Author: Larry Bleiberg, Special to USA TODAY

Towering and elaborately decorated public trees allow visitors to join in local holiday traditions and gatherings.

Whether you’re visiting a college campus to catch a football game or for a student tour, there’s no need to check into a cookie-cutter hotel.

Bringing home a souvenir tattoo from a trip is a long tradition, going back to sailors who would visit parlors when they stopped in distant ports.

A cemetery offers a chance to learn history, admire scenery and, maybe, encounter a spirit. Real-life ghost chasers share favorite graveyard tours.

Around the world, lasers and lights are drawing visitors to nighttime shows at planetariums, shopping malls, theme parks and more.