White House open to public again

WASHINGTON » Hoping to snag a glimpse of the inside of the White House, the first dog or even first lady Michelle Obama? Now may be your chance.

The White House resumed public tours Tuesday, seven months after they were suspended due to governmentwide spending cuts.

President Barack Obama and his wife surprised a group that made it in on the first day, greeting and hugging a long line of visitors in the Blue Room. Even one of the Obamas’ dogs, Sunny, joined in.

The self-guided tours are resuming on a limited basis of about three days a week, down from five. They’ll run through Jan. 15, when temporary funding runs out.

Eco-friendly travel guide debuts

ALBANY, N.Y. » New York state is promoting sustainable tourism.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says a new online guide to sustainable travel in New York will include bookable itineraries. The guide, debuting Wednesday, takes advantage of the trend of tourists trying to minimize their impact on the environment and local culture.

The New York guide is being produced in partnership with responsibletravel.com. A section of the tour operator’s website will feature eco-tourism activities in every region of New York.

Preview the guide at www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/new-york-state/travel-guide.

Denali to introduce vehicle tours

JUNEAU, Alaska » Denali National Park and Preserve plans to begin allowing commercial winter vehicle tours into the park to help boost visitor access during the slower season.

Starting in February, the National Park Service plans on a trial basis of three to five years to plow the 92-mile Denali park road as far as mile 12, the Mountain Vista Rest Area. In the past the road has been plowed to mile 3, or park headquarters, during winter.

The park service is seeking applications to provide commercial vehicle tours between mid-February and May 10. Denali spokes­woman Kris Fis­ter expects park officials somewhere within the trial period will evaluate visitation numbers and budget considerations in determining whether to make the change permanent.