USA Tourism Board

My apologies to Indianapolis. I am sure you are a fine city and fully respect the Colts and your cutie pie quarterback Peyton Manning. But it appears that 2010 is New Orleans’ year.

Not only are the Saints going to the Super Bowl for the first time, but it’s all happening at Mardi Gras time! I hear that the Big Easy is quite electric right now. Just take a look at the recent press about New Orleans and the Saints:

• The Saints are America’s Team [Salon]
• Miami Hotels Feeling ‘Who Dat?’ Fever [Gadling]
• Mardi Gras Has Nothing on Saints Mania [CNN]
• New Orleans Hotels Fill With Fans Rooting for Saints in Miami [Business Week]

And the Who Dat Nation Doesn’t Stop Just in New Orleans. Indeed it is also in Houston, where a number of N.O. natives were relocated after Hurricane Katrina. Many are saying that a win for the Saints may be just the thing for reviving the city after a long, slow recovery. And even if they don’t win, they certainly have a fun song to unite them all. Enjoy this Who Dat song and video from Ashley Forrestier:

Photo © New Orleans CVB

February 2 in the U.S. means one thing to many people – Groundhog Day. But to the members of the New York Road Runners Club, February 2 is the day to run up all 1,575 stairs of the Empire State Building.

This race is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for just anybody. In fact, you must be invited to participate.

Athletes must apply to be invited to participate, with selections based on athletic ability and background. NYRR reserves the right to accept or reject entries as necessary to accomodate the narrowness of the the stairwell.

Are you wondering how long it takes to run up all of those stairs (86 floors)? The current record holders are Paul Crake (Men, 2003) in 9:33 and Andrea Mayr (Women, 2006) in 11:23.

Want to see what a race to the top looks like? Check out this video below:

Photo © wallyg

Hi, I’m Melanie Mize Renzulli and I created this blog – and the companion USA Tourism Board network – for PR specialists, travel promoters, CVB boosters, and regular travelers who want to learn more about the thousands of things to do and see in the USA. The network’s mission is to bring together USA travel information – and enthusiasts – under one roof.

Unlike other countries, the United States doesn’t have a unified tourism board. Yes, there is the Discover America site, but it offers more general information about U.S. destinations and events. There are also lots of USA travel sites, but they are mostly booking engines.

All of these options BORED me and really didn’t give potential travelers ideas on what to do RIGHT NOW. So, I thought that I could do better.

This blog will occasionally highlight unique U.S. destinations, events, and whatever else I deem worthy for travel blog stardom. If you want to join me, you can join the USA Tourism Board social network. I hope that it becomes a marketplace where USA travel lovers and providers (and all the other offshoots – writers, PR people, CVBs, etc.) can learn more about the U.S. and all the cool places within it!

Photo © Ivan Makarov