Airbnb Wants to Show You Around the World’s Top Cities

From Vertigo tours of San Francisco to Sex and the City romps through New York, a successful film or television series can be the gift that keeps on giving to local economies. And fans often get to soak up some spectacular scenery, architecture, food, and maybe even some history lessons along the way. The new film Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president, was filmed entirely in Virginia (mostly in Richmond and Petersburg) and the state's tourism office has rolled out the Lincoln Movie Trail, with a companion website and self-guided tours of locations from the film. On the trail, visitors can see Richmond's Confederate White House, home to Jefferson Davis during the Civil War, and walk the streets that Lincoln and his son Robert visited shortly before Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, as the Union army took over the city and emancipated Americans greeted the president. In the film, the Victorian-era Maymont estate, overlooking the James River, served as a stand-in for Appomatox, where Robert E. Lee officially surrendered to Ulyssess S. Grant. In Petersburg, site of the longest siege of the war, tourists can still see war damage such as cannonballs in brick walls. Petersburg is also home to the Dixie Restaurant, which added a new item to its menu while the film was being shot: the "Spielburger," a beef burger piled high with chili, cheese, onions, and pickles. Film crew members reported that the director brought one of the burgers on set and gave it a thumbs-up (Dixie Restaurant, 250 N. Sycamore St., Petersburg, Va., 804/732-7425, Spieilburger $5.75). The Lincoln Movie Trail will sport posters declaring "Lincoln Was Here," and some locations will give discounts if visitors present movie-ticket stubs. Stops on the trail include actual historical locations and battlefields but also film locations and restaurants frequented by the cast. (Visit virginia.org/lincoln for details, including additional tour packages and deals, plus info about local restaurants serving their own Lincoln-inspired dishes and libations.) Talk to us! Have you done any "Civil War travel" recently? With the 150th anniversary of the war's turning point, the battle of Gettysburg, approaching in July 2013, we'd love to hear about your own history-inspired trips!

Relaxing on vacation just got a little easier. Tech-free zones are being introduced at Marriott and Renaissance resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico next month. Yes, there will still be wifi available if you just can't disconnect. But there will also be sections of the resorts free of loud cell conversations and phones buzzing with email alerts. The move comes after the hotel chain did a survey of guests and found that 85 percent of vacationers have been annoyed by someone talking loudly on their phone, and 31 percent admitted they have been tempted to throw their mobile device in the ocean. That seems extreme, so instead the resorts are banning technology in certain areas (starting in December and running through the prime winter months) to give you a break. Participating hotels are part of the Paradise by Marriott brand that includes nine resorts in beach destinations like Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, St. Kitts, and Aruba. Rates for a double room at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort start at $189 in mid-January, while double rooms start at $159 at the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort.

In the same way that the Olympics are interesting, even if you don't really care about sports, Art Basel has a way of bringing the die-hards and dilettantes together. It's also noteworthy for the way in which it infuses the city of Miami with energy—not just during the show, which takes place over four days from Dec 4 to 9, but long afterwards thanks to an influx of new restaurants, hotels, and bars (including the spiffy new Hyde Lounge at the American Airlines arena). The Miami program has been gaining steam since it was launched in 2002 as an offshoot of the original Basel festival in Switzerland. It is one of the few international art events that is as much for the public as it is for the industry. This year, more than 260 art galleries from almost every continent will showcase select pieces from established artists and up-and-comers alike. Media runs the gamut from photography to painting to public art projects. Tickets are expensive ($42 a day, $90 for a permanent pass), but there are a few exhibits that will be free of charge, such as the sculpture showcase in Collins Park. In addition to the art on display, there are films exploring the field of art, salon talks on various art-related subjects, and receptions in the evening. Also taking place over the same period: Design Miami, the interior design counterpart to Art Basel, and the UR1 music and art festival, which will feature acts such as Kanye West, Animal Collective, and Jane's Addiction. If a visit to the Miami is in your future, Art Basel is an event you should have in your vocabulary—if for no other reason than to understand part of what makes this city such a cultural hotspot. The details: Public show days take place from Thursday, December 6 through Sunday, December 9. A one-day ticket is $42, a permanent pass is $90. Miamibeach.artbasel.com Going to Art Basel Miami? Share your photos with us at myBT and use the tag "Art Basel Miami" in the caption. If we receive enough images, we'll build a slide show out of them.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis opened back in 1991, incorporating the Lorraine Hotel, site of the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination. But on Monday, November 19, the public will be able to access the most famous spot at the museum for the first time: the balcony that Martin Luther King, Jr. was standing on when he was shot in 1968. You've been able to see the balcony from afar, but now it will be open to the public along with King's hotel room. At the end of the day on Monday, the main section of the museum will close for an extensive renovation that will include interactive exhibits on the slave trade from Africa to the U.S., Brown vs. Board of Education, and the Memphis Movement. The balcony will remain open during the renovation and close again when the renovations are completed in early 2014. The Legacy Building annex across the street, located in the former boarding house that James Earl Ray used as a staging area for firing the fatal shot, will also remain open. This isn't the only assassination spot that is open to the public, of course. You can visit Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. and then go across the street to the Petersen House and stand in the room where Lincoln died. Or take an audio tour of the streets around the former Texas School Book Depository, swing by the grassy knoll, and head up to The Sixth Floor Museum to see where Lee Harvey Oswald stood when he shot JFK in Dallas. How important is it for the public to have access to these sites? Are they an important part of history, or a macabre way of remembering fallen heroes and presidents?