Being a doorman at the Fairmont San Francisco or guiding the Peabody Memphis Hotel’s famous duck residents safely to lobby fountain each day may not sum up your dreams for your child’s future career, but they could be fun (and educational) diversions for a day. Kids can test out both jobs, as well as many more at other participating Historic Hotels of America, this summer at hotels around the country through the HHA’ special summer kids programs. Other jobs travelers can test (yes, they will let big kids play, too) range from chef to resident naturalist or nighttime turtle walk leader.

Kids Turn Work into Play at National Trust Historic Hotels of America®

Here’s a new way to earn United miles - earn up to 10,000 miles (1 mile per $1 spent) for moving. Throw your zip code into the little search box on United Easy Miles and find out whether movers in your area are participating…

Indiana’s once-famous landmark West Baden Springs Hotel has reopened after $90 million in renovations. But unlike many hotels that have closed briefly for upgrades, this revamped 246-room property hasn’t welcomed a guest since 1932. During its first life, the hotel boasted the largest free-span dome in the world and guests like Al Capone. The dome (unlike Capone) is still there, holding court 110 feet above the atrium. Click the link below for more about the hotel and its history.

Guests who visit the reincarnated hotel today will find themselves in the middle of the French Lick Casino Resort. Rates for a double room on a Saturday night in July were $210, but dropped to $180 for Sunday night.

Landmark Domed Hotel Welcomes First Guests Since 1932

As part of its new suite of services for business travelers who book their own travel, Expedia has added an online Mileage Manager feature that allows site visitors to manage multiple frequent flyer reward program accounts in one place.

Expedia Launches New Online Resource for Unmanaged Business Travelers

Ask George: I saw on the news that if you purchase a plane ticket and the price goes down you can get a refund. How does this work?

Answer: Southwest, United, Alaska , JetBlue, and US Air will refund a difference in fare if you buy a non-refundable ticket and it goes down in price before you depart. The refund issued by these airlines is in the form of a voucher good for future travel for up to a year, and they do not deduct an administrative or change fee. You cannot change your flight times or days of travel. Only the fare may have changed. Other airlines also offer refunds, but they deduct between $25 and $100 (on a domestic ticket) from any voucher they issue you. So it’s wise to check your fare even after you purchase, and to fly with airlines that don’t deduct fees. A new site called Yapta promises to alert you if a fare you purchased has gone down in price and you qualify for a refund. Yapta works with most major US-based airlines but not with Macintosh computers or the Firefox browser (only Internet Explorer).

George Hobica is a travel writer living in New York City.

Do you have a question to ask George? Send us your question, and George may feature it in an upcoming column.

Found this Summer in the Catskills package for the River Run Bed & Breakfast on SideStep today. The price tag of $279 covers two guests for two nights in this 1887 Queen Ann Victorian house and includes a 5-course chef’s tasting dinner for two at the Andes Hotel restaurant (about 20 minutes from the hotel) and breakfast for two each morning. Guests can choose accommodations with a shared bath or pay an extra $70 for a private one. You can also pick this package up as a gift for someone…

Discover Boating offers up its picks for the Top 10 Best Places to Watch Fireworks from a Boat, copied directly from the site below:

– Austin, Texas: Marked by beautiful symphony music and a spectacular
fireworks display, Austin’s Town Lake is the place to be for this
annual celebration. Rent a kayak or bring your own boat to find the
best seat in the house on the water. (July 4, 9:30 p.m., Zilker Park)

— Chicago, Ill.: Join family and friends aboard a boat as the skies above
Lake Michigan and Chicago’s famous skyline are illuminated with
accompaniment from the Grant Park Orchestra and U.S. Air Force Singing
Sergeants. (July 4, 9 p.m., Grant Park)

— Los Angeles, Calif.: Enjoy a variety of live music and big booms over
the main channel in Marina Del Rey for free family fun and a patriotic
fireworks display. (July 4, 9 p.m., Marina Del Rey)

— Memphis, Tenn.: The Beale Street Fourth of July celebration is a
festive time with great food, live music that the city is famous for
and, of course, a thunderous grand finale of fireworks. Enjoy the
boisterous display on the mighty Mississippi as the fireworks burst
over Tom Lee Park. (July 4, 9 p.m., Tom Lee Park)

— Milwaukee, Wis.: Named Discover Boating’s “2006 Top City to Watch
Fourth of July Fireworks from a Boat,” Milwaukee’s annual Summerfest
hopes to help this fantastic fireworks display return to defend its
title. On July 3, thousands gather along the Lake Michigan shoreline to
watch the U.S. Bank fireworks show, but being aboard a boat for the
display provides an unmatched panoramic view. (July 3, 9:30 p.m.,
Veterans Park)

— Myrtle Beach, S.C.: With an entertainment megaplex featuring shops,
restaurants, nightclubs, theatres, miniature golf course, Ripley’s
Aquarium and a 23-acre lake, Broadway at the Beach is the place to be
for fireworks on the Fourth of July. (July 4, 10 p.m., Broadway at the
Beach over Lake Broadway)

— New York, N.Y.: With more than 35,000 pyrotechnic shells in a half-hour
display, Macy’s dazzles viewers each year with the nation’s biggest
birthday fireworks display. Fireworks are launched from two East River
locations, anchored in the East River is sure to be the best seat in
the house. (July 4, 9 p.m., East River between 23rd & 42nd Streets)

— Philadelphia, Penn.: In the city of our nation’s birth, July 4 is all
about history, music, fun and fireworks. After visiting the Liberty
Bell and Independence Mall, hop aboard a boat on the Delaware River to
view the flashes and booms of a roaring fireworks display as the City
of Brotherly Love shines in the background. (July 4, 8:30 p.m., along
the Delaware River)

— St. Paul, Minn.: St. Paul’s “Taste of Minnesota” is a six-day food and
music extravaganza at Harriet Island and is the perfect place for
family fun this Fourth of July. As the sun sets, hop aboard a boat to
watch the largest fireworks display in the Midwest over the Mississippi
River. (July 4, 10:20 p.m., Harriet Island)

— Tacoma, Wash.: Freedom Fair events cover two miles of the Ruston Way
waterfront on July 4. After the annual log boom competition, Tacoma
boaters anchor to end the day with the Tacoma Air Show and spectacular
Emerald Queen Grand Finale Fireworks Extravaganza. (July 4, 10 p.m.,
Ruston Way waterfront)

Last week, the 5-star Grand Hotel Amrath Amsterdam (whose exterior is pictured here) opened in the town’s city center. With a location about 1,600 feet from Central Station and a short walk from Dam Square, the 163-room hotel is certainly easy to reach. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. Rooms also come with Nespresso machines and Lanvin bath amenities. In December, a wellness center will open on the property.

To celebrate its opening, the hotel is offering introductory rates. In June, rooms start at 200 euro/night. In July and August, room rates increase to 235 euro/night. In September, the increase yet again to 330 euro/night, but drop back down to 280 euro/night for October and November. Rates are good for bookings made before August 31 for travel through November 2007.

As an added bonus, guests at the hotel automatically receive 500 bonus miles from 18 participating airline partners when they show their frequent flyer cards.

The average U.S. hotel room cost $102.79 during the first four months of 2007, according to new research from Smith Travel Research. That’s up 5.9 percent over last year. Experts expect rates to keep climbing steadily through 2008. Of course, that’s factoring in wide differences in average prices by cities. Whereas the research revealed New York’s average rate to be a hefty $254/night, Detroit came in at just $85/night. So clearly, prices depend on the destination.

That Room Will Set You Back a C Note, on Average

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. When your flight gets canceled, immediately use your cell to call the airline’s 800 reservations number. If you don’t have it, call information. It’s worth the buck. Do it while you’re walking to the service line or rebooking counter. It can make the difference between snagging one of the last available seats on the next flight and spending the night in the airport.

I just did this today after a canceled US Airways flight out of Charlotte. Even though the reservation agent couldn’t give me a seat assignment over the phone, she was able to book me on the next flight. I still had to wait in line with everyone else for an hour and half, but when I got to the desk, all I had to do was grab my new boarding pass and go.