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Web Site Guides Travelers to Classic Star Sightings, Great Photo Opps, Famous Musical Moments and the Weird and the Wonderful
The great American road trip -- the open road, classic tunes on the radio and a '56 T-bird -- is about to get a new map. With the launch of Hampton(R) Hotels' DriveAbouts(TM), the latest addition to the online travel guide www.hamptonlandmarks.com, the exact locations of both obscure and infamous American moments are unveiled and electronically mapped, making the curious traveler privy to some of the country's most unbelievable secrets and legends.
DriveAbouts road trips provide a Point A to Point B online mapping feature for travelers looking to take a deeper look at America's pop culture and history. For the true cultural enthusiast, DriveAbouts let travelers immerse themselves in the regional pop culture, from journeying into the unknown mysteries of the Northwest to commemorating Lincoln in his native state of Illinois.
Even the most well-traveled vacationers will find a DriveAbout that delights their wandering souls on the Hampton Hotels Hidden Landmarks Web site -- www.hamptonlandmarks.com -- such as:
-- The Star Sightings road trip, where visitors can absorb the aura of Hollywood
-- Baseball's great locations, such as where Mickey Mantle got his start before joining the Yankees
-- A Northeast tour of Children's Literature, including Dr. Seuss, Mother Goose and Eloise, where fabled friends come to life
-- The Southern locations where Elvis Presley went to school, shopped and got his Army haircut
-- Picture-perfect spots such as the world's largest sundial for Great Photo Opps
The Hidden Landmarks site functions easily as an online guide exploring more than 1,000 landmarks for travelers to search for historic hot spots by city, state or 12 categories ranging from `movies' to `food' to the `really different' spots.
A recent study from the Travel Industry Association of America reveals that 66 percent of American travelers are considered "e-travel consumers," spending more than 16 hours per week on the Internet and plan their trips online. The most popular elements of online trip planning are searching for maps/driving directions (60 percent), searching for lodging (53 percent) and searching for things to do at the destination (45 percent).
"From the map stashed in the glove box to Internet research, today's travelers are savvy in their travel navigation before and during their trips," says Judy Christa-Cathey, vice president of Hampton Hotels. "Through our Save-A-Landmark(TM) program, the Hidden Landmarks Web site and now DriveAbouts, we are providing travelers with advanced tools and vacation ideas to help them experience America's hidden landmarks they might not otherwise find."
Hampton created the directory with assistance from Chris Epting, pop-culture historian and author of "James Dean Died Here, the Locations of America's Pop Culture Landmarks." The site also features photos and sites from Epting's books, "Marilyn Monroe Dyed Here," released Summer 2004, and "Elvis Presley Passed Here," due in bookstores early this summer.
"Hidden within big cities and small towns are lesser-known monuments of the American cultural fabric," says Epting. "The Internet can unlock so many secrets, and this is the first time that guided road trips have been created online which travelers can follow to learn about the fun, uncovered history right under their noses."
In addition, the site contains information on roadside landmarks and Route 66 as part of the Explore the Highway with Hampton(R), Save-A-Landmark(TM) program, which has been refurbishing roadside landmarks and historic sites for more than five years.
Consumers can access the site by going directly to www.hamptonlandmarks.com or through the brand's homepage, www.hamptoninn.com, and clicking "Landmarks." The site will bring back a selection of landmarks by selected criteria -- theme, region and/or state. It will also locate the nearest Hampton Inn hotel to the site, and allow a user to book a reservation immediately.
About Hampton
Hampton, which includes Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn & Suites hotels, is a mid-priced leader in the lodging segment. Hampton is part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, which develops, owns, manages or franchises more than 2,200 hotels, resorts and vacation ownership properties. Its portfolio includes many of the world's best known and most highly regarded hotel brands, including Hilton(R), Conrad(R), Doubletree(R), Embassy Suites Hotels(R), Hampton Inn(R), Hampton Inn & Suites(R), Hilton Garden Inn(R), Hilton Grand Vacations Club(R) and Homewood Suites by Hilton(R).
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