City Plan): Recognized for its human-scale layout built around 22 historic public squares that open effortlessly into one another.

Top Small-Town Gems:

• Avalon, Catalina Island (Best Car-Free Walk): Highlights a vibrant, oceanfront paradise just 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles where the complete absence of visitor vehicles invites true wandering.
• Cannon Beach, Oregon (Perfect Beach Town): Celebrated for its unique Pacific Northwest mix of local art galleries and the towering presence of the 235-foot Haystack Rock.
• Park City, Utah (Best Trail Integration): Lauded for allowing walkers to step directly off a historic, mountain Main Street onto wide, flat backroads leading to the iconic McPolin Farm.
• Santa Fe, New Mexico (Most Walkable History): Honored for its compact, loop-based adobe architecture surrounding the historic central plaza.

Beyond the Pavement: Smartphone Editing Tips

The award-winning episode concludes with a comprehensive breakdown of five essential mobile smartphone editing techniques designed to rescue flat travel photos instantly. Graham demonstrates how to utilize native device levelers, master targeted shadow enhancement tools using the native Apple and Android apps, isolate skies with Google’s Snapseed selection tool, and utilize AI-driven cleanup tools for Apple and Android to instantly remove background clutter like distracting power lines and fire escapes.

About Photowalks

Photowalks is the weekly travel TV series that brings viewers to great places, brings them along on a virtual photowalks and offers tips for how to get great vacation photos with smartphones. The series is produced and hosted by former USA TODAY columnist Jefferson Graham, a longtime photojournalist. It streams with new episodes Sundays at 10 a.m. ET on Scripps News, with replays on YouTube and is also seen on Amazon Prime and Roku.

Where to Watch:

The complete “Walkies Awards” episode, alongside an extensive companion blog post at http://www.photowalkstv.com featuring map routes and full photography guides, is streaming at http://www.scrippsnews.com/photowalks and the official Photowalks TV YouTube Channel.

Media Contact:

Photowalkstv@gmail.com