ESCAPE ARTISTS
Travel ban might get lifted
Although you'd never know it from the officials in the State Department, the big news this week in the travel world is that a bipartisan group of senators has predicted that Congress is ready to pass legislation to allow Americans to travel to Cuba. That hasn't been legal since 1959, when the United States imposed a trade embargo after Fidel Castro took power of the Caribbean island. Should the sanctions be lifted, D.C.-based economic consultants the Brattle Group estimates, 3 million Americans will visit Cuba a year. Will you be one of them? Share your thoughts at www.startribune.com/escapeartists.
ELIZABETH LARSEN
THIS JUST IN
Lodge gets larger
Spider Lake Lodge, the highly photogenic Adirondack-camp-style bed and breakfast in Hayward, Wis., is adding another lodging option to its northwoods offerings: a two-bedroom log cottage with its own kitchen on a hillside next to the main lodge, which was built in the 1920s. This cottage, which was fully renovated this year, is one of 14 cabins designed and built in the 1940s by the original lodge owner, Ted Moody. Goodies include a fieldstone fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a screened porch. Rentals begin May 1; rates for the seven rooms in the main lodge range from $159 to $199 per night. For more information, go to www.spiderlakelodge.com.
JIM BUCHTA
TREND SPOTTING
Lincoln's birthday a boon
Illinois officials say Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday is luring thousands more visitors to the places he used to live and work. Visits to the Old State Capitol more than doubled since the same period a year ago. During the past three months, nearly 26,000 people toured the building where Lincoln was a state lawmaker. Lincoln's Springfield home and tomb saw visits increase by nearly 50 percent. The Lincoln presidential museum has seen an increase of nearly one-third. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency attributes the growth to Lincoln's Feb. 12 bicentennial birthday celebration.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WEB WATCH
Finding deals on hotels
Most Web-savvy travelers are familiar with various websites that let you track and compare airfare prices. (Think Farecompare.com, Farecast.com, Yapta.com, plus the major agencies like Travelocity.com and even airline sites.) Now come two online tools that help travelers track hotel prices.
Yapta has just introduced a feature that allows consumers to sign up for price tracking on specific hotels. Search the site for hotel availability on specific dates, then sign up for notification if rates drop on a specific hotel that interests you.
Hotwire.com has long offered a similar tool for hotel and car rental rates, but it doesn't disclose the name of the hotel or vendor until after you book. The site has just added a monthly hotel report (www.hotwire.com/hotelratereport.jsp) that highlights the U.S. destinations where rates have dropped the most over the past 12 months -- translation, where you're most likely to find good deals.
Also just launched from the people at Kayak.com: TravelPost.com, designed as a one-stop-shopping hotel site with reviews, content and rates on more than 140,000 hotels from over 200 travel sites. Consumers can book directly with the hotel or via other websites.
MIAMI HERALD
SIDE ROADS
Get on track with Relays
On your mark, set and go get your tickets now for the 100th Drake Relays, the Midwest's premier track and field event, April 22-25 in Des Moines. Fans will watch top collegiate and high school athletes compete in dozens of races and field events at Drake University Stadium. A downtown festival will kick off the week with a parade next Sunday, and the ever popular beautiful bulldog contest will be held April 20. Other weekend activities include a half-marathon, 8K race and more (1-515-271-2115; www.drakerelays.org).
COLLEEN A. COLES
