Passport information

Passport information
The National Passport Information Center, the public contact center for U.S. passport information, has just begun to offer toll-free phone information.
The new phone number is (877) 487-2778. TDD/TTY users should call (888) 874-7793.
For more information, visit http://travel.state.gov on the Web.
Newsletter offerstips for travelers
DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. -- If you are a frequent traveler, either around the United States or around the world, consider subscribing to the TravelSmart newsletter.
The monthly publication offers advice on everything from how to visit theme parks with your kids without losing your mind to getting good seats and good deals from airlines and hotels.
The newsletter describes bargains -- how does $700 for round-trip airfare to Paris and five nights in a hotel sound? -- as well as unusual luxuries, like the weekly $38,000 rate for the 14-bedroom Kiltegan Castle, one hour from Dublin, that includes butler, chef and afternoon tea.
TravelSmart is $8 an issue, or $39 a year, available through www.TravelSmartNewsletter.com or (800) 327-3633.
NoCal guidebook
SAN FRANCISCO -- Planning a visit to Northern California with the family?
"Fun Places to Go with Children in Northern California" has more than 350 listings for sites ranging from Yosemite, the Santa Cruz beach and the Monterey Bay Aquarium to more obscure destinations like the Jelly Belly Candy Co. in Fairfield and the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.
The paperback ($12.95, Chronicle Books), by Elizabeth Pomada, was first published 30 years ago but it has withstood the test of time.
Pomada has updated and revised it for each reprinting; the latest version is the book's ninth edition.
Colorado vacationscompiled for guide
BOULDER, Colo. -- If you're planning a vacation in Colorado, regardless of the season, the Colorado Directory is filled with information on lodging, camping, skiing, fishing and even where you can stay with your dog.
Publisher Rebekah Martin travels 7,000 miles around Colorado for four months a year to compile the guide, and it's free for the asking.
Call (888) 222-4641 or visit www.colorado-lodges.com.
The directory lists 518 places to stay, from RV parks to mountain lodges and condos.
The top destinationsfor business people
ST. LOUIS -- Las Vegas and Orlando are the top destinations chosen by employers planning business meetings or rewarding their workers with so-called "incentive" trips, according to a new survey.
The survey is based on 1,000 meetings, group incentive trips, and special-event programs organized by the Maritz Travel Co. in 2003.
These trips involved some 350,000 participants.
Rounding out Maritz's top 10 list are San Diego, New York, Chicago, Miami, Phoenix-Scottsdale, Maui and New Orleans.
Many destinations are chosen with the understanding that employees often bring spouses and children along on their company trips.
These days, Las Vegas is considered a family-friendly destination, which helps account for why it beat out Orlando on the list.
Incentive trips are all-expense paid trips used by some large companies to reward employees.
Eight out of 10 business meetings and incentive trips are set up in the United States and Canada, according to Maritz's survey.
The top five most popular destinations for those scheduled abroad in 2003 were Italy, France, Switzerland, England and Spain.