MORE STORIES

• Dining

  Room service checks out of NYC hotel

  It is the perk that comes with expense accounts, the silver tray that wakes lovers in the morning, and even the momentary weakness of a superspy like James Bond.
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  New York

  10 options for seeing the Statue of Liberty

  The Statue of Liberty is scheduled to reopen to visitors on July Fourth for the first time since Superstorm Sandy. But for those who just want a photo op with the statue, there are many other vantage points, from Red Hook, Brooklyn, and Governors Island, to a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. The Staten Island ferry takes you right past the statue for free, while those on bigger budgets can reserve a room with a view at the luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel.
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  New York

  The famed Times Square TKTS booth turns 40

  Hundreds of tourists and New Yorkers show up each day at the famed TKTS booth in the heart of Times Square with questions about Broadway shows. Often they’re very interesting questions.
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  150th anniversary

  For re-enactors, Gettysburg is pinnacle of hobby

  The commander of the Confederate army marched to the front of the makeshift classroom in jeans and a dress blue shirt to deliver battle plans to his top lieutenants, complete with a PowerPoint presentation and laser pointer.
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  Cruises

  Explore Alaskan towns on your own

  It’s cruise season in Alaska, with more than 1 million cruise passengers expected between April and September in port towns from Ketchikan to Seward.
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  Scandinavian summer

  Sweden shines when days grow long

  I seemed to be flowing amid a river of wildflowers.
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  Travelwise

  Do your research before booking a historic inn

  The website used words like “rustic” and “old-world style accommodations” for the lodge, but somehow I read that as “charming” and “romantic.”
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  Bed check: New York

  All the signs of cool at the Ace

  The Ace Hotel really speaks to me.
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  50th anniversary

  A tour of the South’s civil rights sites

  Key events in 1963, from organized protests in Alabama to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, galvanized the civil rights movement that eventually toppled Jim Crow laws in the South. The 50th anniversary of those events is a great time to visit sites pivotal to the end of Southern segregation and that reflect on key events in African-American history.
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  Travelwise

  Taking a package tour

  When planning your next vacation, how willing would you be to:
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  5 free things: Hong Kong

  Getting by cheaply in Asian capital of commerce

  The former British colony of Hong Kong has become an increasingly popular destination for wealthy visitors from mainland China, many of whom come just to shop. In Hong Kong’s main tourist districts, Louis Vuitton and Gucci boutiques have crowded out middle-of-the-road retailers to cater to the big spenders. Trendy, expensive restaurants and bars have replaced mom-and-pop shops. One could be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing else to do in the Asian capital of commerce but spend money.
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  Civil War

  Gettysburg readies for 150th anniversary of battle

  The commemoration of this year’s 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will include amenities that soldiers would have relished 150 years ago.

• Travelwise

  It’s an app-user’s world

  As you might expect, some of the best apps for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are all about being mobile. A well-designed travel app — one that doesn’t require a lot of Internet connectivity on the road but that has lots of up-to-date information you can use — can mean the difference between a frustrating vacation meltdown or a breezy road to paradise.
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  Bar scene: New Orleans

  Off-season sipping in the Big Easy

  I love to head to destination towns in the off-season. New Orleans in particular is great in the middle of summer. Before you shake your head in humid disgust, consider this. The hotels are cheaper. You lose the crowds, but gain lovely farmers markets. Reservations at the hottest restaurants are a breeze, antiques are on sale and don’t forget crawfish boils galore.
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  Charleston , S.C.

  ‘Warhorse’ director brings puppets to Spoleto

  Director Tom Morris uses the phrase “happy accident” to describe the success of his Tony-award-winning play War Horse, whose central character was a puppet.
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  Ireland calls the diaspora home with The Gathering

  The tall ships looked majestic as they sailed into the bay – replicas of the masted, rigged vessels that once transported millions of emigrants from these shores.
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  In summer, all the world’s a Shakespearean stage

  For theater buffs, summer travel offers the opportunity to enjoy Shakespeare festivals throughout the nation. Nearly 300 festivals in the U.S. celebrate the work of the Bard, and there’s no more pleasant way to spend a midsummer night’s eve.
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  Even urbanites can navigate Yosemite

  We had been traveling for hours — six by plane from Philadelphia to San Francisco, then nearly four more in a car through city, suburbs, farmland and forest — when we glimpsed our reward from a turnout in the mountain road.
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  The other side of Yosemite

  Hard-core hiking on a backcountry adventure

  A few loose, fist-sized rocks tumbled by as we hiked down a steep mountain pass over unstable terrain, off trail deep in Yosemite’s wilderness. We tightly gripped the solid rock holds on the side of Stanton Pass to steady ourselves when our feet slipped out from under us.
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  5 free things: Amsterdam

  Cheap sightseeing, from canals to parks

  The Dutch capital has plenty to celebrate this year, most notably the reopenings of the magnificent Rijksmuseum after 10 years of renovations and, after a shorter facelift, the neighboring Van Gogh Museum. You have to pay to get into those museums, but most of downtown Amsterdam looks like one huge open-air museum and strolling its streets costs you nothing. Renting a bike is not free, but if you want to go native, it’s the only way to travel. Just watch out for the traffic and tram rails.

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