Lake Superior Gulls, by Isle Royale

Some cities are inherently perfect for student and educational tours. They feature all over our website. They’re stuffed full of museums and historical sites and people, people, people – all the time. They’re the biggies. But when it comes to travel, sometimes the greatest treasures are found in more obscure packages.

We’ve highlighted some of these in our theme tours section and other educational tours. Some of our lesser known fascinating destinations include places like the following.

The Bridges of Madison County, Iowa

Let’s face it, Iowa probably isn’t the first state that comes to mind for group travel of any kind. But there’s a lovely literary tour there (or movie tour if you’re the type that prefers your stories on film) that shouldn’t go unnoticed. It would make a great romantic getaway or family weekend out of town. The Bridges of Madison County were featured in a novel of the same name and a film with Meryl Streepe and Clint Eastwood. They’re beautiful pieces of history and charm. This tour is exciting as you visit each bridge still standing and some of the other sites in the area, including a cafe where Clint was filmed for the movie.

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

I know, Pigeon Forge doesn’t sound like the name of a place you’d voluntarily visit. But this beautiful area in the Smoky Mountains is actually a great place for group travel. Dollywood features all the charm of the Smokies with glass blowing, woodworking, and other crafts, plus live entertainment showcasing the best in country music, and even roller coasters and other rides. It’s really a fun day for everyone. Another favorite by the same little blond franchise is Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede. This is a truly entertaining dinner theater that takes the definitely of that term to brand new heights. The four course meal is truly delicious and unique as you don’t use silverware for any of it. The entertainment is music, dancing, history, and pageantry plus crowd-pleasing competition. This attraction really is worth every penny.

Isle Royale, Michigan

Isle Royale is featured as one of our ecotours. This largely undeveloped island is reached only by boat or plane and provides tons of nature-loving exploration and discovery. Historic lighthouses, amazing wildlife, and shipwrecks are all a part of the wonders of Isle Royale.

And Now It’s Your Turn

You see what I mean about undiscovered treasure? You might not have ever thought of these unique destinations if I hadn’t shared them with you. And maybe you’ve got a destination that you’re just dying to introduce to the world. If you’re the marketing coordinator for unique place to visit, you’re probably looking for more places to get the word out. We have more than one website that may be able to help you! If you’re interested in writing original content about your destination and its attractions in order to have them featured on our web pages (proven to draw new travel seekers every day), you should contact me – our web content administrator – at serenity [at] adventurestudenttravel.com. I’ll send you the specific instructions, and if you can get us content before March 1, 2010, we’ll showcase it for free for life. (A value of $495 per page!)

This helps us because we want fresh ideas and content for the students, educators, and group travel coordinators who visit our site. And it helps you because it gets your fabulous destination noticed. It’s an excellent opportunity for us all, and I hope you’ll take us up on it!

Photo by jmagnusphoto on Flickr.