And that, of course, does make a very good excuse to travel, although it has occasionally led me to some rather offbeat places.

Connie Garrido, president of the WOW Factory, an ad agency, said that advertisers took risks when they put messages in offbeat places, but that such risks could often be worthwhile.

"Reports appeared in offbeat places like the Ethiopian Medical Journal," she said.

A clean, safe, offbeat place to crash for a night or two without wiping out your I.R.A. - but not the place for a snuggly anniversary weekend with your sweetie.

For leisure travel, I take my son, who's 14, to offbeat places around the world, and we stay long enough so he really can start to have a feel for the world.

Communities have been created around a shared interest in photography, Miles Davis's music and travel to offbeat places.

For an offbeat place to take children, the Moshulu (215-925-3267) is a good bet.

When we set out on this journey, I consciously hoped for authentic experiences that would take our family to offbeat, out-of-the-way places.

American tourists have always had a way of seeking out offbeat places.

By contrast, the portfolio managers at Fidelity evaluated individual companies and securities, often in offbeat places, and played down broad economic trends.