Ten top cities in the U.S. for making a living. Tourist spot in each

There is a newly published Forbes.com article on the top 10 cities for making a living in the United States. Each has something to offer travelers as well. Here are the top cities and one place to go to in each. These are the first places that immediately came to mind. It’s an odd assortment.

1. Houston, Texas. I’ve been to the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles and found it incredibly worthwhile and moving. From the description of the Holocaust Museum in Houston, it sounds similar, although there is a section that includes first person accounts of the Holocaust survivors who live in the city.

2. Minneapolis, Minnesota. As I’ve posted before, the outdoor art in Minneapolis is fantastic, particularly, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

3. Boston, Massachusetts. The Freedom Trail that winds through the old part of Boston highlights the important places during the American Revolution. Here’s a tour that looks like a fun way to take it in. When I walked the Freedom Trail in Girl Scouts, we were on our own. I wish we had been on this tour.

4. Washington, D.C. For my next trip to D.C., I’d take Jeremy’s suggestion and head to the Brickskeller, a beer lover’s paradise. Sure, I’d take in the sites, many I’ve seen before, but Jeremy’s post offers something new.

5. New York City When I was sweltering in line in Central Park at the Delacorte Theater, not getting tickets to “Hair,” an experience that I recounted in a recent post, a Danish man and his daughter visiting NYC wanted recommendations on what to see. I suggested Ellis Island. The ferry trip there also swings by Liberty Island for a close look at the Statue of Liberty, and the Ellis Island Immigration Museum is superb.

6. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’ve only driven through this city, but have plans to visit the Andy Warhol Museum one fine day.

7. San Francisco, California. I must have a thing for taking boats to landmarks. I just love the tour of Alcatraz Island, that includes the famous prison that has been the backdrop for escape stories and intrigue.

8. Dallas, Texas. I went here to attend a cousin’s wedding and picked historic Dealey Plaza, the location of the grassy knoll and the Texas Book Depository, the scene of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, as my must-head-to-before-I-leave-town destination.

9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s not that I am overly fond of beer drinking, but the Miller Brewing Factory tour of is a lot of fun, particularly if there is a polka band involved.

10. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Liberty Bell may be just a bell, but there’s something about that crack in it that makes for an icon to see if you can swing it.

To find out why these cities are top notch for making a living, read the article. One hint: It involves money.

Black History Month in Germany

There is nothing finer than learning something new and interesting. Thanks to Joerg W., a gadling reader who dropped a comment on my post about the first African American Baptist church in the United States, I’ve hooked into finding out more information about Black History Month in Germany. Although I haven’t come across events travelers can go to in Germany, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. has a section on the topic. There are photographs and archives that chronicle the experience of black people in Nazi Germany between the years 1933 and 1945. Details about the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and the role of African American soldiers who helped liberate the camps are part of the offerings.

Black History Month in Germany focuses on African-Germans. This month African- German artists are getting some notice. For example, at the Berlinale International Film Festival there was a series of films by African-German filmmakers about the African-German experience. Atlantic Review: A Press Digest on Transatlantic Affairs, the publication Joerg contributes to also presents information about African-German visual artists.

As a traveler, it interests me to come across details that give me a fuller picture about where I am traveling. So, if you are traveling in Germany any time soon, here is another lens from which to view the world you are seeing.