Cal Poly Professor Served on Sunset Magazine Travel Awards Advisory Board

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Bill Hendricks, professor and head of Cal Poly’s Recreation, Parks & Tourism Administration Department, recently served on an inaugural advisory board for the Sunset Magazine Travel Awards. 

Recipients of the awards were announced in Sunset Magazine’s June issue, released this week. 

Hendricks was one of 12 travel industry experts from throughout the West to judge finalists and choose winners in several travel award categories including: best beach town, best food town, best wine country hotel/resort, and other travel industry innovative ventures, experiences and destinations. 

“As a fourth generation Californian, my involvement with the first-ever Sunset Travel Awards reinforced my appreciation and love of the multitude of natural and manmade environmental wonders in the West,” Hendricks said. “We are truly blessed to live on the Central Coast, where we experience cultural and natural resources as a part of our everyday lives.” 

Sunset Magazine introduced the Sunset Travel Awards to honor excellence and innovation in the tourism industry across the 13 Western states and British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. The awards recognize achievement in lodging, dining, cultural tourism, outdoor adventure, environmental stewardship, and other categories. 

The Central Coast received several accolades in the magazine. Halter Ranch Vineyard in Paso Robles was recognized as the “best vineyard/brewery experience,” and the Highway 1 from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo was identified as an Editors’ Pick for a “Western icon" award.