Cheapflights.com Celebrates the Teddy Bear and Its Day

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Sep 4, 2014) - Where will you get your hug on National Teddy Bear Day this September 9? Some may reach for their old bear with worn eyes while other enthusiasts collect fresh new teddy faces. The experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have sought the Top 10 Teddy Bear Destinations around the World for you and your children or simply the child within to explore in celebration of this most loyal and lovable of toys.

Below are five Teddy Bear must-sees:

• Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington D.C., United States: You may be wondering how an island has anything to do with a teddy bear, but we promise there is an important connection. Theodore Roosevelt (the man who this island is named after) is the man you can thank for your favorite stuffed animal. The 26th president of the United States of America was on a hunting trip when he came across a bear he refused to shoot. A cartoon was later published of that situation and a Brooklyn candy shop owner decided to create a stuffed toy bear to dedicate to the president as "Teddy's Bear." These toy bears become very popular and soon were mass produced. So if you feel like honoring the man behind the teddy bear, we'd suggest a visit to Theodore Roosevelt Island.
  
  
• Winnie-the-Pooh, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada: Quite possibly one of the most beloved bears of all was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Although most people believe this bear spent its time in the Hundred Acre Wood, Winnipeg the bear (Winnie for short) actually lived happily in Winnipeg and then London. Christopher Robin, the son of author A.A. Milne, loved visiting Winnie so much that it inspired A.A. Milne to write a series of books called Winnie the Pooh. To honor the bear's heritage, Winnipeg, Manitoba has a beautiful statue of Winnie the bear for all to see.
  
  
• Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, Shelburne, Vermont, United States: Ever wonder where best friends are made? Many are made at The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory. This factory has been in operation for more than 20 years making the "best bears in the Universe." Take a tour of this amazing factory and see how these bears are made, or spend some time looking around their teddy bear shop to find your perfect bear-mate. If you can't seem to find "the one" head over the Clubhouse to build your very own best friend. Every Vermont Teddy Bear is 100 percent guaranteed for life, so if anything were to happen to your bear the factory will nurse him or her back to health at the Bear Hospital for no charge.
  
  
• Paddington, Paddington Station, London, England: Paddington Station is the next stop on our "bear"-ing journey. It is here that the beloved Paddington bear was discovered. With his battered suitcase and jars of marmalade, the world fell in love with this curious, kind-hearted bear. If you find yourself at Paddington Station, be sure to shop at Paddington Bear Gifts and take your picture next to the Paddington Bear Statue.
  
  
• The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle, Washington, United States: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle turns one of its biggest suites into a teddy bear wonderland each holiday season (Nov. 29 through Dec. 24). Stocked full of adorable bears, and decorated by local interior designer Kevin Bradford, the Teddy Bear Suite attracts kids and parents alike to take family photos and escape into a world of cuddly, soft fluffiness. The best part? Donations taken at the suite benefit uncompensated care at the local Children's Hospital.

Looking for more teddy adventures? The five additional sites that round out our list are: The Teddy Bear's Train Ride, Texas State Railroad, Rusk, Texas; Doll Hospital, Bexley, Australia; Jeju Teddy Bear Museum, Seogwipo, South Korea; Haribo Factory Store, Bonn, Germany and Ted, Boston, Massachusetts, United States. To get the cuddly details on these sites and see the full list of Top 10 Teddy Bear Destinations around the World, visit: http://www.cheapflights.com/news/top-10-teddy-bear-destinations-around-world.

About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 17.5 million visitors a month -- plus 7 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. 

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across more than 25 core international markets but users all over the world.

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