Amtrak to install Wi-Fi at five Northeast stations

Amtrak to install Wi-Fi
at five Northeast stations

WASHINGTON — Amtrak will install Wi-Fi hot spots at five Northeast corridor stations, giving all passengers access to wireless Internet service for the first time.

The service, provided by T-Mobile, will be available at Washington Union Station, Baltimore Penn Station, Wilmington, Del., Station, Philadelphia 30th Street Station and New York Penn Station.

Spokeswoman Tracy Connell said some locations of the Club Acela first-class lounge had wireless, but this is the first time it has been made available throughout the stations.

McGovern Museum drew
25,000 in its first year

MITCHELL, S.D. — The McGovern Legacy Museum at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell drew an estimated 25,000 visitors in its first year.

The museum is part of the George and Eleanor McGovern Library and Center for Leadership and Public Service.

“I knew that Sen. McGovern had a lot of friends around the country and world, but I was a little surprised,” museum director Donald Simmons was quoted as saying in The Daily Republic newspaper.

“One thing about the McGovern Legacy Museum that is interesting is that you don’t have to be a Democrat and you don’t have to like George McGovern’s policies at all,” said Pam Engelland, director of the Corn Palace Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s just a lesson about that time in our history.”

Get practical advice
in new travel book

NEW YORK — Talk to taxi drivers and hotel maids. Fly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And think twice before you drink from that glass in your hotel room.

That’s advice from travel guru Peter Greenberg, who is out with a new book called “The Complete Travel Detective Bible” (Rodale, $17.95).

Greenberg is the travel editor for NBC’s “Today” show. His book offers guidance on travel by air, car, cruise ship, train and even subway and bicycle, in addition to wisdom on subjects ranging from travel insurance to cell phones to loyalty programs.

According to Greenberg, taxi drivers and hotel maids can offer advice about everything from local routes to where to shop, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the least busy days for air travel. As for the hotel drinking glasses, in his opinion, they should be run under hot water for three minutes to make sure they are sterile.

Caribbean islands unite
to develop regional brand

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Caribbean islands, separated by diverse languages and cultures, are developing a single regional brand to promote the tourism industry that drives most of their economies.

The new campaign aims to reverse a decade-long decline in the region’s share of international tourism, said Allen Chastanet, chairman of the Caribbean Trade Organization.

Caribbean tourism, which drives most of the region’s economies, grew at an average annual rate of less than 3.5 percent over the past 10 years, compared with 4.5 percent around the world, the trade group’s statistics show.

Efforts to promote the region gained urgency earlier this year, after many countries reported declines in visitors from the United States, which began requiring travelers to carry passports on air travel to the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada.

For more information, visit www.caribbeantravel.com.

Associated Press