What a year! The Ethel On-The-Go — a closed Facebook group with nearly 50,000 members — has enjoyed a fabulous 2025, jam-packed with great travel tips and tricks. Many of you have found travel buddies. Others have enjoyed one of the various Road Scholar women-only tours we've offered and will continue to offer in 2026.
And now I'm so pleased to announce the winners of the 1st Annual Ethel On-The-Go Travel Choice Awards, the major travel awards decided by members of The Ethel On-The-Go group. Here are your picks of the year, in 15 different categories. Congrats to all the winners, and here's to another fabulous year of travel in 2026!
The Best U.S. Hotel Chain:
Winners: Hilton and Marriott
The Best National Park:
Winners: Yosemite and Yellowstone
Others cited: Zion, Glacier, Acadia, and Grand Teton
The Best Audiobook to Listen to on a Road Trip:
Winner: "Tom Lake" by Ann Patchett and narrated by Meryl Streep
The Best Vacation Read:
Winner: "The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans
The Best Airline Loyalty Program:
Winner: Delta
The Best U.S.-Based Roadside Attractions
Winner: The Terminus of Route 66 in Santa Monica
Others cited: Porter Sculpture Park in South Dakota, the Fremont Troll in Seattle, and the world's largest truck stop in Walcott, IA.
The State That Offers the Best Road Trip Experience:
Winner: Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), also known as Hwy 1, California
Others cited: Utah, Alaska, Oregon, and New York
The Best U.S. City to Visit as a Tourist:
Winner: New Orleans
Others cited: New York City, Chicago, Santa Fe, N.M., Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, GA.
The Best Global City to Visit as a Tourist:
Winner: London
Others cited: Paris, Prague, Istanbul, and Edinburgh
The Country That Offers Tourists the Best Value for Their Money:
Winner: Thailand
Others cited: Mexico, Vietnam, and Portugal
The Best Place to Go on a Safari:
Winners: Tanzania and Botswana
Also cited: Kenya
The Best Airline:
Domestic Winner: Delta
International Winner: Lufthansa
The Best Airports in the World:
Winner: Istanbul
Also cited: Singapore and Portland, Oregon
The Best U.S. Hidden-Gem Cities:
Winner: Detroit
Others cited: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Duluth, Minnesota, Galena, Illinois, Bentonville, Arkansas, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The Best Spot for a Large Family Vacation:
Most people said "cruise."
Winner: Outer Banks, North Carolina
What do you think of the above? Let us know in the comments below.
Jin Xia
