COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Copenhagen's best-known Viennese-style coffeehouse is celebrating 135 years of service in the Danish capital.

Confectioner Nicolaus Henningsen, who was born in northern Germany, opened the cafe on Oct. 8, 1870, in its current location in downtown Copenhagen. First named "Henningsen's Basement," it later changed to "La Glace" — French for ice cream — because it was among the first to produce ice cream in Copenhagen.

Over the decades, its coffee-sipping guests included fairy-tale author Hans Christian Andersen and Karen Blixen, who wrote "Out of Africa" under the name Isak Dinesen.

Patrons, sitting at marble tables, can order coffee, hot chocolate and whipped cream cakes.

"It is important to us that customers can have a feeling that they have entered a time pocket where time is slowing down among new cafes and coffee shops," said Marianne Stagetorn Colos, the present owner.

Cayman festivals

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — Pirates, storytelling and jazz will be the themes of three festivals taking place in the Cayman Islands over the next two months.

The 28th annual "Pirates Week National Festival," Oct. 28-Nov. 6, includes fireworks, a mock pirate invasion, sports competitions and heritage days. The family-friendly festival also showcases local music, dancing, cuisine, arts and costumes. Look for lodging packages and discounts on diving and other water sports at www.piratesweekfestival.com or by calling (345) 949-5859.

For the seventh year in a row, the islands will also host an international storytelling festival called Gimistory, planned for Nov. 26-Dec. 3. Traditional Caribbean tales, ghost legends (known locally as "duppy" stories), funny stories and stories told through calypso, mime and dance are all on the agenda. For more information, go to www.artscayman.org or call (345) 949-5477.

George Duke, Al Jarreau, Yolanda Adams and Ravi Coltrane are among the artists scheduled to perform at the Dec. 1-3 Jazz Fest. The music event was first staged last year. The format will include an intimate evening performance, a large outdoor event, and a family-friendly afternoon event. For tickets, go to www.ticketweb.com and for packages go to www.caymanislands.ky.

Pilgrim Thanksgiving

PLYMOUTH, Mass. — So what really happened at the first Thanksgiving when the Pilgrims and the Indians sat down together back in 1621?

You're invited to learn about legend vs. reality while chowing down at Plimoth Plantation this fall.

The living-history museum is holding "Harvest Dinners" on Oct. 29, and on Nov. 5, 12, 19, 20, 23, 25 and 26, and tickets are still available to a Thanksgiving Day buffet on Nov. 25, along with an "Eat Like a Pilgrim" lunch on Nov. 26.

While you're there, check out the museum's exhibit "Thanksgiving: Memory, Myth and Meaning," which explains the history of the holiday, and visit reproductions of the 1627 Pilgrim Village, the Wampanoag Homesite and the Mayflower II.

To make reservations, call (508) 746-1622, ext. 8366, or visit www.plimoth.org.

And if you plan on using 17th-century table manners, wash your hands before you eat and get a big napkin — forks were nonexistent back in the Pilgrims' day.

Colonial Thanksgiving

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Celebrate Thanksgiving Colonial-style at Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 24-26, with a "Foods & Feasts" event. You'll learn how food was gathered, preserved and prepared by Virginia's colonists and by the Powhatan Indians.

The museum is open daily year-round. Jamestown Settlement is located on State Route 31, just southwest of Williamsburg. Details at (888) 593-4682 or www.historyisfun.org.

At nearby Colonial Williamsburg, Thanksgiving Day meals are already sold out at the Williamsburg Inn, King's Arm Tavern and Christiana Campbell's Tavern, but reservations are still available for an 18th-century-style feast at the James Shields Tavern on Duke of Gloucester Street. Call (800) 447-8679 for details.

Elsewhere in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson's home at Monticello remains open for tours on Thanksgiving Day; information at www.monticello.org or (434) 984-9822.

And if you don't mind passing up turkey and trimmings, you can have lunch Thanksgiving Day (or any other day) at Michie Tavern, the historic restaurant (dating to 1784) at 683 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, a short drive from Monticello. Michie — www.michietavern.com or (434) 977-1234 — serves a daily buffet with fried chicken and pulled pork from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Nearby, in downtown Charlottesville, a Jeffersonian Thanksgiving Festival takes place Nov. 18-20 and on Nov. 25, including concerts and dancing to period music, Revolutionary War encampments, and re-enactors debating events of the era. Details at www.jeffersonthanksgiving.org or (434) 249-4032.

Fort Clatsop

WARRENTON, Ore. — The replica of the fort where the Lewis and Clark expedition spent the winter of 1805-06 will be rebuilt following a fire, but it's unclear whether it will be completed in time for a Lewis and Clark Bicentennial commemoration slated for mid-November.

The cause of the fire that destroyed the compound has not been determined, but investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives say there are no conclusive signs of arson.

Meanwhile, donations, condolences and offers to help rebuild Fort Clatsop have been pouring in.

Just hours after news of the fire first broke, people were coming up to park employees to hand them checks to help fund the fort's reconstruction. Others sent messages such as: "I am a reasonable craftsman and can make almost anything I set my mind to in metal, wood or stone."

The expedition built the compound in three weeks. The replica that burned took 18 months to build. Park officials say the timeframe for rebuilding is somewhere in between.

Paradise Inn

ASHFORD, Wash. — The historic Paradise Inn on Mount Rainier is closing until at least the spring of 2008 for a multimillion-dollar makeover.

The park also is building a new visitor center in the inn's parking lot to eventually replace the nearby Henry M. Jackson center.

The picturesque inn, built in 1916 from silver fir and local rock, will retain its grand architecture, including the massive timbers, stone fireplaces and cheery public spaces.

The rehabilitation project, which is expected to cost between $10 million and $15 million, will include a new foundation and other improvements so the structure can withstand the pressure of tons of snow every winter and the rumbling of a major earthquake.

Heavy annual snowfall and a shifting foundation have taken their toll on the building.

The inn's Glacier Lounge will be converted into guest rooms for people who can't climb stairs. The bay window in the gift shop will taken out, leaving the lobby looking more like it did in 1916. Guest rooms that were paneled in the 1960s will be restored to the original design.

The inn will get a modern fire-protection system and upgrades for access by people with disabilities. But historical details and the overall look of the building will be preserved.

Options for staying elsewhere for the next two summers include a smaller inn at Longmire and other motels and campgrounds.

The nearby Jackson Visitor Center will remain open while a smaller building is built to replace it.

Dominican Republic

CABARETE, Dominican Republic — You could just lie on the beach once you got to the Dominican Republic.

But if you did, you'd be missing out on all kinds of adventures.

The country is already well-known for "Kite Beach" in the city of Cabarete, a top destination for kiteboarders and windsurfers from around the world. But Dominican tourism officials are trying to get the word out about other parts of the country where outdoor adventures beckon.

Among them is Pico Duarte mountain in the country's central region, which, at 10,128 feet, is the Caribbean's highest point. It takes three days to reach the top on foot, but tours and guides are available to help. "Canyoning" — a multisport activity that includes hiking, swimming, rock-climbing and rappelling — can be done in the Cordillera Central at the Jimenoa River. You can also go whitewater rafting in the Jimenoa, as well as in the central region's Rio Yaque del Norte and Rio Baiguate in the central region.

For more information on a trip to the Dominican Republic, call (888) 374-6361 or visit www.dominicana.com.do.

NYC ice skating

NEW YORK — Ice skating with the skyscrapers of Manhattan as a backdrop is a magical experience treasured by many visitors to New York City each holiday season.

This year, visitors will have a new rink to choose from in addition to the old favorites at Rockefeller Center and in Central Park. The Pond at Bryant Park opens Oct. 28 behind the New York Public Library on 42nd Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues.

The new rink will be the only one of the three rinks that doesn't charge admission. Skate rentals will be $7.50 and locker rentals $3.50 an hour. About 500 people will be allowed on the 17,000-square-foot ice surface at any one time.

Skaters will be able to warm up in a heated tent, and snack or dine at the Ice Cafe. Visitors to Bryant Park during the holiday season can also shop at Fetes de Noel, a market featuring 150 vendors.

The rink, funded by Citigroup and other corporate sponsors, will be open weekdays 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and weekends 8 a.m.-10:30 p.m. It will close Jan. 16 as preparations begin for Fashion Week, which is held in the park in February.

Hike for Discovery

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Volunteering or working for a cause while on vacation has become quite trendy, and now the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has come up with a way for supporters to raise money for a good cause while training for a rugged outdoor adventure.

Participants in the Hike for Discovery program learn techniques for hiking, climbing, first aid and nutrition in preparation for a strenuous seven-hour hike down the Grand Canyon and back up again.

Training for the excursion is being offered by 23 chapters around the country. The society also offers fundraising advice to participants, who raise most of their money by creating personalized Web pages about the program. Links are sent to family, friends, colleagues and other potential donors.

The average amount of money raised by each individual is $3,700, with 75 percent of that going to the society, which funds research on cures for the blood diseases. The other 25 percent covers travel and training costs for the hiking program.

The hikes are scheduled to take place April 28-30, May 5-7, May 12-14, May 19-21, and June 2-4.

For details, call (888) 435-7557 or visit www.hikefordiscovery.org.

Disney books

NEW YORK — Three new guides to Walt Disney World provide advice on three very different types of vacations.

For visitors with special needs — ranging from food allergies to autism to mobility problems — "Walt Disney World for Your Special Needs" (PassPorter Travel Press, $22.95) provides advice and information. You'll learn where and how to find food that is kosher or vegetarian or free of certain ingredients. Authors Deb Wills and Debra Martin Koma also list resources and accommodations for those who use wheelchairs, including which resorts have handicapped-accessible swimming pools and pool wheelchairs. In addition, plenty of tips are offered for parents of special-needs children, such as taking part in a sit-down "character meal," where kids can meet Cinderella or Mickey without waiting on a long line.

Disney fans with big budgets may want to consult a new edition of "The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort" (Insiders' Guides, $18.95). The guide identifies the theme park's most luxurious lodging, dining, shopping and entertainment options, along with ways in which spending a little extra money gives you access to certain amenities. For example, guests in a "concierge room" at a hotel — at about $125 to $150 more per day per room — get niceties like bathrobes and a private lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks. The book also offers tips for Universal Orlando and Sea World.

For average travelers, "Plan Your Walt Disney Vacation … In No Time" (Que Publishing, $16.95) can help you decide which of the many choices at the parks should be included on your itinerary. Ride descriptions include height requirements and which attractions accept FastPass (a timed entry ticket that can help avoid long lines); which attractions are considered "must-sees," and where to find a romantic dinner for two or a character meal for the kids. Also included are hotel descriptions and tear-out wallet-sized cards with checklists for each park to help you execute your plans.

Vegas-Aladdin

LAS VEGAS — A new owner of the Aladdin hotel-casino plans to remodel the Las Vegas Strip property with a futuristic Planet Hollywood theme by the end of next year.

The property's Middle Eastern elements will be replaced with a sweeping modern design, said Robert Earl, chief executive of Planet Hollywood International and partner with resort owner OpBiz LLC.

"We're going to bring Hollywood to Vegas, and we're going to have a must-see attraction," said Earl, adding the redesign could cost up to $140 million.

The plan will reshape entrances from the Strip and the hotel's Desert Passage shopping center, presenting what Earl characterized as a "dynamic and electrifying look" with a pedestrian plaza for easy access.

Work is due to start next month and be completed by the end of 2006. The casino and hotel will remain open while work focuses first on the casino, registration area, shops, and the addition of a race and sports book.

The $1.4 billion Aladdin opened in August 2000 and filed for Chapter 11 protection about a year later.