TripAdvisor Ranks Ruskin, Florida the #10 Emerging U.S. Travel Destination for 2009

TripAdvisor™ TravelCast is a barometer of what's hot in travel destinations. TripAdvisor engineers have developed a proprietary algorithm that looks at several criteria including changes in search activity and postings throughout the world's largest travel community, http://www.tripadvisor.com/. The TravelCast then predicts the rising stars in travel. TripAdvisor TravelCast Top Ten U.S. Destinations for 2009   1. St. George , Utah   2. Englewood , Florida   3. Keauhou , Hawaii   4. Mount Pocono , Pennsylvania   5. Haines , Alaska   6. Bainbridge Island , Washington   7. New Buffalo , Michigan   8. Pahoa , Hawaii   9. Gurnee , Illinois   10. Ruskin , Florida "An emerging trend is travelers getting greener. They plan to be more environmentally-conscious, and will be more active outdoors this year, taking advantage of some of the outstanding resources in the U.S. , such as our beautiful national parks," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. "For those interested in going farther afield, TravelCast's top emerging world destination is Budoni, Sardinia, a breathtaking beach destination in Italy ."   TripAdvisor Ranks Ruskin , Florida the #10 Emerging U.S. Travel Destination for 2009: Why? Referred as " America 's Salad Bowl," agriculture was the heart of Ruskin during the early 1900s and thrived through the mid-1980s. Agriculture is still important to the community and recognized with the Ruskin Tomato Festival, held the first weekend in May and dates back to 1935. Another popular festival is the Ruskin Seafood Festival held the first weekend in November. Visitors who miss the Ruskin Seafood Festival and looking for hands-on seafood experiences can join Captain Gus's Crabby Adventures, a four-hour boating and eating journey with a commercial crabber. Depending on the time of year, participants, referred as mates, will catch blue crabs or stone crabs. They're taught how to bait and pull up crab traps and importantly, shown how to clean, cook, and eat crab. Miss the romance of a drive-in movie theater? The Ruskin Family Drive-in Theater shows wholesome movies every night of the year and has been doing so since 1952. The community of Ruskin is located about a 30-minute drive south of Tampa and marked its 100th anniversary this year. Being recognized as one of TripAdvisor's Top Ten Emerging Destinations for 2009, new visitors will discover Ruskin, embrace its unique personalities, and ask themselves why it took so long to discover it.