By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

 The Doubletree by Hilton "Little Things Project" hits Boston Friday, a pop-up experience at the Pru Center from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that brings travelers "little things" they said would make travel better. The hotel chain asked, through social media, what little things would make traveler's experiences brighter. Based on about 5,000 responses, Doubletree by Hilton reps are hitting the road for a year-round, 50-city tour to share some of the findings. Surprise stops to deserving community groups and charities are also planned along the route.

The Hub experience is marked by what hotel officials called a landmark "Tell Me Tree," a respite where anyone can enjoy a variety of little things experiences and giveaways the social-media survey said people would like, including local deals and offers. In Boston, that will provide more than 1,300 exclusive deals, hotel officials said, such as "Duck Bucks," discounts for Boston Duck Tours; 20 percent discounts at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton for food and beverages; chocolate chip cookies, for which DoubleTree is famous; free WiFi at the lounge the hotel is setting up at the Pru; and a "power bar" for recharging your electronic gear.

Little Things Project ambassadors will also be driving a "Swarm Car" throughout the city Friday asking travelers via Twitter what little things would make their day better and surprising some by fulfilling requests, like giving away umbrellas in the rain, free shirts or free cab rides to the airport. Consumers can tweet to @DoubleTree with requests using #LittleThings for the Swarm Car to turn their requests into reality.
 
At the DoubleTree by Hilton Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Doubletree, people can enter a sweepstakes to win instant prizes and a $25,000 vacation. Check it all out at www.twitter.com/doubletree and at YouTube at www.youtube.com/doubletreehotels

A pair of New England thrill rides found their way onto Complex's wide-ranging list of the 50 best roller coasters in the world.

Coming in at No. 44 was the "Boulder Dash" at Lake Compounce, in Bristol, Conn., a wooden coaster that was designed based on its natural surroundings. Agawam's Six Flags New England's "Bizarro" came in at impressive No. 12 with a 221-foot drop that takes riders down on a 70-degree angle.

Complex's No. 1 roller coaster was the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J., a ride which is the world's tallest coaster at 456, has the longest drop (418 feet) and goes from 0 to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds.

You can check out each of the coasters below from an armchair perspective.

Boulder Dash

Bizarro

Kingda Ka

This marks the first in what we expect to be a pretty lean season for sales. To get these prices you must purchase before May 4 for travel from May 11-Oct. 31 on primarily Tuesdays and Wednesdays (discounts many be available on other days on a limited bases). And there is a 10-day purchase required. Here are all the details.

As I wrote last week , deals will likely be few this summer and sale prices not as good as in the past. In the past couple of years Southwest has been first out of the gate with summer discounts so if you are making travel plans and this one doesn't work for you (Southwest doesn't offer as many destinations as, say, JetBlue out of Boston) start being vigilant.

Here are some sample one-way fares from Boston:

Chicago $138; Orlando $163; St. Louis $205; Detroit $206; Cleveland $208; Panama City Beach, Fla., $210; Houston $212; Jacksonville, Fla., $216; Columbus, Ohio, $217; Indianapolis $221.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Want to know where the state's hot spots are to visit? Check out a new feature of the tourism department and get a virtual answer - from a squirrel.

The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) has launched its MassFinds blog at www.massvacation.com, featuring favorites and hidden gems of the state - as narrated by the state's tourism department's mascot, MOTT the squirrel. The new feature is hot on the heels of the department's announcing that its "Ask a Local" iPhone app is now available on iTunes, a free, on-the-move guide providing info on local tips and deals from hotels, restaurants and other things in the state.

All of it, says Betsy Wall, executive director for the office of tourism, "allows visitors to have Massachusetts right at their fingertips and the MassFinds blog complements our social presence." With the help of a friendly squirrel. No word yet on if Boris or Natasha will be involved.

National Park Service will offer free admission to all its facilities and programs from Saturday April 21 to Sunday April 29 in celebration of National Parks Week. There are more than two dozen facilities in New England, with the bulk of them being in Massachusetts. If you happen to be traveling that week, the NPS maps out locations by state on its website.

Photo of Adams Mansion in Quincy by Mary Schiess

Smithsonian Magazine has released its annual list of the best small towns in America with a local town grabbing top billing.

The magazine named Great Barrington its top choice thanks to "big-city smart" meeting New England natural. Brattleboro, Vt. (11) and Brunswick, Maine (13) were the other two towns to make the list.

In part, writer Susan Spano had this to say about the Berkshire town:

At the forefront of the big-chain-grocery-store-defying, eat-local movement, Great Barrington is devoted to its family farms, farmers markets and co-op. Berkshire Grown, an organization that promotes the production and marketing of locally grown food, spreads the word with lectures by writers like Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma and most recently Food Rules).

Great Barrington's latest unconventional endeavor is to mint its own currency, an experiment launched in 2006 aimed at getting people to buy everything?not just food? local. Almost 400 businesses in the area trade BerkShares bills; the 5 BerkShares note features W.E.B. Du Bois, the great African-American author and educator whose boyhood home just west of town is a National Historic Landmark.

Incorporated in 1761, around the same time as Stockbridge and Lenox, Great Barrington, too, attracted rich summer people who built Gilded Age mansions like Searles Castle, now a boarding school. But Great Barrington grew up as a mill and railroad center, its blue-collar ring never excised. About 125 miles from New York City, it attracts a hip crowd from the Big Apple, along with New Englanders and recent immigrants from Asia and Mexico.

You can see the entire list at the Smithsonian Magazine web site.

National Park Service says that all 397 national parks will offer free admission from Saturday, Jan. 14- Monday, Jan. 16 to mark Martin Luther King Day. In New England there are more than two dozen parks, with the bulk of them being in Massachusetts (15). On its website, the NPS maps out locations by state.

For those interested in King himself, BudgetTravel offers these suggestions:

Those wishing to learn more about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., can pay a visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia, where both the home he was born in and his tomb with the Eternal Flame are on display. Follow in his footsteps along the National Historic Trail from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, now a designated historic byway. If you happen to be on the east coast, visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and sit on the steps from which Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have A Dream" speech, or visit the newly opened Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in the National Mall. Events commemorating Dr. King's life will also take place at Fort Donelson National Battlefield in Tennessee, while the MLK Film Festival will be held at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington D.C. from January 14-16.

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

The last new New England book I recommended dealt with 50 icons. This time I'd like to call attention to a book devoted to only one. In Search of Motif No. 1: The History of a Fish Shack (L.M. Vincent, The History Press, Charleston, S.C., $21.99) is one man's account of the history and meaning of the frequently painted (and photographed) red shack on Bradley Wharf in the middle of Rockport harbor. Like all good tales it begins with a question and tracks through some pretty interesting turf to get to an answer. When Vincent first saw Motif No. 1 on the advice of a cousin, he found it attractive enough but couldn't see how it had become the subject of paintings by so many artists. As he unravels that tale, he takes the reader through a delicious amount of local art history populated by some pretty colorful characters. The author himself joins the cast as he tries to decipher the ''secret'' formula for the shack's shade of red. More than 200 footnotes notwithstanding, Vincent takes a light tone throughout--and even a mocking one on the subject of his own obsession. It all makes for a quirky, personable read.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Boston Irish Tourism Association has released its travel and culture fall/winter issue of Irish cultural activities in Massachusetts. The 28-page color magazine details upcoming holiday concerts, dances and theater shows through March 2012, and also lists select Irish pubs, gift shops and cultural groups along with hotels and travel agencies.

The guide is free at tourist centers across the state, as well as museums, hotels and cultural venues. For a location near you, visit http://irishboston.org/BITA_Guide_Locations.php The information is also available online at www.irishmassachusetts.com

The guide includes stories on the new public art exhibit at Terminal E at Logan, the Butcher Shop Market in Dorchester, and profiles of Mia Tavan, marketing director at Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, and Paul Wilson, operations manager at the Glynn Hospitality Group and its flagship pub, the Black Rose on State Street in Boston. There's also a story on off-season travel tips to Ireland in winter.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Provincetown may be the literal end of the Massachusetts earth, and a pretty cold place in winter, but the locals there are warming up to the holiday season with several events. There are lodging discounts and such to be had as well, check out www.provincetowntourismoffice.org for more information.


First up is the annual lighting of Pilgrim Monument Nov. 23 from 5-7 p.m., a yearly tradition that kicks off P-Town's holiday season. Check it out at www.pilgrim-monument.org/lighting.html On Nov. 26 at 5:30 p.m., local artist Julian Popko and his family light up a two-story high tree made of more than 100 lobster pots in Lopes Square, a tradition now in its eighth year.

A Casino Night fundraiser for the Provincetown Business Guild is scheduled for Nov. 25 from 8 p.m. to midnight, see www.ptown.org/home.asp for more info. A Holly Folly Weekend, said to be the world's only gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender holiday festival and now in its 15th year, will run Dec. 2-4 along Commercial Street, with sing-alongs, performances and parties. Check out www.ptown.org/hollyfolly.asp for information.

A yearly tradition in P-town, the Land's End Holiday Gala and Tree Trimming, happens Dec. 2 from 6-9 p.m., marking the opening of the Holly Folly Weekend. Included are music, cocktails, snacks and a silent auction benefiting Baobab Home in Tanzania, an organization that provides services and support to those affected by HIV and poverty. It is hosted at Land's End Inn, and for information visit www.landsendinn.com

"'Tis the Season for Giving Drag Show" at the Crown and Anchor, an annual event that unites Provincetown's best drag queens to perform and raise money for the Aids Support Group of Cape Cod, runs Dec. 2, from 9 p.m. to midnight, with tickets at $10 each; check out www.onlyatthecrown.com/events. The Boston Gay Men's Chorus performs at town hall Dec. 3 at 8:30 p.m., with tickets running $27 each.

Provincetown Theater celebrates the town's theatrical history with weekly performances of "The Snowman in the Dunes," a classic children's musical. Check www.provincetowntheater.org for times and cost. The performances run Dec. 3-17, on the weekends. The Provincetown Art Association and Museum's holiday concert, featuring Bart Weisman and the Klezmer Swing Group, is Dec. 17 at 2 p.m., free with museum admission. Visit www.paam.org for info.

New Year's Eve weekend is huge in P-town, with comedy performances, drag shows, concerts and more, with clubs, bars, restaurants and inns holding a variety of events. Check out www.ptown.org for specific listings and times. And the unofficial wrap-up of the holiday season is "Re-Rooter's Day," on Jan. 7, which is said to personify P-town's quirky character. The event started in 1983 with local artist Jay Critchley, and since then, revelers gather yearly at the East End flats at sunset, chant nonsensical poems and burn a Christmas tree in the harbor to, it is said, shed the excesses of the holiday season and start the new year.

So it sounds like another reason to party, P-town style. Nothing wrong with that.

The loos at the Field Museum in Chicago (left) take top honors this year.

The annual contest, sponsored by Cincinnati-based Cintas Corp., a leading provider of uniforms and restroom supplies and other facilities services, is based on nominations and votes cast on the competition website. Winners get bragging rights and a plaque.

Lest you scoff about this award, which is in its 10th year, anyone who travels a good bit quickly becomes a connoisseur of public restrooms. Cleanliness and convenience are, of course, tantamount. But there are other, more aesthetic and philosophical considerations -- we are not animals, after all.

For instance, this year's winner, besides being beautifully designed, was cited for being particularly family friendly:

The women's restroom has a special nursing room with a shut door, sink, and small sofa for new mothers. The women's restroom also has a large Tot Area with smaller toilets for our littlest guests. The restrooms are also right across a Nanny Caddy filled with diapers, band-aids, wipes, etc.

Homeboys that we are, I'm sure you're wondering whether a Massachusetts public facility has ever won. The answer is no. But in 2008, the lavs at the Smith College Museum of Art (right) was a finalist ("incorporate[s] functional-and permanent-works of art'') and in 2004 the Wall automatic public toilets ("comfort, hygiene, accessibility, cleanliness and security, as well as quality and design'') that were installed around Boston was a top nominee.

Photos courtesy of Field Museum (top) and Jim Gipe and the Smith College Museum of Art (bottom)

By Jan Shepherd, Globe Correspondent

It wouldn't be Columbus Day weekend without a trip to the Paradise City Arts Festival at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton. Founded in 1995 by Geoffrey and Linda Post, this year's edition on Oct. 8-10 boasts 275 professional craftspeople and visual artists from around the country who drive the creative economy. The array of original designs in blown glass, pottery, jewelry, furniture, wearable and decorative fiber, photographs, paintings, sculptures, and mixed media is a feast for the eyes. The hard part is deciding what to buy. An outdoor sculpture garden by exhibitors, a special "Picturing the Music" exhibit, live music, children's art activities, a silent auction benefit, and local restaurants' fare in the food tent complete the experience of a day at the fest.
The fair is open Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Monday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. General admission is, ages 65+ $10, students $8, under age 12 free; weekend pass $15.

This Friday wraps up this summer's Free Fun Fridays, sponsored by the nonprofit Highland Street Foundation. This Friday the foundation will treat visitors to free admission to Old Sturbridge Village, Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, Ecotarium in Worcester, and the New Repratory Theatre's 6 pm performance of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' at the Charles Mosesian Theater in the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. Highland Street began Free Fun Fridays a couple of years ago to celebrate the foundation’s 20th anniversary. The organization has donated more than $125 million to nonprofits to support projects benefiting children and families, primarily in Massachusetts and California, in education, housing, health care, environment, and the arts.

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

As we wrote back on June 5, Aug. 7 marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's signature on legislation that brought the Cape Cod National Seashore into being.

Every day on this nearly 70-square-mile environment of beach and dunes and forest and marsh is special. But the National Park Service rangers have an array of celebratory activities planned for Aug, 7. Stop by either visitor center at 11:30 a.m. for musical performances and cake and return between 2:30 and 4 p.m. to create something to place in a time capsule.

In addition, noted authors will read from their writings about Cape Cod (with refreshments), rangers will lead walks through some of the Cape's varied landscapes, and the Highland Light Scottish Pipe Band will perform at a wreath-laying ceremony at Highland Light (cake will be served). There's much, much more. For a full schedule, see the Cape Cod National Seashore web site.

Photo courtesy of the Cape Cod National Seashore

By Jan Shepherd Globe Correspondent

As part of a public rededication of its Civil War monuments, the town of Brookfield, Mass., hosts "Honor & Remembrance" with the Mass 15th Volunteers Re-enactors on July 29 and 30. Outfitted with Civil Era uniforms and equipment, the soldiers set up their encampment on the Common Friday afternoon followed by a 6 p.m. concert with the Heritage String Band performing period ballads and patriotic songs. As a finale, area fiddlers and other musicians can join an open jam. The next morning it's rise and shine with 6 a.m. Reveille and preparations for the 10 a.m. "Solemn Procession of Honor & Remembrance" to the Grand Army of the Republic Soldier's Monument in the Brookfield Cemetery on Route 9. After the rededication with elements of the 1890 ceremony, the procession returns to the Common for a salute at the monument honoring 260 Brookfield residents who fought in the war. The encampment open house continues with period games, musket firing, and stories for kids. The town library features an exhibit of war artifacts, among them a book of 83 soldiers' first-hand accounts of their war experiences. The weekend is sponsored by the Brookfield Historical Commission -- email historicbrkfld@aol.com)

Photo of members of the Mass 15th Volunteers Re-enactors

The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism welcomed the official start to summer yesterday by launching a new, interactive summer guide where residents and tourists can discover events, activities, and attractions in the state based on various interests.

The new site allows users to navigate state activities based on what they are looking for in terms of relaxation or adventure, and family fun or romance. It also allows users to filter activities by region. Users are able to share events with others through Facebook and Twitter.

"The summer navigator site helps visitors find exactly what they are looking for in Massachusetts, MOTT executive director Betsy Wall said in a statement." "It simplifies the process of finding something fun to do."

It's pretty creative stuff. Find it at www.massvacation.com/fun.

By Patricia Harris, Globe Correspondent

As you've no doubt heard, the National Center for Education Statistics has concluded that students score lower on proficiency tests in U.S. history than any other subject. That's all the more reason to take them on trips where they might get excited about what happened long ago. Meanwhile, if you'd like to sneak a little history into your kids' summer vacation, the new book Boston and the State of Massachusetts: Cool Stuff Every Kid Should Know by Kate Boehm Jerome (Arcadia Publishing, $9.99) might be a good place to start. The slim volume is geared toward ages 7 to 11 and mixes an upbeat style and colorful illustrations with lots of fun facts. Most adults probably don't know how many chests of tea the patriots dumped into Boston Harbor in 1773 (342). But most of us might recall the height of Fenway Park's Green Monster, right? (It's 37 feet). The fun series also covers a number of other cities, including Austin, San Antonio, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Enter Hostelling International USA’s Bike the Cape contest and you and a friend or two may win a trip to explore the Cape and Islands by bike. Winners receive one free overnight stay at each of the region’s five hostels between June 17-24, a $300 food stipend per group, and ferry vouchers; hostels are located in Hyannis, Eastham, Truro, West Tisbury (Martha’s Vineyard), and near Surf Side Beach (Nantucket). Submit an application by June 1 with a brief video explaining why you want to bike the region and the route you plan to take. You must provide your own bike and gear.

617-718-7990, ext. 15, www.capecodhostels.org/whatsnew.php

Photo: National Geographic

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

National Geographic has released a Trails Illustrated map for the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Waterproof and tear-resistant, it covers downtown Boston and the area’s 34 islands and shoreline parks. One side shows topographic details, ferry terminals and routes, boat ramps, beacons, historic sites, campgrounds, and trails. The flip side displays satellite imagery of the terrain and historic structures like Fort Andrews on Peddocks Island. The map sells for $11.95 at local book, marine, and sporting goods stores, the new Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion at the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway, and the visitors center on Georges Island, or through National Geographic.

800-437-5521, www.shopng.com

Photo: Kari Bodnarchuk

By David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Two dozen restaurants and 29 galleries are set to participate in the culinary and artistic kick-off to summer in the third annual Provincetown Restaurant Week and Gallery Stroll, May 20-26. Participating eateries run the gamut of Outer Cape cooking, from traditional Yankee seafood at the Lobster Pot to the cutting-edge light Italian fare of Dalla Cucina. Each of the 24 restaurants will offer a three-course dinner at a fixed price of either $25 or $35. On Friday night, May 20, the art galleries throw their doors open for artists' receptions 6-8 p.m. If you need another excuse for an early-season visit to Provincetown, the Town-Wide Monumental Yard Sale takes place May 21-23. For more information, see the Provincetown Tourism Office web site.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Cape Cod LIFE, a lifestyle magazine covering the Cape and Islands, has released an app for iPad users, which is available for free through iTunes. You can download a digital version of each issue, the Cape Cod GARDENS and Cape Cod Art special sections, and bonus features such as videos, audio clips, photos, and recipes.

508-419-7381, www.capecodlife.com/ipad

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

For law enforcement in Boston and at Logan Airport, today won’t be spent celebrating Osama Bin Laden’s death – the focus will be on heightened vigilance.

Massachusetts State Police and the Transportation Security Administration, a federal agency created in response to 9/11, have more people on duty at Logan today than usual, said Phil Orlandella, spokesman for Logan.

Two of the four aircraft hijacked by Bin Laden’s terrorists departed Logan on Sept. 11, 2001 -- American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. Later that morning, the terrorists flew the hijacked aircraft into the World Trade Center in New York City.

Orlandella said there is no specific information suggesting that Logan is drawing the attention of terrorists. Instead, he said, the goal is assure the traveling public that they are safe at Logan and to remind everyone who works at the airport to report anything suspicious.

The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism is looking for like. The agency has just launched a Facebook promotional program for infomation, deals, and giveaways involving state events and destinations. MOTT will be offering giveaways all this week to those who go to its Facebook page and "like'' it.

Today's giveaway is two Six Flags New England tickets. The agency says that later in the week it will be handing out Basketball Hall of Fame passes, Boston CityPASSes, Duck Tours, one-night stay at the Langham Hotel, Liberty Hotel two-night weekend stay in the Charles River Suite, and Martha's Vineyard Film Festival passes.

By David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

The Great American Road Trip has been a part of our national psyche at least since the days when Huck Finn decided to ''light out for the territory'' to stay one step ahead of Aunt Sally's efforts to ''sivilize'' him. Samuel Clemens, Huck's creator, knew a thing or two about hitting the road.

The stewards of Clemens' memory, the Mark Twain House & Museum, have wed the road trip with Aunt Sally's civilizing influence in a delightful Literary Pilgrimage through the Northeast. It takes about six days and touches bases with Washington Irving, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Wallace Stevens, Noah Webster, Edith Wharton, Herman Melville, William Cullen Bryant, Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Among others.

See details at the Twain House's blog. For more literary destinations, check the Writers Houses web site.

Photo courtesy of Mark Twain House & Museum.

By Patricia Harris & David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

This coming Sunday, the Explore New England section of Travel will highlight 10 ways to celebrate spring. But we thought that dawn was earlier than most readers would look at the paper, so we did not mention that UMass/Amherst astronomer Judith Young will be leading a sunrise gathering at the university's sunwheel—an array of stones that serves as a solar observatory a la Stonehenge. Dr. Young will be teaching a lesson at sunset, too, but greeting the rising sun on the vernal equinox seems to be a tradition that goes back several thousand years. Things kick off at 6:45 a.m. on Rocky Hill Road in Amherst (near the football stadium). Young will explain the significance of equinoxes and solstices and give some background on other solar calendar sites around the world, including Stonehenge and Callanish in the United Kingdom and Chichen Itza in Mexico. For directions and more information, see www.astro.umass.edu/~young/gatherspring.html.

Photo of 2006 vernal equinox sunrise shadows by Dr. Judith Young.