Briefs: New guide to Atlanta devoted to gay travelers

Atlanta —- There’s a new guidebook for gay travelers interested in visiting Atlanta.

“The Out Traveler: Atlanta” (Alyson Books, $15.95) is the latest in a series that also includes books on New York City, South Florida and Hawaii.

The Atlanta edition was written by two gay friends who grew up in the city, Jordan McAuley and Matt Burkhalter.

The introduction to the book says that gay travelers “have to know where we are welcome, how to fit in, the vibe of a particular cultural or political climate —- all things many straights take for granted.”

The book lists many basic attractions, such as the Georgia Aquarium, Stone Mountain and “Gone with the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell’s house, along with hotels and bed-and-breakfasts deemed to be “gay-friendly” by the authors and nightspots and bars such as the Atlanta Eagle leather bar, Blake’s on the Park, Burkharts and Mary’s.

Visit www.OutTravelerAtlanta.com for more information.

Events planned to mark Lincoln’s bicentennial

Washington —- Some of the biggest celebrations of the bicentennial of Abe Lincoln’s birthday kick off in Washington on his Feb. 12 birth date. But you can also catch many Lincoln-related exhibits and events later this year and in other parts of the country.

The National Park Service celebrates Lincoln’s birthday Feb. 12 with live music at the Lincoln Memorial. On April 12, Easter Sunday, the memorial will host a re-creation of Marian Anderson’s landmark concert. She sang on the memorial’s steps in 1939 after a nearby concert hall turned her away because she was black. And on Memorial Day, the Lincoln Memorial will be formally rededicated.

Ford’s Theater —- where Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 —- reopens Feb. 11 after an extensive renovation, and regular tours resume Feb. 17. The theater is also debuting a new play about Lincoln that will run through March 8.

Also in Washington, the Library of Congress opens a major national Lincoln bicentennial exhibit called “With Malice Toward None” on Feb. 12. The exhibit, at 10 First St. S.E., will include items such as the Bible he used to take the oath of office (used by Barack Obama) and handwritten speeches and letters.

“With Malice Toward None” will travel to the California Museum in Sacramento this spring and summer; to the Newberry Library in Chicago this fall; to the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis in early 2010; to the Atlanta History Center in the fall of 2010; and the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Neb., in 2011.

Elsewhere, Kentucky has a Lincoln Heritage Trail to help you explore Lincoln sites in the state where he was born; details at www.kylincolntrail.com.

More information is available at www.lincolnindc.com and www.abrahamlincoln200.org.

New Hampshire dangles sugary treat for tourists

Concord, N.H. —- New Hampshire is gearing up for the February-March maple-sugaring season.

It takes about 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup, and New Hampshire produces nearly 90,000 gallons of maple syrup each year.

Many sugar houses offer sugaring demonstrations, tastings, sleigh rides or hayrides, petting farms and opportunities for kids to gather sap and sample just-cooked syrup on snow.

Places offering sugaring activities include Tamarack Farm in Canterbury, Ragged View Farm in Andover, the Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, the Mount Cube Sugar House in Oxford, Parkers Maple Barn in Mason and the new Remick Museum Sugar House in Tamworth. More than 50 sugar houses are taking part in New Hampshire Maple Weekend, March 28-29, with tours, tastings and pancake breakfasts.

A March Maple Madness Package in Mount Washington Valley includes two nights of lodging, maple goodies and maple-themed breakfasts, tour tickets, a recipe booklet and a “sapenger” hunt with clues, searches and prizes. The Buttonwood Inn, the Cabernet Inn, the Covered Bridge House, the Cranmore Inn, the Farm by the River, Mount Washington B&B, the Notchland Inn and the Spruce Moose Lodge are among the inns and bed-and-breakfasts participating.

Many other inns are also offering package deals during the season with maple-themed meals and maple sugar spa treatments.

Details at www.nhmapleproducers.com and www.visitnh.gov/best-time-to-visit/maple-sugaring.aspx. There’s even a Maple Hotline, 603-225-3757.

Athens named a destination of distinction

Washington —- Athens is among the places the National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated this year for the “Dozen Distinctive Destination” awards.

The list honors places that offer an authentic visitor experience with dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a commitment to preservation.

In addition to Athens, the winners are the New England waterfront city of Bristol, R.I.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Fort Worth, Texas; Franklin, Tenn.; Hot Springs, S.D.; Lake Geneva, Wis.; Lititz, Pa.; Santa Barbara, Calif.; Santa Fe, N.M.; Saugatuck-Douglas, Mich.; and the historic Western mining boomtown of Virginia City, Nev.,

Details at www.PreservationNation.org/ddd.