travel briefs

Public to get first look at restored house

PORTLAND, Maine -- After 2 1/2 years of restorations, visitors are getting their first look at the newly overhauled Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the boyhood home of 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The federal-style home underwent painstaking renovations to give visitors an idea of what the house looked like in 1850.

Longfellow was born in 1807 in Portland, where he is honored as a native son.

Built in 1785-1786 by the poet's grandfather, the house now serves as a memorial to his famous grandson. The three-story brick house is a National Historic Landmark.

The goal was to re-create what the house looked like in the early 1850s, says Laura Fecych Sprague, curator

Exhibit of British family memorabilia on display

VICTORIA, B.C. -- Monarchy mavens will be pleased to know that a new exhibit of memorabilia about the British royal family is on display in Victoria, B. C.

The "Celebrating Royalty" exhibit at the Royal British Columbia Museum displays more than 300 items, including thrones, portraits and dresses worn by Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.

The exhibit showcases the depth of royal connections to British Columbia, beginning with the Victorian era and continuing into the present. Queen Elizabeth II has visited Victoria in the past and is scheduled to visit again Oct. 4-8.

The exhibit is set to run through Jan. 31. For more information call (250) 356-7226

--From wire reports