NEW YORK -- The observatory at the top of One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States, will soon be open to the public.
Tickets are for sale, and the observatory will officially open May 29.
The observatory takes up levels 100, 101, and 102 of the center. The main public viewing space is on the 100th floor, with restaurants on the 101st floor and an event space on the 102nd floor. Visitors will get a view of the city and its surroundings from above 1,250 feet.
Tickets will be $32 for adults and $26 for children, ages 6 to 12. Admission will be free for family members of those who died on Sept. 11, as well as those who worked in the rescue and recovery.
For information, visit: oneworldobservatory.com.
MEET AND GREET
Visitors to Salem, Ore., can sign up for a free, informal walk with local volunteers to see the sights as part of the new Salem Greeters Program.
Travel Salem is part of the Global Greeters Network, which began in New York, where local volunteers are known as Big Apple Greeters.
In Salem, volunteers will be taking individual tourists and small groups of six or fewer to see the city's downtown core, home to interesting shops, cafes, galleries and other cultural and historic sites. Visitors with special interests can ask for a customized itinerary. The greets will last an hour or two.
The greeters are not professional tour guides, but are more like destination ambassadors who share a personal perspective on their cities while offering advice on what to see and do.
To sign up for a greet in Salem, fill out a request form at least seven days before your visit at salemgreeters.com.
More than 90 cities worldwide participate in the Global Greeters Network. The list is at globalgreeternetwork.info.
OUTDOOR PROGRAMS
Outdoor retailer L.L. Bean hosts thousands of programs each year themed on outdoor activities, from fly-fishing clinics to a stand-up paddleboard and yoga weekend. Some classes are free, while others range in price from $25 to a few hundred dollars for multi-day adventures.
Many programs are based in Freeport, Maine, where L.L. Bean's flagship store is located. The company owns a paddling center on the ocean near Freeport, where activities like kayaking and paddleboarding take place. Introductory courses also offer beginners the chance to get a lesson and try out sports like archery and clay shooting without a major commitment of time or money.
L.L. Bean also holds how-to classes, hikes and other activities in parks, museums and other sites around the country. Course listings can be found online at tinyurl.com/l5dpzry.
The classes fill up, so register in advance whenever possible. Or, if you're in Freeport for a day of shopping at the town's many outlet stores, stop by L.L. Bean first thing in the morning to see what classes might have openings that day.
PHOTO CONFERENCE
National Geographic photographers Ralph Lee Hopkins, Michael Melford, Bob Krist, Susan Seubert and Dan Westergren, along with outdoor photographer Art Wolfe, will participate in a conference May 3-5 in New York.
OPTIC 2015 is free and open to anyone, though pre-registration is required. The first day will be streamed live online, free. Experts in photography and new media will offer tips, techniques and equipment for taking better pictures outdoors.
The event opens May 3 at Manhattan's New Yorker Hotel, moves to the top level of the AMC Loews 34th Street on May 4 and finishes at the nearby B&H Super Store on May 5.
There will be lectures, slide shows, technique critiques and a trade show featuring the latest imaging technology. For information on the live stream or to register, visit bhphotovideo.com.
Travel on 04/19/2015