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Travel Notes

01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 29, 2007

Ford Theater reopened

While you’re in Washington admiring the lotus blossoms (see cover story), you might want to nip over to Ford’s Theater, which will be open this summer after all.

The popular tourist destination, where Abraham Lincoln was shot, was closed for an 18-month restoration in June. But when bids failed to meet the criteria for the job, the Park Service reopened it.

Details at http://www.fordstheatre.org or http://www.nps.gov/archive/foth/index2.htm

Danger list grows by two

Two new sites have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger list: the Galapagos Islands and the Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal. The park, rich with wildlife, was added because of poaching and plans to build a dam near the property on the Gambia River, while increased tourism was a major factor in the decision to add the Galapagos, according to the World Heritage Committee. Meeting last month in New Zealand, the committee noted that the number of days spent by passengers on cruise ships in the area has increased by 150 percent in the last 15 years.

Nineteen islands make up the Galapagos archipelago, which in 1978 became the first site on the World Heritage List. It has been called “a living museum and showcase of evolution.” According to the committee, the increase in tourism has “led to the introduction of more invasive species.”

Go south, way south, and save

And if Greenland (see cover) isn’t on your travel radar, but you still want to see a lot of ice, you can save more than $2,500 per person on a 44-day cruise to Antarctica departing New York on Oct. 9. The Cruise and Travel Shoppe deal on Coastal Voyage Cruise’s MS Fram is $5,699 per person double, down from $8,299.

The ship visits 28 ports in 12 countries on three continents; price also includes a flight from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Santiago, Chile, where passengers can catch their flights home. Taxes of $549 additional. Info: (800) 919-0308, www.cruise-travelshoppe.com.

Exploring on a Segway

A lot of travelers apparently agree that tours on Segways — those self-balancing “personal transporter” contraptions — are a good way to explore a destination. There are now at least 170 Segway tour operators around the globe, an increase of 53 percent in just the past year, according to a Segway spokeswoman.

The company recently unveiled a Web site with links to info about a select number of tours from Washington, D.C., to Australia and Israel. Details: www.segway.com/tours.

Dog days on Nantucket

Harbor House Village on Nantucket has a new, stand-alone extension called Woof Hotel, where dogs and owners are more than welcome. The 12-room hotel features Woof Park, a fenced-in dog run. Frisbees and ID tags with hotel contact information are presented at check-in, and the rooms contain a basket of treats, a doggie beach towel, toys, food and water bowls, and a doggie bed. The hotel also has a doggie directory, listing Nantucket dog runs and activities.

On Friday evenings from 6-8, June-September, guests can gather in Woof Park for a Yappy Hour consisting of treats for the canine and Cisco Brewery’s Hair of the Dog beer for humans. Rates begin at $180 a night for two humans and one dog.

Call (866) 325-9300 or (508) 228-1500 or visit harborhousevillage.com/reservations/woof.php.