Many travelers who want to find the best out-of-the-way spots will simply ask people who live in the area to tell them about their favorite places.
The National Geographic Society has made that inquiry as easy as looking on a website. It recently unveiled the U.S. Gulf Coast States Geotourism MapGuide. It’s composed of information about notable sites that have been nominated by residents. It also features stories of the region as told by people who live there.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Cypress Lake is one of the treasures it offers up to people who want to see Mother Nature up close in an unexpected setting. That’s because Cypress Lake isn’t technically a lake; it’s a managed wetland. And it’s tucked away on campus, adjacent to the University’s Student Union.
The USA Gulf States Geotourism Program covers Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
“As a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in early 2010, and to support efforts to rekindle visitation to the region, this project will help to capture the warm and welcoming persona of the gulf coast through an informative National Geographic Society co-branded print map, online interactive map and app that present the sites and stories of the region in the words of its residents,” according to the U.S. Gulf Coast States Geotourism website.
A spokesman for the project said about 900 people have provided more than 1,600 sites, attractions and businesses that are most respected and recommended by local residents for the U.S. Gulf Coast States Geotourism project.
For more information, go to http://usgulfcoaststatesgeotourism.com/about.php.