http://www.offbeattravel.com Explore the Offbeat in Travel en-us All contents copyright 2012 OffbeatTravel.com Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:20:48 GMT Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:20:48 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.offbeattravel.com/northern-alabama-reasons-to-visit.html In spring, nights are warm and cricket chirps fill the air, but if you listen closely, music can be heard on the distant breeze. Take a step closer and an impassioned voice calls out from the environs of an outdoor play, as the scent of magnolias captivate your senses in Alabama's northern region. Northern Alabama has become an increasingly popular destination for visitors with excellent attractions, fantastic music, superb cuisine, art and shopping. Moreover, visitors are able to experience all of these wonderful attractions within a short drive from Decatur, Florence, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals. In fact, here are 10 great reasons to visit northern Alabama. http://www.offbeattravel.com/northern-alabama-reasons-to-visit.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-lemon-festival-menton-france.html Amidst celebrating Nice Carnaval and the Mimosa Festival in the Cote D'Azur, the seaside city of Menton is celebrating its 79th annual Fete du Citron - the Lemon Festival, to be held from February 17 to March 7, 2012. Menton has gained an international fame due to this fest, and is often called the City of Lemons. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-lemon-festival-menton-france.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-gettysburg-presidents-day.html On President's Day Weekend - February 18th through 20th, 2012 - Gettysburg is inviting Americans to learn more about the short, but monumental visit by Lincoln in 1863 to deliver the Gettysburg Address, and the retirement of Dwight Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-gettysburg-presidents-day.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-portugal-love-tragedy-ines-pedro.html Truly appropriate for Valentine's Day, he story of Inês de Castro (1325-1355) and King of Portugal D. Pedro I (1320-1367) is as haunting as it is unknown outside of Europe. And unlike the story of Romeo and Juliet, this one is true (although equally a tragedy). And you can visit two of the locations crucial to their story. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-portugal-love-tragedy-ines-pedro.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/oklahoma-city-national-memorial-museum.html I recently relocated from Georgia to Arizona, driving cross-country for the first time. It was a grand adventure, liberated from deadlines and powered by the prospect of a new beginning. The West is a feeling, an energy, a freedom, as much as a region. When I hit Oklahoma, I knew I had arrived: the skies opened and the plains stretched endlessly in my windshield, the gateway to something wild. Cutting short a day behind the wheel, I took a day to explore Oklahoma City. But despite the other places I explored, the centerpiece of this visit Oklahoma City was the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum. http://www.offbeattravel.com/oklahoma-city-national-memorial-museum.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/kuranda-skyrail-railway-queensland-australia.html The town of Kuranda, in the coastal hills beyond Cairns, in northern Queensland is a rather arty-crafty sort of place, a holdover from the Sixties, when there was a thriving hippy colony here. But it was originally founded in 1873 by miners in search of the gold that had been discovered in those thickly forested hills. Other valuable minerals were also found nearby. But there was something else that really put Kuranda on tourism map. http://www.offbeattravel.com/kuranda-skyrail-railway-queensland-australia.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/fo-unusual-lodging-adventurous-holidays.html Adventurous travellers often desire to find accommodations that reflect their inner quirky spirit and frolicsome desire to escape the ordinary. Fortunately, many unusual hotels around the globe exist to meet this calling affordably. http://www.offbeattravel.com/fo-unusual-lodging-adventurous-holidays.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-berlin-brandenburg-airport-steigenberger-hotel.html The third eagerly awaited international hub for international arrivals to Germany will open its doors in June 2012. Steigenberger Hotel Group will launch the airport's first hotel adjacent to the airport. Elegant and serene complete with reflecting pool, the new four star hotel will be the perfect complement to the airport's extensive facilities. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-berlin-brandenburg-airport-steigenberger-hotel.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-space-shuttle-atlantis-kennedy-space-center.html The future home of the space shuttle Atlantis will be located at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA selected Kennedy Space Center The Atlantis exhibit will be the marquee element of the Visitor Complex's 10-year master plan. The grand opening of the showcase facility is slated for summer 2013. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-space-shuttle-atlantis-kennedy-space-center.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/rochefort-france-pierre-loti-history-attractions.html Does it get any more eccentric? A 19th century, highly decorated French naval officer, who wore make up, trained as an acrobat, performed in a circus, traveled the world, seduced a Turkish harem lady, wrote novels to great acclaim, became a member of the Academie Francaise and converted his modest French town house into a mosque, also featuring a medieval dining room and an opium den. What came as an additional benefit was the fact that Rochefort contains a wealth of French naval history and is also closely connected to Napoleon's final surrender after the 100 days. http://www.offbeattravel.com/rochefort-france-pierre-loti-history-attractions.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-princess-diana-gowns-philadelphia-2012.html There's a fabulous royal flair to the Suburban Home and Garden Show this year. A private collection of original gowns and dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales will be on display February 23rd through 26th. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-princess-diana-gowns-philadelphia-2012.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-pinball-museum-baltimore-maryland.html The collection includes more than 800 machines with several rooms devoted to the history of pinball machines that can trace their lineage back to 18th-century France. The Pinhead Gallery offers a changing array of games to play on vintage machines dating back to the 1940s. The National Pinball Museum also offers a state-of-the-art restoration lab. http://www.offbeattravel.com/tji-pinball-museum-baltimore-maryland.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/victoria-british-columbia-attractions.html There needs to be balance in life. One can't just eat pastry and chocolate, and drink tea. Although I certainly did that. Victoria British Columbia offered many reasons to push myself away from the table and head out into the city. Victoria is a great walking city with different neighborhoods offering different pleasures. http://www.offbeattravel.com/victoria-british-columbia-attractions.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/athens-greece-monastiraki-ottoman-turks.html In the very heart of Athens, beneath the majestic presence of the Acropolis, the distinctive old market district of Athens Monasitiraki offers lots more than souvenir shops, clothing, antiques and street vendors. A walk through Monastiraki is an unforgettable experience rich with historical significance. The Monastiraki area is full of remains from not only ancient times but of the occupation of the Ottoman Turks. http://www.offbeattravel.com/athens-greece-monastiraki-ottoman-turks.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/death-valley-park-lodging-activities.html There's no need to wear a watch in Death Valley — time is measured differently in the Mohave Desert. In Death Valley, it's microclimates explored, miles hiked, encounters survived. And sometimes just the quiet enjoyment of Death Valley beauty. I've come to the hottest and driest place on earth hoping to resurrect my spirit, which has been flagging for months. http://www.offbeattravel.com/death-valley-park-lodging-activities.html http://www.offbeattravel.com/baseball-stadium-facts-trivia.html Going Yard, the Ultimate Guide for Major League Baseball Stadium Road Trips, provides all sorts of wonderful information about the ballparks and cities that house them for baseball lovers and those planning road trips. When it comes to little known facts about the various ballparks and local attractions, the author seems to have uncovered a treasure trove. http://www.offbeattravel.com/baseball-stadium-facts-trivia.html