Some interesting things (albeit unrelated to each other) that have come across our desks in the last few days:

Small-town history still attracts -- As a follow-up to the last entry about small towns creating a marketable sense of place (and for some quantification of the impact of gas prices on tourism), take a look at this very interesting report entitled “The State of the American Traveler,” just issued by Destination Analysts, Inc..  Two things stand out -- first, that Americans are taking fewer and shorter leisure trips, and second, that heritage tourism still stands out as an important part of those trips.  Among the top activities participated in by respondents on these closer-to-home jaunts include city sightseeing, seeing historic attractions, and visiting small towns and rural areas.

Most Endangered, British-style - Here is a photo essay on England’s current “endangered heritage sites."  With a long and storied history, it is not surprising that this list is as varied as it is, including everything from ancient stone circles to castles.  The National Trust (the British version) estimates that 1 in 12 heritage sites are currently endangered.

Theatre Redux - Speaking of photo essays, this is a very interesting look at the current renovation work going on inside the historic Hanna Theatre building (1921) in Playhouse Square, Cleveland.  Be sure to check out the links to photos from earlier this year.  The project will transform the theatre into a venue for the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, with seats in a new stadium-style configuration and a new, “thrust” stage.

Creative Cities Close to Home - We recently ran across the announcement of the “Creative Cities Summit 2.0” Conference set for this October, and its close to home -- in Detroit.  There’s an interesting set of speakers and workshops planned to concentrate on urban development focusing on attracting creative professionals and corporations - including Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class, John Howkins, author of The Creative Economy, and Charles Landry, author of The Creative City.  Click here for the conference website.

The Fairest of the Fairs - And finally, here’s a plug for a piece of Ohio history that celebrates an important anniversary this year.  From August 2-9, you can attend the 150th version of The Hartford Independent Fair, a  unique summer celebration that started in Croton in 1858.  The entertainment schedule includes puppeteers, tractor pulls, an open barrel horse show, a mud run and that staple of Ohio county fairs, the demolition derby.  Click here for details.

Photo: Hanna Theatre marquee - ClevelandSGS/Creative Commons License