Since 2000, OffbeatTravel.com has been seeking out offbeat towns and underknown places to visit. Now this popular travel information website has named its 'Top Five Offbeat Travel Towns for 2008,' and Dahlonega has made the list. 

"This is our inaugural offering of the top five offbeat places to visit over the next 12 months," said Neala Schwartzberg, publisher of www.OffbeatTravel.com.  "We thought it was time – we had all these interesting, unusual, quirky towns and wanted to let travelers know about them," continued Schwartzberg. "We like the small gems, the places fewer people have experienced, but many would enjoy."

This will be a yearly offering via OffBeatTravel.com.  "We're making this an annual list so each year there will be new cities and towns we think people will want to visit," offered Schwartzberg.

The first list highlights some of the most interesting and quirky towns in the country. Each year, newly discovered hidden hideaways will be revealed, Schwartzberg said.

The towns for 2008 are:

    Dahlonega, Georgia – This historic gold rush town offers a charming downtown, great range of lodging, an excellent community theater, and family friendly activities from panning for gold and gold mine tours to kangaroos visits.

    Fort Collins, Colorado – A town with five breweries including the award-winning New Belgium Brewery, and the quirky metal sculptures of Bill Swets, situated in the foothills of the Rockies, appealing to visitors on several levels. Beer, folk art and natural beauty make this town a winning combination.

    Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii – In addition to the friendly, hippie feel of this north coast Kauai town, visitors will experience the breath-taking beauty of Hanalei Bay. Add to this luxury accommodations, fun shopping and soft adventure activities. It's off the beaten path... for now.

    Moline, Illinois – The city of Moline is John Deere central – complete with Deere family homes, the world headquarters for Deere & Company, John Deere Pavilion and the Collectors Center -- even the John Deere Plaza in the center of town. It's all unexpectedly good fun, especially climbing up the metal behemoth farm equipment.

    Taos, New Mexico – When people hear Taos, they think of high-priced ski resorts, but down the mountain is the actual town of Taos. This is a small walkable town with some of the most innovative art in New Mexico and some of the spiciest history. The Taos pueblo is one of the oldest and is open to public for visits.

With spring break just a blink away, and summer not that far around the corner, now might be a good time to make some travel plans.

For more information, please visit www.offbeattravel.com.