Author: Larry Bleiberg, Special to USA TODAY

Ninja athletes aren’t just found on TV. NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” has sparked the development of ninja gyms and leagues across the country.

The new year brings new opportunities for travelers with the opening and expansion of museums in cities large and small.

For centuries, people have greeted the new year with pyrotechnics. Now New Year’s Eve fireworks are an excuse for a final holiday season blowout.

Though it’s easy to point and click your way through a holiday shopping list, it hardly matches the adventure of wandering through a toy store.

If your gift giving has fallen into a rut, stop by a craft gallery, co-op or pop-up store for your holiday shopping.

Towering and elaborately decorated public trees allow visitors to join in local holiday traditions and gatherings.

Whether you’re visiting a college campus to catch a football game or for a student tour, there’s no need to check into a cookie-cutter hotel.

Bringing home a souvenir tattoo from a trip is a long tradition, going back to sailors who would visit parlors when they stopped in distant ports.