My Travel Diary

by Roo Sadegi Amsterdam may not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a holiday with your kids, but visitors to this enchanting Dutch city will tell you that it is teeming with activities for children. Not only does Amsterdam expose children to the heart of the Netherlands, but it also offers many interactive pursuits that create an exciting hands-on experience. A Trip for Every Day Give the kids a warm introduction to the city with a bit of exploration by land and by sea, or rather, by canal. Take a cruise to see the sights along the winding canals or rent a canal bike and pedal along with the family. When it's time for lunch, head over to the city's famous Kinderkookkafé, where children are in charge of the kitchen. Children learn to cook and serve guests, whipping up delicious sarnies, soups, and puddings. After a tasty meal, the whole family can relax in nearby Vondelpark. The park's scenic trails are ideal for hiking or cycling, while the summer days are ...

by Alison Kroulek When you apply for a passport, it is important that you do it as far in advance as possible. After all, you don't want to still be waiting on it to show up in the mail when it's time to leave, do you? Waiting until the last minute to submit your passport application can greatly increase your stress level, and if you don't have it when you need to leave, you could end up losing hundreds of dollars in fees for having to change your flight or rebook your hotel. The Department of State lists its current passport processing times on its web site. You can check them here. Usually, it takes about 6 weeks to process an application for a passport if you request regular processing. The government's expedited processing option costs an additional $60 and takes about 3 weeks, door-to-door, assuming you have the application overnighted to the passport processing facility and that you also include an additional $14.96 for overnight delivery from the facility to your...