Thirty-eight miles east-northeast of Evansville, Indiana in Spencer County, the town of Santa Claus (pop: 2,670) has quite the SEO advantage, most definitely considered by no one when the town was established in 1846.
The rest of us must work harder.
Santa Claus, Indiana has the world’s only post office to bear this name, and so thousands of letters to Santa from all over the world come pouring in. Volunteers known as Santa’s Elves ensure each child receives a reply, a tradition for over a century.
Still Pure Michigan. Grab Hold of the Season.
Still Magical. Still Dazzling. Still Pure Michigan. 15 Years of Pure Michigan. Just ahead of the ski season, Pure Michigan ads are back with a $3 million campaign to lure winter travelers. The campaign is running in key regional and state markets through the end of February using broadcast and connected television, online video and digital ads, and social media.
“As winter approaches, adventure awaits us in the form of downhill skiing, fat-tire biking or snowshoeing epic backcountry landscapes.” — Travel Michigan Vice President Dave Lorenz
Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau. American Bald Eagles.
All eyes are on the sky as the Southern Illinois region prepares for the annual winter migration of the American Bald Eagles. Every January, experts anticipate as many as 1,000 bald eagles will migrate to the area reclaiming their winter roosts along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway just outside St. Louis in Illinois.
To celebrate the return of this majestic bird, the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau has slated four weekends of guided shuttle tours to help eagle watchers discover the best places to view the wintering birds.
The Eagle Watching Passport, free to download to mobile phones, encourages self-guided tours and provides an opportunity to win a three day, two night stay in the region in 2022 after checking in to five different locations. A video created by Pere Marquette State Park Site Interpreter Kayla Alexander accompanies each stop. — Stephanie Tate, Marketing & Communications Director
Visit Tucson. A Taste of Tucson.
“The coverage express keeps rolling, with a truly spectacular story by Abbie Kozolchyk in National Geographic Traveller Food on newstands soonish in the UK. (I checked on Friday, but the fall issue was still out where I looked.)
Spoiler alert: We do have the best Mexican food in the U.S.” — Dan Gibson, Senior Director of Communications
Discover Lancaster. For the Holidays.
“Here at Discover Lancaster, we have been very fortunate to see tourism return in a big way over the last few months and I’m happy to report that all of our holiday shows, attractions, outlet shopping, Christmas tree farms, etc. are all open this year.
I wanted to share with you our new Holiday TV campaign put together by Sarah Long and our marketing team which began running in all of our key tourism ‘feeder’ markets this past weekend.” — Ed Harris, President & CEO
Visit Carlsbad. Santabulous Beach Bonfire.
Some people spend Christmas enjoying a bonfire at their local beach. Jealous, much?
“For November and December, Beach Genie, a new local company that sets up luxe beachside picnics and bonfires is offering to bring Santa to your holiday beach bonfire, complete with frosty s’mores (subbing peppermint patties for chocolate bars). Santa will be onsite to sing songs, perform magic tricks, read a book, and check-in on the kids, with each appearance tailored to the guest’s interests. Grinches, Elves, Mrs. Claus, and Buddy the Elf are also available to visit the bonfire, noting that all performers are fully vaccinated.” — Audrey Davidow, Account Manager, Wagstaff Marketing
Visit Chattanooga. Light Show at Ruby Falls.
“No rain and always a nice 60º at Ruby Falls,” is the tagline at this natural wonder where the weather never changes at 1,120 feet underground.
Beneath the surface of Lookout Mountain, at 145 feet Ruby Falls is the USA’s tallest and deepest underground waterfall open to the public since guided tours began in 1930. Wonder and awe plus a waterfall LED light show sounds just about right for the holidays.
San Francisco Travel. Sweet Stories.
What is 22 feet high, 23 feet wide and full of thousands of bricks, a ton of royal icing and candy décor?
Fairmont San Francisco will explain how their famous two-story high Victorian Holiday Gingerbread House is constructed with a “Behind the Scenes Virtual FAM Tour” for media.
Builders introduce new details each year, like the crookedest street or cable cars moving across the Golden Gate Bridge.
You can even book a private afternoon tea or dinner party for up to 10 guests inside; this gingerbread house is larger than life-size.
Here’s a sneak peek about the sweet build-out in the hotel’s blog, Stories From Nob Hill. — Michelle Heston, Executive Regional Director Public Relations, Accor
Visit Vicksburg. Stories: The Mississippi River and a Coke Float
A collection of 32 vibrant riverfront murals painted on the flood walls of Levee Street illustrate the people, places and events that have shaped this town and surrounding river region. The Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum has an outdoor scaled model of the river, illustrating its importance to farmers, communities, and the Corps of Engineers over the years.
At the Biedenharn Coca-Cola® Museum, visitors learn how Vicksburg became the first location to bottle Coca-Cola in 1894. Exploring the memorabilia and enjoying a Coke float add to this sweet experience. From its scenic spot on the banks of the Mississippi River, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is filled with ways to enjoy a fun family getaway. Just 45 miles west of Jackson and 75 miles north of Natchez, Vicksburg sits at the intersection of Interstate 20 and historic U.S. Highway 61. — Laura Beth Strickland, Executive Director
NYC & Company. It’s Time for the Holidays.
The city that never sleeps has never been shy about its virtues. See what they mean in this 30-second clip sponsored by Hilton.
As if there weren’t enough rules and regulations, ever-changing in these Covid-times, there’s this from NPR, a reminder to always check the weather app:
“Across the U.S., the weather is simply weird: The highest peaks of Hawaii spent the weekend under a blizzard warning, while record rainfall drenched the Pacific Northwest, unseasonably warm temperatures stretched across the Midwest and South, and a major snow drought in the Rockies means Denver has still not seen its first snowfall of the season.”
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