Travel briefs

The Iron Horse Hotel aimed at bikers will open this summer in Milwaukee near the Harley-Davidson Museum, also opening this summer. The hotel is described as a modern, boutique, luxury hotel, but it will also feature covered motorcycle parking, rag bins, a bike wash, packed saddlebag lunches and in-room storage for boots, helmets and leathers. Rates likely will start at $179 a night (www.theironhorsehotel.com or call 1-888-543-4766).

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

If you're planning a vacation in California, get the free "California Road Trips 2008," published by the California Travel and Tourism Commission. The guide includes maps, itineraries and places to stop, including historic sites, wineries, parks and beaches. Call 1-877-867-3748 to order one, or view an electronic version at www.VisitCalifornia.com/roadtrips.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The brilliant coral off the coast of Australia could be largely gone by 2050, according to a 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Scientists say the glaciers in Glacier National Park in Montana will be gone by 2030. The attention focused on changes such as these and the issue of global warming has prompted predictions about the way we will travel. "Increasingly, people are wanting to see these sights of the world before they change," says Ann Mack, director of trendspotting for the advertising agency JWT. It's been called climate sightseeing. Hard data is not available for why people go where they do, but a clear interest in ecotourism, coupled with greater accessibility to places like the Earth's poles, means more people are visiting endangered sites. The subject is full of paradoxes: The more you travel, for example, the more you're contributing to the problem, but Robert Henson, author of "The Rough Guide to Climate Change," has suggestions: "Stay longer. Go ahead and travel, but do it smartly. Get direct flights; use a train to get around."

MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Budget travel is the focus of "Pauline Frommer's" line of full-service travel guides, but in the case of "Pauline Frommer's Costa Rica" (Wiley, $19.99), budget travel is a relative term. Those traveling on a shoestring will find this wide-ranging guide of limited use; travelers of means seeking comfort, cleanliness and good value are the real audience. Authors David Appell and Nelson Mui have scoped out Costa Rica from coast to cloud forest with moderate spenders in mind. The tone is lively, the reviews opinionated, the tips helpful and the maps useful.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

New Mexico's Department of Cultural Affairs and Tourism has partnered with Travelocity to produce the New Mexico CulturePass. For $25, the pass provides admission to 14 state-run museums and monuments, a 50 percent savings over what it would cost if you visited them all and paid full price. The pass is good for a year (www.newmexicoculture.org).

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The high-speed ferry called the Cat has arrived at its new home on the Portland, Maine, waterfront. Bay Ferries, owner of the 320-foot catamaran, has a five-year lease with the city to provide service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

We are seeking owners of second homes to profile in the Travel section. Do you have a cozy cabin in the North Woods, a gracious condo down south, or a hideaway in another city or town? We'd like to hear about it. A profile in the Travel section could be a great way to share your second home (without actually hosting pesky guests). Send your name and phone number with a brief description of your second home (and a jpeg image, if you have one) to travel@startribune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG