Business travel finished 2011 with stronger growth than expected and the industry will see steady expansion in 2012, Louisville Business First reported.

Business travel spending should total $251.9 billion in 2011, a gain of 7.6 percent, according to the latest Business Travel Quarterly Outlook – United States from the Global Business Travel Association.

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Image courtesy of Fort Knox, KY.

Welcome home soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, who returned to Ft. Knox this week following their yearlong deployment to Afghanistan.

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Recently awarded the Best Renovation/Redesign, Comfort Inn and Pirates Bay Indoor Water Park Hotel can be proud, knowing that they represent the highest standards among the more than 6,100 Choice Hotels International properties.

The award is part of the Awards for Property Excellent (APEX) program from  Choice Hotels. The Best Renovation/Redesign is given to individuals and hotels  that have completed a superior hotel renovation and redesign in the past 12  months.

With only 10 award categories presented each year, Kentucky should be proud of  the hard work and commitment staff and workers have put forth to earn such recognition, demonstrating the company’s widespread dedication to excellence.

1. Sledding

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More than just an original first date idea, sledding makes everyone feel young again, or their age, as they climb back up the hill, only to enjoy the rush of flying downhill. It doesn’t matter if your sled is brand new, 10 years old, or homemade like Clark Griswold’s, this outdoor activity can burn up to 350 calories an hour!

2. Ice Skating

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The best part about ice skating is that you don’t have to be Kristi Yamaguchi to have a good time. Be sure to bundle up and grab family and friends to the nearest frozen pond. Just remember to laugh every time you fall down. It’s like learning to walk all over again.

3. Skiing

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It’s a good things skiing comes in different sizes and shapes. If you’re a daredevil, than the expert slope is the one for you. However, if flying downhill with no clue as to how to stop comes to mind, cross country skiing can be just as enjoyable, albeit a little more challenging, as it takes the entire cardiovascular and muscular system to get you going.

4. Build a Snowman

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Everyone can create their own Frosty at winter time. Get creative and find ways to decorate your own snowman. It can be dressed as your favorite sports player, Christmas character, or just a classic snowman with sticks for arms, coal for buttons, and a long carrot for a nose.

5. Make Snow Angels

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Perhaps the most relaxing activity and sometimes the most fun is making snow angels. Find an undisturbed plane of snow, lie supine, spread-eagled in the center of the snow and  sweep your limbs in and out. Get a huge group and try to beat the Guinness Book of World Records for the most snow angels made simultaneously in one place.

6. Snowmobiling

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It may not be as invigorating as sledding, but it is a great way to enjoy a winter ride. Be sure to grab a helmet with a visor, gloves, boots, and all the necessary apparel to keep warm. Feel the exhilaration, while taking in the scenery.

7. Decorating

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Even though some fans begin their decorating after Halloween, the most fun can be head putting up decorations with the family. From Christmas lights to Hanukkah menorahs, trees, ornaments, and garlands, the best memories are made having fun figuring out why only half the lights turn on.

8. Hot Chocolate

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Sometimes winter needs to be enjoyed from a distance, and after spending hours or even minutes outside, a nice mug of steaming hot chocolate is a great way to remember the season. Bundle up in blankets and watch snow fall, or snuggle with your favorite person. From classic hot chocolate, to adding marshmallows, peppermint or hazelnut flavors, create your own drink to keep you warm.

9. Soup

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There’s a reason that the Campbell’s soup commercial appears over and over in winter. Spend all day outside playing, shoveling, or having snowball fights, and you’ll feel like a snowman who needs to thaw. Enjoy a hot bowl, or two, of your favorite soup, and the warm fuzzy feelings will begin to spread.

10. Sitting in front of the fireplace

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If the hot chocolate and the soup fail to warm you from the cold, grab your loved ones, some blankets, maybe some chocolate bars, graham crackers, and marshmallows, and head to the fireplace. It doesn’t matter if the fire is real or fake, grab a good book, turn on some music, or simply relax and listen to the crackle of the logs. Just remember to put the real fire out before going to bed.

Luckily, some soldiers will be home for the holidays and as a special way to honor their support to our nation, Fort Knox will be hosting the Welcome Home Ceremonies, and the Brigade will host a Holiday Adopt-A-Soldier Program.

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Whether you want to host soldiers for a meal over the holidays, you’re looking to volunteer or participate in the Welcome Home Ceremonies at Fort Knox, or you’re a local business that would like to express thanks to our soldiers with special offers – there are many ways to get involved and give back to those who have given for our country.

Anyone who would like to attend the ceremony or show support for the returning 3^rd Brigade Combat Team 1^st Infantry Division simply sign up and receive updates.

The winners of the EMB Award are granted personalized business development consultation services and a one year membership to GLI. Joe Reagan, President and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc spoke about the award saying, “Each year, it is with great pride that GLI honors a local business with the Emerging Minority Business Award,” and “GLI is committed to helping make the Louisville business community both inclusive and prosperous.”

 HRS Hotels Group was nominated along side other local businesses owned by minorities such as, Hillbilly Tea, ggStrut Shoes and Accessories, and CertaPro Painters all for their outstanding and notable work in the community.

The winner of this year’s award was InGrid Design LLC, a graphic design firm that assists other companies do business with both English and Spanish speaking clients and partners. InGrid Design LLC was nominated for the award for their hard work since opening in 2002 and since then have worked with names such as Yum! Brands and Louisville Water Company.

1. Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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Also known as the Pacific Gyre, this patch of trash can be found floating between San Francisco and Hawaii. Thought to be the size of Texas, 3.5 million tons of trash floats in this accidental dump site. Birds and mammals are dying of starvation and dehydration with their bellies full of plastics; while fish ingest leftover toxins released from these plastics.

2. Izu Islands

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Two towns and six villages situated on volcanic islands within Tokyo, Japan make the list of the last places you’d never want to visit. Their volcanic nature ensures that the islands are  constantly filled with the stench of sulfur. Residents were evacuated from the islands in both 1953 and 2000 due to volcanic activity and dangerously high levels of gas. Many people returned in 2005, but are now required to carry gas masks with them at all times in case gas levels rise unexpectedly.

3. The Door to Hell

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With the perfect name for a horror movie, geologists in Derweze,Turkmenistan, discovered an underground cavern more than 40 years ago. Filled with natural gas, scientists thought that setting fire to the hole that was created when the cavern collapsed would help avoid poisonous gas discharges. Unfortunately, their plan backfired and the spot has been burning ever since, prompting locals to name it The Door to Hell because of the fiery glow seen at all times.

4. Asbestos Mine

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Canada has Mounties, national health care, and a love for hockey. Although not many people consider our neighbors to the north to be a place to visit, the Asbestos Mine in Quebec, makes the list of places that should be on your never visit list. The enormous open pit is fully operational; however, it’s widely known that exposure to asbestos cause’s cancer and a variety of other diseases. The mine offers bus tours of the deadly environment during the summer months, and tickets are free.

5. Ramree Island

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This swamp is home to thousands of the most dangerous salt water crocodiles. If that wasn’t bad enough, malaria carrying mosquitos and venomous snakes inhabit the island, making it all the more intense. During World War II, 1,000 Japanese soldiers entered the swampy island, and only 20 were found alive. Even Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee wouldn’t visit this island.

6. Yakutsk, Russia

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This environmental extreme would be a shock to even those who experience 3 months of sunlight a year. Temperatures here drop to an unbelievable -58°F and visibility in this city of ice and snow isn’t any better; there’s a thick fog that reduces visibility to no more than 10 meters in front of you, and if that wasn’t bad enough this town is out in the middle of nowhere, literally. Yakutsk is six time zones away from Moscow.

7. Chernobyl, Ukraine

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With the worst nuclear accident in the history of the world, this small town no longer welcomes travelers, as it has not recovered from the accident that occurred more than 20 years ago. A trip here would include visiting hundreds of miles of uninhabitable space, deserted buildings, and poisoned lakes and rivers. There’s even an exclusion zone of more than 30 km that is almost entirely uninhabited.

8. Linfen, China

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Everyone has their own opinions on what causes pollution and what the real consequences are, however, in 2007, Linfen, China made Time magazine’s list of the most polluted places. The air is filled with burning coal, and more than three million people are said to be affected by the worst air in the country. Reports even advise people to hang their laundry out to dry as it will turn black before dry. Four years later, government crackdown has helped to clear the air some. Unfortunately, much more work needs to be done before the air is safe to breathe.

Family can often be the cause of stress during the holidays, but most would agree that one day spent with family and friends beats fighting off crocodiles, wearing masks outdoors to prevent breathing in gas and coal particles, or seeing how much waste produced affects not only the oceans but animal life as well. So this holiday season, be thankful for the wonderful things you have.

1. Meet the Parents

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Greg Focker just wanted to spend time with his girlfriend and her family as they celebrated the engagement of her sister during the holidays. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse from the get-go. However, it is the scene with the airline flight attendant that has some of the most memorable lines from the movie.  

2. Love Actually

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Traveling through the holidays can mean spending time with friends, family, and loved ones. It can also be a time to surprise those we care about, making sure those important to us know they’re loved. In this scene at the London airport, a young boy shows us that love can blossom at any age.

3. Catch Me If you Can

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Leonardo Dicaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr., a young con artist who enjoys the thrill of the chase. When he attempts to flee with his new bride, he realizes that he has been set up and must come up with a way to once again escape. Thinking on his feet, he disguises himself as a Pan Am captain and surrounds himself with beautiful, young women. 

4. Airplane

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The entire movie is a laugh riot, and even though we can’t forget the “don’t call me Shirley,” and “jive talk” scenes on the airplane, it’s the scenes at the airport before and during the flight that are equally memorable. From Rex Kramer talking Striker into landing the plane, to Johnny and his antics, this film will have you laughing throughout.

5. Home Alone

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Kevin McAllister has been left home alone at Christmas, and unfortunately, his mother realizes it after they are already in the air. With no immediate flights available, his mother deals with airport workers to figure out how to get back home to her son. 

6. The Terminal

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Viktor Navorski, a man from an Eastern European country, arrives in New York to discover that war has broken out in his home country. Suddenly, Navorski is a man without a country and is denied entrance to the U.S. However, he also can’t be deported so he is told by the Security Manager that he has to remain in the airport until his status can be fixed.

7. Up in the Air

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Another movie that is completely centered on traveling and the airport, many scenes take place in the airport, showing the lonely, yet busy lifestyle of Ryan Bingham. With many wonderful scenes to choose from, perhaps the most intriguing is the beginning, when we see how quickly and efficiently Ryan goes through security. 

8. Casablanca

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A classic film with one of the most highly regarded airport scenes, features Humphrey Bogart as an American expatriate and Ingrid Bergman as his former lover. Set in Africa during the early days of World War II, Bogart sends Bergman away on a fog-filled tarmac in one of cinema’s greatest scenes with the most memorable quotes ever. 

9. Planes, Trains, Automobiles

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Whether traveling by car, plane, or bus, getting home for the holidays is almost always hectic. In this film, we see the many things that can go wrong when trying to get home for Thanksgiving. One unforgettable scene is Steve Martin’s obscenity-laced tirade at the rental car counter at Lambert-St. Louis airport after the clerk had sent him to a distant parking lot to find that his car not there.

10. Tommy Boy

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When Tommy and Richard decide to go to Chicago to save the family business, the fastest way there is by flight. In this movie’s airport scene, we see Richard talking to a less than intelligent airline ticket agent who is only helpful in getting them a return flight.

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The Winchester Mansion was the home of Sarah Winchester from the time after her husband’s death until her own in September 1922. Sarah married into the Winchester family, and inherited approximately half of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company income after her father-in-law and husband died. Shortly after their deaths Mrs. Winchester visited a psychic about her suspicions that she and her family were cursed. The psychic allegedly confirmed Sarah’s suspicions, explaining that all of the people that had been killed by Winchester riffles were haunting the Winchester family. The psychic also claimed that if  Sarah built a house for herself and the spirits, and if the construction of the house never stopped, then the spirits would let her live.

This reading is what began the construction of the Winchester mansion in San Jose, California in 1884. Sarah listened to the psychic’s declaration about her safety and hired round-the-clock workers to continuously renovate the house. The layout of the house is extremely confusing and is one of the many reasons this location is known as a tourist attraction today. There are doors that open up into ceilings, stairs that lead to nowhere, and windows that look into other rooms. Servants had to carry around maps with them in order to navigate the household and were still subject to losing their way in due to the constant changes. It has been said that new rooms are found all the time, and there’s a high probability that once you walk out of one room you may never walk into it again because you won’t be able to find it. As intriguing as all of this information is the most unique attribute about this house is the fact that the number 13 can be found everywhere.

There are 13 bathrooms with 13 steps on the stairs that lead to the 13^th bathroom and 13 windows found inside. There are also 13 wall panels in the room preceding the 13^th bathroom. The Carriage Entrance Hall is divided into 13 sections. There are 13 rails by the floor-level skylight in the South Conservatory, 13 squares on each side of the elevator, 13 holes in the sink drain covers, 13 glass cupolas on the Greenhouse, and 13 gas jets on the Ballroom chandelier. There are even 13 hooks for the 13 different robes Mrs. Winchester wore for the séances she held every night. What’s even more interesting than all of that is that there are 13 parts to her will and she signed it 13 times.

Mrs. Winchester welcomed the good spirits into her life and did what she could to make them happy, which is why there were only three mirrors located in the entire house. Spirits don’t like mirrors because they can’t cast a reflection and they vanish when they look into one. Servants were forced to carry pocket mirrors or grow comfortable without the use of any. Legends state that she would also hold dinner parties for her spirit friends where she would serve them on gold plates. Similar to pleasing the good spirits Mrs. Winchester did everything she could to avoid the bad spirits. Servants grew suspicious of Mrs. Winchester over the years from her odd behavior. They began to believe that she could walk through solid walls and unopened doors because she would often disappear and reappear all throughout the house. Whenever Mrs. Winchester believed that there was an evil spirit following her she would press a button and disappear into a wall where she would walk down a flight of stairs and back up, or into another room completely. She would do this because evil spirits often feel like they’re going to be trapped and these rouses would make them uncomfortable, so they would stop following her. Mrs. Winchester also never slept in the same room in the 38 years she lived in that house, explaining that this confused the evil spirits.

The Winchester mansion was known as “The Spirit House.” Through the years declarations of spiritual activity within the house have been made by various individuals. The Millers were caretakers of the home from 1973 to 1981. Mr. Miller explains that while tending the house he heard breathing coming from empty rooms and footsteps. Psychics from the Nirvana Foundation set-up electrical equipment to record psychic occurrences and note hearing definite organ sounds, Mrs. Winchester played the organ. They also claimed to have seen moving lights.

Other psychics have spent the night in the house dismissing any claims people have made about losing their eyesight, seeing locked doorknobs turn, or feeling cold chills in areas with no drafts. Regardless of the claims that these various psychics have made one thing is for certain, Sarah Winchester and her California home are one of the most interesting in the world.

New York

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Two of the hottest spots to visit while in New York are obviously the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Although those two sites are well worth the trip to see, there are plenty of other activities you can enjoy while visiting “The Big Apple,” especially during the winter. On winter’s eve there is a neighborhood festival at Lincoln Square where they offer tastings from local restaurants, free music, and switch on a 25-foot-tall balsam fir. An activity for the girls to enjoy is semiannual Barney’s Warehouse Sale where you can get designer threads for 50 to 75% off.

Chicago

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Chicago is another wonderful city to visit at anytime of the year, but the winter season is particularly special because of the activities offered. The Lincoln Park Zoo has its on going Zoo Lights Festival, which is one you don’t want to miss if you’re in town for the holidays. Visiting the Bean in Millennium Park is something most tourists desire to do while in the city, but at this time of year ice skating is also offered within the park.

Costa Rica

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Although it is winter in the United States and the cold weather has settled in for the next few months, this time of year is Costa Rica’s “Green Season.” Costa Rica visiting veterans are well aware of the advantages this time of the year offers vacationers, but for those of you who don’t know this is the best time of year to visit because prices are better, crowds are gone, and sunny days on the beach are the norm.

New Zealand

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New Zealand is one of the best places to visit during December-February months because that is its warmest time of year.  There are plenty of activities to enjoy while visiting: rafting, kayaking, and diving in the beautiful waters.

The Philippines

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The Philippines made our list of best places to visit during winter, because there is no winter. This is the perfect place to visit during the cold months at home. You can happily leave your coat behind and enjoy sunbathing, sandy beaches, and relaxing in the water instead of enduring the cold weather.

Take a Cruise

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Cruises are offered at anytime throughout the year and are most popular during the winter season. If you are the kind of vacationer that wants to meet people while traveling this is the type of trip for you during the winter season. There are many options that cruises offer some being specifically designed for families like the Disney Cruise Line, and others being able to meet the needs of any person traveling.

Australia

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The wonderful thing about Australia’s winter season is that it offers activities that take place during the winter like skiing and snowboarding, as well as those that you take part in during the warmer seasons like snorkeling. Visit Australia during her winter season, which takes place from June to August, and you’ll be sure to see that your time is well spent.

Canada

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Canada’s winter season is one of the best times to visit the country because it offers once in a lifetime opportunities. If you’re planning a ‘boys trip’ Canada is the perfect place to visit. You can enjoy anything from the skiing, snowboarding, and ice fishing opportunities to the storm watching, dog-sledding, or polar bear watching experiences.  There are also activities for couples or families to enjoy like ice-skating, snowmobiling, and sleigh rides through the Canadian Rockies.

France

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Although this is not the most popular time to visit France it’s a good time of year for beginning skiers to visit. Portes du Soleil is one of France’s famous ski resorts that offer easier slopes and wonderful instructors for the family to enjoy during a holiday vacation.

Hawaii

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This hot spot made the list because it’s one of the most revered vacation areas at anytime of year. Some people dream about staying away from cold weather and those people would find Hawaii the perfect getaway. The islands generally have a friendly atmosphere about them and make it easy for any vacationer to feel relaxed the moment they are on the island. If the winter season is one you particularly feel stressed during, than Hawaii is the perfect place for you to go.

The top 10 best places to visit during the winter offer a variety of beautiful places with various activities to entertain travelers around the world.