CNN: Seven Civil War Stories You Don't Know

CNN has a neat article showcasing seven Civil War Stories that are not common textbook fodder. Among them are Mark Twain and Paul Revere's roles in the war, Lincoln's segregation efforts, and more. Here's the article from Mental Floss

Top Ten Hotel Balconies

Check out this great list from ASKMEN.com via MSNBC of the world's top ten hotel balconies. I'll start you out with their Top 3:

1. Atlantis Resort & Casino, Bridge Suite, Nassau, Bahamas
At $25,000 a night, the Bridge Suite at the Atlantis Resort and Casino in Nassau is positioned atop a bridge that connects the hotel's Royal Tower buildings. The balcony overlooks the entire resort and marina, with the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

2. Palms Resort & Casino, Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, Las Vegas.
This balcony, which hosted the likes of Kanye West, Common, Soulja Boy and T-Pain during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, overlooks the glittering Las Vegas Strip. As well as having enough space for a party, the balcony boasts a cantilevered Jacuzzi pool with glass end-wall and the Playboy logo.

3. The Hotel Cipriani, Palladio Suite, Venice, Italy
Built above a shimmering blue lagoon with dozens of floor-to-ceiling windows, it's not hard to see why the Palladio Suite at the Hotel Cipriani is its most coveted. The suite has access to a stunning terrace that features an outdoor heated plunge pool flanked by fragrant jasmine bushes. There's also a Jacuzzi, from where you can admire Venice's canals.

Twitter Tip from: @velvetescape, @travelinggreen, @msnbc_travel

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a beautiful island nation. Today there's a lot of news about the tragic circumstances in the north as the government battles the "Tamil Tiger" insurgents in an ongoing civil war that has lasted for about twenty years.

For a fantastic introduction to the *beauty* of Sri Lanka, check out this 10 minute YouTube flyover video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sM9vcAIYyc

Hanging Rope Bridges Around the World

Here is a great collection of hanging rope foot bridges titled as the "World's Most Dangerous".

Another great "don't try this" travel tip from Dir Journal Blog.

A Great Peru Travel Blog

If you're heading to Peru you'll want to browse Barbara's excellent blog An American in Lima

She covers everything from culture to food to attractions and as is often the case provides the kind of insights for travel that are lacking in the tourism brochures. You can also interact with Barbara via Twitter

World's Strangest Restaurants from Travel and Leisure Magazine

You may not care to dine at any of these places but you'll enjoy the creativity in architecture and interior design that led Travel and Leisure Magazine to name these the "World's Strangest Restaurants"

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-strangest-restaurants

Concord, MA

Concord, MA
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

This is the field where "The Shot Heard Round The World" rang out in 1775 at the Old North Bridge in the background.

Lexington and Concord dispute the significance of this vs Lexington's less dramatic skirmish with the British, but all agree that Concord's resistance was one of the most significant events in the early history of America.