Why spoil your kids on vacation when you can put them right to work? Don’t worry, it’s more fun for everyone than it may sound.

Here’s how kids can get involved with their hotel stay, and learn a new skill in the process.

Several of the Historic Hotels of America are offering children the chance to become a hotel professional for a day.

At the Fairmont San Francisco, kids can take on doorman duties, where they hail cabs and tip their official doorman’s hat to incoming guests.

The Peabody Memphis invites kids to be a Duckmaster’s assistant, where little ones can lead the hotel’s famous rooftop ducks on their daily parade to the lobby fountain.

Budding equestrians can get hands-on experience …

Thirty years of walking tours could exhaust even the most dedicated guides from telling the same stories over and over again.

But not Nancy Cobb, co-founder of Coronado Walking Tours. She keeps going, leading tours around Coronado and its environs every Thursday and Saturday morning. What keeps her so interested in this small Southern California town of 25,000, on the outskirts of San Diego?

Well, for one thing … ghosts. And architecture. And history. But mostly it’s about telling a good story. “It’s like storytelling,” said Cobb.

But Cobb had yet to learn about all these things. At first she was in search of sunshine, ambiance and the sea.

She brainstormed with her …

Ready to go on that annual camping trip with your family, but can’t get a spot at your favorite site? Well, now, you can make reservations for campsites on the Internet.

Many of the most popular campsites around the country fill up quickly, and some of them within an hour of becoming available—which is five months ahead of time.

In fact, for the most popular weekend days and campsites, most fill within an hour of becoming available at 10 a.m. on the 15th of each month.

To beat the rush, instead of calling in, you can try reserving a campsite online at one of several Web sites.

The main official site is Recreation.gov, where you can search for available campsites by state, …

There is never a dull moment in Spain’s capital city, Madrid. The people are friendly, the buildings are beautiful and the streets are full of history.

Keep yourself busy during the day with museums, shopping and more, but make sure you rest up for the night, because that’s when the true soul of Madrid can be seen.

The guidebooks will take you through a decent visit to the Spanish capital, but if you’re looking for something a little more authentic, here are some tips to help you take in the city in true Madrileño style.

Each week, our intrepid Internet traveler Johnny Jet brings you an interesting new Web site to help you travel better.

Whether it’s tracking airfare prices or finding out what the weather’s like in your destination or even remembering all the flights you’ve taken, these Web sites can really improve your travels.

This week, he’s got a site that helps you to find out how to get great seats when you’re traveling by train.

So take it away, Johnny …

From the rolling hills of Tuscany to the lavender fields of Provence, HomesAway is offering big savings this fall and winter.

Bring nine of your closest friends to a villa in Aire de Beaumes, with savings of up to 40 percent between October 20 and December 31, 2007; in Chianti, an estate that accommodates up to 20 guests has a 15 percent discount between October 27 and November 3, 2007. 800-374-6637, www.HomesAway.com

NFL fans take note! Cheapflights’ pro football page lets you follow your favorite team all season long. Pick your team and get their game schedule, flight and hotel deals, and city information so …