Photowalks TV names the 15 best USA walks in new Walkies Awards episode

Photowalks TV has released its annual Walkies Awards, ranking 15 standout U.S. walking routes across major cities and small towns. The episode also adds smartphone photo-editing tips and is streaming on Scripps News and YouTube.

Why it matters: - The Walkies Awards turns a travel series into a practical guide for walkers, photographers and trip planners looking for the best pedestrian routes in the U.S. - The picks spotlight places where walkability, scenery and local character combine into a better on-the-ground experience. - The episode also doubles as a smartphone photography tutorial, which could help travelers get better images without special equipment.

What happened: - Photowalks TV unveiled its annual Walkies Awards in a special episode hosted by Jefferson Graham, the former USA TODAY columnist who produces and hosts the series. - The episode narrows more than 135 filming locations across the United States to 15 winners. - The awards are split into two groups: major metropolitan wonders and iconic small-town loops. - The weekly travel TV series airs Sundays at 10 a.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET on Scripps News, with replays on YouTube. - The series is also available on Amazon Prime and Roku.

The details: - San Francisco won for Best Views, with the episode highlighting North Beach’s outdoor cafe culture and North America’s oldest Chinatown. - New York City won for Easiest Navigation because of the Manhattan grid and the walk from city streets into Central Park. - Boston won Best Historic Walk for the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, which guides walkers past key Revolutionary-era sites. - Chicago won Best Architectural Walk for the Magnificent Mile and the Chicago Riverwalk. - Savannah won Best City Plan for its layout of 22 historic public squares. - Avalon on Catalina Island won Best Car-Free Walk for its visitor-vehicle-free waterfront setting 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. - Cannon Beach, Oregon won Perfect Beach Town for its mix of local art galleries and the 235-foot Haystack Rock. - Park City, Utah won Best Trail Integration for the route from historic Main Street to McPolin Farm. - Santa Fe, New Mexico won Most Walkable History for its compact adobe architecture around the historic central plaza. - Jefferson Graham said the best walks combine easy navigation, architectural pull and constant visual discovery. - The episode closes with five mobile editing techniques aimed at improving flat travel photos. - Graham demonstrates native device levelers, shadow enhancement tools in Apple and Android apps, Google Snapseed’s sky selection tool, and AI cleanup tools that remove clutter such as power lines and fire escapes. - A companion blog post with map routes and full photography guides is available at the company’s announcement. - The full episode is streaming at Scripps News and on the official Photowalks TV YouTube Channel.

Between the lines: - The awards frame walkability as a mix of design, history and visual reward, not just distance or exercise. - The small-town picks suggest Photowalks TV is trying to balance big-city landmarks with slower, more photo-friendly destinations. - The phone-editing segment extends the show’s value beyond travel curation and into content creation for viewers.

What’s next: - New episodes of Photowalks continue to stream weekly, keeping the series positioned as both a travel guide and a smartphone photography resource. - Viewers can use the companion routes and guides to plan their own walks and photo stops.