the Official Blog of the Unofficial Guides

Beth Blair, author of The Unofficial Guide to Mall of America, shares with us what’s new at this shopping destination. 2016 was an exciting year for Mall of America (MOA). Phase II continued its rollout with announcements of new shops and restaurants. MOA partnered with Uber so shoppers no longer have to worry about parking. Pick-up and drop-off is on

The NASA bosses were smart enough to know that once the space shuttle program ended in 2011, the vehicles themselves would be in huge demand. Most of the shuttles were doled out to various museums, but the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which touched down July 21, 2011, after flying the last of its 33 shuttle missions, was put on display at the Kennedy Space Center beginning

South Pacific Tropics are Re-created at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will be the place we’ll retire to if we ever hit the lottery. With its tropical landscaping, well-appointed rooms, and good on-site restaurants, it’s one of the few Walt Disney World resorts where you could skip the parks entirely and be perfectly content just exploring the grounds. Everything about the Poly (as it’s known

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library collection, holding more than 23 million books and 135 million other documents. Although it is literally the library for the U.S. Congress’s research needs, anyone can use the library’s materials while inside the building, with proper ID. Most people opt to tour the library rather than read in it, and for good reason: It’s a beautiful

For the ultimate  no-expenses-spared Universal Orlando experience, book a VIP tour of one or both parks. VIP guests are given the red-carpet treatment at both parks and never have to worry about waiting in line. And don’t worry if you aren’t a genuine VIP—or even a social media pseudo-celebrity—because at Universal, anyone can be treated like the rich and famous . . . for a