News, Tips & Bargains : On the Rails in Alaska

Alaska has an intriguing new “cabin” that may have special appeal for train buffs.

A refurbished caboose, donated to the U.S. Forest Service by the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, is now available as a camping facility for $20 a night.

Originally, the caboose was part of a train that carried lead and zinc over the White Pass to Skagway. When the Yukon mines closed, the caboose was retired. Now repainted and refurbished to accommodate six, it rests at the trail head of the Denver Glacier Trail, about five miles and a 15-minute train ride from downtown Skagway. Visitors must bring their own bedding and cooking gear. For reservations, contact the U.S. Forest Service Information Center, 101 Egan Drive, Juneau, Alaska 99801.

And new this year, the historic White Pass and Yukon Railroad has joined the AlaskaPass program, which allows visitors unlimited travel on three rail services, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system and four motor coach lines.

Starting May 15, the passes will be good for eight days ($499), 15 days ($629), 22 days ($749) and 30 days ($879). For information, call (800) 248-7598.

Ablaze in Blooms --and History

Gardeners and history buffs have their sightseeing cut out for them in Virginia this spring.

More than 250 private homes, gardens and historic landmarks will be open April 23 to 30 for Historic Garden Week. More than 35 separate tours, featuring five or six venues each, will be conducted throughout the state in areas as diverse as the James River Plantation area, the Tidewater coastal region and Raleigh, Richmond and Roanoke. One tour will go to Tuckahoe Plantation, boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson, another to the restored mansion where Jefferson Davis delivered his final Proclamation of the Confederacy.

Tour prices range from $7-$20. Information is available by calling (804) 644-7776 or by sending a $2 donation for a 200-page guidebook to Historic Garden Week, 12 E. Franklin St., Richmond, Va. 23219.

Going Back to Guam and Saipan

Several package tours to Saipan and Guam are being arranged to commemorate the 50th anniversaries of the campaigns of 1944.

Hundreds of veterans are expected to attend observances marking the Battle of Saipan June 12-17. Scheduled events include dedication of a World War II museum, tours of military sites and, on June 15, Invasion Day, memorial services and a parade.

On Guam, a weeklong “Golden Salute” is scheduled June 18-22, with special ceremonies, parades and fireworks planned for July 21, Invasion Day. Thousands of veterans are expected to attend.

Here is a sampling of tours being offered. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and include round-trip air transportation from LAX.

Military Historical Tours (tel. 800-872-6458) is pooling resources with Valor Tours Ltd. of Sausalito (tel. 415-332-7850). Their tour to Saipan is June 11-17, $1,995; Guam, July 16-22, $1,975.

Trip-n-Tour Micronesia of Vista, Calif., (tel. 800-348-0842): Saipan, June 9-19, $2,089; Guam, July 16-24, $1,496.

Leisuretyme Travel of Alta Loma (tel. 800-847-6340): Saipan, June 10-18, $1,945.

AirSeaLand Travel of Portland, Ore., (tel. 800-783-8728), offers ongoing six-night packages to Saipan and Guam for $1,560 for veterans and $1,790 for others. The price includes a free rental car.

LG Travel Service of Fremont (tel. 510-790-6006)is offering round-trip air fare of $969 (weekdays) and $1,009 (weekends) between June 1 and Aug. 31, with July 13-26 blacked out. Fares normally run $1,200.

A free, 48-page travel guide, “Guam USA,” has been updated for 1994 and is available from the Guam Visitors Bureau by calling (800) US-3-GUAM.

Guatemala Warning

Americans are being warned against traveling in Guatemala where mobs, angry at rumors of child-stealing, have attacked U.S. citizens. The State Department is urging Americans to defer all nonessential travel to the Central American nation and recommends that Americans in Guatemala avoid crowds, avoid traveling alone and exercise caution.