ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210002
SECTION: TRAVEL PAGE: 7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFF REPORTS
Golfers looking for a place to play will have an easier time thanks to the Virginia Division of Tourism and the Golf Virginia Resorts Association.
The organizations have produced a new guide called "Virginia is for Golf Lovers: Where to Play in 1996."
The pocket-sized guide lists the golf courses in each region of Virginia. A color-coded map also shows the locations of the courses.
To obtain the free guide, a state highway map and a "Virginia is for Lovers Travel Guide", call 1-800-93-BACK-9.
Golfers can browse the golf portion of the Virginia Web site at http://www.VIRGINIA.org as well.
Free travel planning planning assistance is also available by calling 804-786-4484. - STAFF REPORT Arlington announces new reservation service
The Arlington Convention and Visitors Service has made it easier to get a room in the Washington, D.C., area.
Travelers can call 1-888-7-GETAWAY for access to immediate reservations for more than 8,000 Arlington hotels.
The new line is toll-free and is staffed 24 hours a day by multilingual operators.
For general information about the area, call the Arlington Visitors Center at 1-800-677-6267. - STAFF REPORT Uncle Sam's Jam to rock D.C. on July 4th
The nation's capital will rock and roll on July Fourth with the benefit concert Uncle Sam's Jam.
The show, to be held in midtown Washington from 11 a.m. to dusk, will feature several acts. Among them are: Agents of Good Roots, Love Seed Mama Jump, Ruth Ruth, the Pietasters, Gibb Droll, Egypt, Pass the Iguana, Solar Circus, the Emptys, the Aquarium Rescue Unit and the Screamin' Cheeta Wheelies. A national headliner will be added later.
An area at 19th and End Streets will be blocked off and the bands will play on three separate stages.
Seventeen restaurants, bars and saloons will provide food and beverages at the event as well.
A portion of the show's proceeds will benefit Rally Charities Ltd., a D.C. inner-city charity organization.
For more information, call 202-79-RALLY. - STAFF REPORT 'Vacation Kid' gives tips for summer travel
BOCA RATON, Fla. - As the official "Vacation Kid," 10-year-old Michael Stanek would like to share some suggestions on how to plan an awesome summer vacation for the whole family. You see, Michael recently won the grand Prize in Value Rent-A-Car's "Vacation Kid" contest. He beat out hundreds of entries from kids across the country with his funniest vacation moment.
A frequent summer traveler, Michael knows how tough it can be traveling with the folks, not to mention brothers and sisters. Here are his tips to help your kids make this year's summer vacation a memorable one:
1. If you're traveling by car, be sure to bring your own pillow.
2. Make sure Mom and Dad leave their work at home.
3. Don't complain about how long the car ride.
4. Pack snacks and drinks for car trips.
5. Bring games to play and books to read while traveling.
6. Keep any postcards, tickets or brochures to make a collage or scrapbook.
7. Tell Mom and Dad to take advantage of cost-saving programs for kids.
8. Research where you're going before you actually get there.
9. Don't forget your camera.
10. Wherever you go and whatever you do, go with the idea of having the best time ever!
The youngster from Ashley, Pa. entered Value Rent-A-Car's "Vacation Kid" contest with a funny vacation moment shared with his family on the beaches of Wildwood, N.J. His winning photo captures Michael's father reading the newspaper while buried chest-high in sand as a seagull hovers just over his head eating cheeseballs off his hat.
900 number planned for passport inquiries
The State Department plans to institute a 900 telephone number in November for information about passports. Though callers must pay for the service, the department expects them to get their information with less frustration. Federal workers have been so overwhelmed by inquiries that the State Department estimates that more than 30 percent of the callers give up without getting through.
The new system will save some people money. Applicants now have to call any of the 14 passport offices around the country at their own expense, and these are often toll calls. With the new system, a person will be told how much the call will cost and can either speak to a person about a specific problem or get answers to frequently asked questions by pressing numbers. The charge will be put on the caller's telephone bill.
What overwhelmed the system was a boom in international travel, according to a spokeswoman for the Passport Agency. Last year the office issued 5.3 million passports, up from about 3.4 million in 1991, and it expects to issue 5.6 million this year. -THE NEW YORK TIMES
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