Fifty years ago this summer, Elvis
Presley walked into Sun Studios and rock ‘n roll was born. This summer,
Orbitz
, the site that makes it easy to find great travel deals, announces
its “Summer of Rock” promotion.Partnering with veteran rock photographer Kevin Mazur, Orbitz’s “Summer of
Rock” is an online, multi-city backstage pass to visit the country’s music
landmarks complete with self-guided tours to top destinations and great
hotel deals. Orbitz, in collaboration with Mazur, takes site users inside
12 legendary music cities—where it’s fun to be a tourist and a music
fan - with insider knowledge of the hotspots, rock history and trivia.
Behind-the- scenes tips and tours for cities such as Chicago, Seattle, San
Francisco and Memphis are accessible on the Orbitz homepage or at
http://www.orbitz.com/rock
where travelers will find:

- Self-guided tours, including Memphis’ Rock and Roll Roots Tour where
visitors are directed to experience Elvis’ Graceland, the Gibson Guitar
Factory and the Rock n’ Soul Museum. Similar tours are available for New
York and Seattle, among others destinations, and direct travelers to the
clubs, halls and lounges where the cities nurture their home grown sounds.

- Printable maps that travelers can take with them when they explore the
musical haunts of rockers from the Talking Heads to Jimi Hendrix. There
are even insider tidbits from Mazur on his favorite must-stop haunts
including shopping San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district for rock
memorabilia.

—Summer event and concert listings to reinforce or rekindle
the inner- rocker in everyone, ranging from the 47th Annual Monterey Jazz
Festival to Lollapalooza.

—A slide show of Mazur’s prized photos of
rock’s royalty, with the inside scoop about each performer, including
personal insights on legends such as Bruce Springsteen and Elton John.

—Specially-negotiated deals on hotels, including Chicago’s new Hard Rock
Hotel starting at $179 per night and including an Orbitz bonus of $15 of
free food and beverages in the Bass Bar or towards a room service
purchase.

—Relevant music is streamed for serenading while site users
research each rock tour, whether fans’ music tastes include Seattle grunge
or the boy bands of Orlando.

“I’ve been lucky in that I’ve witnessed rock’s behind-the-scenes moments
since shooting my first concert in the 1980’s,” says Mazur, whose 20-year
career has sent him on tour with such music legends as Elton John, U2,
Rolling Stones and Prince, and landed him a gig as chief photographer for
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “That’s why I partnered with Orbitz to
create these tours, so fans can experience the music they love and the
places where rock history was made.”

“As music fans across America tune into everything rock ‘n roll this
summer, Orbitz’s ‘Summer of Rock’ program gives people who are passionate
about music an easy way to blend it with their love of travel,” said John
Samuel, Orbitz Executive Vice President for Consumer Travel. “Just as
Orbitz makes it easy to find great deals on travel, we’re making it easy
for fans to match their music interests to a versatile list of locations
and themes - from New York’s ‘Punk Rock’ Tour to Memphis’s ‘The King’
Tour - so there’s something for everyone who loves rock ‘n roll.”

“Summer of Rock” includes an online promotion where contestants can answer three
rotating trivia questions each week from June 19 through July 31, for a
chance to win one of 15 trips for two to a rock tour destination. Winners
also will receive a prize package of 15 CDs from the artists featured on
the Summer of Rock tour pages.
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