BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - More than half of the people who visited campgrounds in North America last year brought children under 18, according to the Montana-based Kampgrounds of America - popularly known as KOA.

KOA offers these suggestions to help make family camping experiences a success:

- Involve children in planning the trip. Let them explore the destination you've chosen in guidebooks and online.

- Ask campground owners for advice on age-appropriate activities, from day trips to hanging out at the campground. Some campgrounds have pools, playgrounds, hiking trails or places to fish on site or nearby; day trips might include visiting a local attraction, biking, trail riding or experimenting with new recipes over the campfire.

- Let kids record the vacation with a camera, journal or scrapbook.

- Without TV or electric lights in the evening, in addition to campfire sing-alongs and S'mores, you'll want to do some stargazing; play board or card games by flashlight; and make shadow puppets out of everyday objects like branches or even cooking utensils.

- Teach children the basics of how to use a map and a compass; how to determine north, south, east and west, using the sunrise, sunset and prominent landmarks as starting points; and how to follow and look for trail markers.

There are 460 KOA campgrounds throughout North America. While some offer just the basics of a campsite, others have organized recreation, including pancake breakfasts, bingo, volleyball games and other activities. For information on KOA or more tips on family camping, visit www.koa.com.

NEW YORK (AP) - Devoted fans of movies and TV shows love to make pilgrimages to the places where their favorite scenes were set. Now the New York City Mayor's Office for Film, Theater and Broadcast is making it easier to track down locations featured in everything from "Sex and the City" and Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" to "Spider-Man 2" and "Kinsey."

Go to the Web site www.nyc.gov/film, click on "On Location" in the left-hand column and scroll down to "Sets in the City." The information will help you find neighborhoods, shops, hotels, restaurants and bars visited by your favorite actors.

"Spider-Man" fans will want to check out the Flatiron Building, where the fictional Daily Bugle offices were located; Aunt May's house, on 69th Road between Metropolitan and Sybilla Street in Forest Hills, Queens; and Joe's Pizza, where Peter Parker worked as a deliveryman, at 233 Bleecker St. near Carmine.

"Apprentice" addicts may want to create a tasting tour of restaurants where the show has been filmed, such as Rafaella Restaurant, 384 Bleecker St.; Bettola Restaurant, 412 Amsterdam Ave. at 79th Street; and Nadine's Restaurant, 99 Bank St.

If you prefer Sarah Jessica Parker to Donald Trump, head for "Sex and the City" venues like Sushi Samba, 245 Park Ave.; Tartine Et Chocolat, 1047 Madison Ave.; Café Edison, 228 W. 47th St.; Gray's Papaya, West Eighth Street and Sixth Avenue, and the Monkey Bar, 60 E. 54th St.

STOWE, Vt. (AP) - Cancer patients and their families are invited to spend April 29 to May 1 in Stowe, Vt., for the annual Stowe Weekend of Hope retreat. Accommodations are free, with rooms donated by local hotel and lodge owners, but guests pay for their own meals.

Oncology specialists from around New England will present free lectures on cancer prevention and treatment. Other activities - all free - include support groups, concerts, events at places of worship, and workshops on subjects like healing, comfort and spiritual enlightenment. Even if you're not using the donated lodging, you're welcome to attend any of the events.

There is a $50 registration fee to hold a room, but you get the money back when you check in, with an option to donate it to a cancer charity. For more information or to register, visit www.stowehope.org or call (800) 467-8693.

CLARKSTON, Mich. (AP) - Do you know of a student who can't afford to participate in a school or group trip?

The School Youth Travel Association Foundation is offering $1,000 "Road" Scholarships for students under age 26 toward the cost of taking part in an educational trip sponsored by a school or other type of youth group. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis, five times a year, and must include a nomination by a teacher or other adult group leader.

The Michigan-based School Youth Travel Association also sponsors an annual "The World is a Classroom" essay contest for high school students. Submissions, due by Aug. 12, must be 500 words or less. The essay should describe what the writer learned on a favorite student trip, whether the destination was a local aquarium, a national monument or another country. The winner receives a $750 scholarship.

To obtain applications and rules, or to make a donation to support the scholarships, visit www.sytayouthfoundation.org or call (248) 693-1872.

NEW YORK (AP) - From Holland's famous tulips to a garden show at Disney World, here are some of the season's flower and garden events and traditions.

The Garden Club of Bermuda selects some of the island's most stately mansions, cottage homes and lush subtropical gardens for an annual tour, held every Wednesday between April 27 and May 18. While you're there, check out Bermuda's Botanical Gardens, in Paget Parish, with its palm garden, fruit garden and a garden for the blind specializing in scented plants. Visit www.bermudatourism.com for details.

In Norfolk, Va., enjoy the azaleas, rhododendrons and other flowers at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, or check out the coronation of the Azalea Festival Queen on April 23. A Birds and Blossoms Festival is scheduled for May 5 to 8; visit www.norfolkcvb.com.

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Fla., hosts its annual Children's Day, with hands-on projects, music and dance performances, on April 17. The gardens also offer classes on bonsai and flower-arranging; details at www.morikami.org.

At Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., the annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival takes place April 15 to June 5.

In eastern Quebec, the Reford Gardens in Grand-Metis, at the confluence of the Metis and St. Lawrence rivers, are a Canadian national historic site, preserving the private gardens of Elsie Reford and the 3,000 varieties of plants she collected in three decades of gardening. The gardens host an annual garden festival, featuring garden design, scheduled for June 24 to Oct. 2; visit www.jardinsmetis.com.

The Chelsea Garden Show in England, considered one of the best garden shows in the world, takes place May 24 to 28. It is sponsored by the Royal Horticultural Society and held on the grounds of the Royal Hospital. The show includes a series of gardens created by some of the world's leading designers, a pavilion filled with thousands of flowers, including new varieties, and educational exhibits. Visit www.rhs.org.uk/chelsea/2005/index.asp for details.

Flower parades are held throughout Holland from April through September. The first of the season and the biggest is scheduled for April 23 in the Bollenstreek, the country's bulb-growing area, from Noordwijk to Haarlem. The parades include breathtaking floats made from thousands of flowers - some all hyacinths, some all daffodils, some all dahlias. You can also visit floating flower markets on barges in Amsterdam's Single Canal at Koningsplein. Visit www.holland.com for more information on enjoying a Dutch spring.

You can create your own itinerary for a flower-lover's trip, or check out offerings from various tour companies. Among them: Grand European Tours, (888) 522-3950, geared to older travelers, has an 11-day trip to see Alpine wildflowers in Switzerland, Austria, France and Germany, as well as other trips to England, France and Holland. Expo Garden Tours, at (860) 567-0322, has garden-themed tours to London and Italy. Horticulture Magazine, at (877) 436-7764 offers a July trip to London to see private gardens.

CORNING, N.Y. (AP) - Plenty of Americans grew up in families where standard kitchen supplies included a Corningware teapot or casserole dish, each piece bearing a distinctive small blue flower emblazoned on white ceramic.

Today's families can explore the history of these products - along with the art of glassmaking - at the Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New York. The museum has a family exploration series one Sunday each month focusing on a different culture.

On April 24, you'll learn about glassmaking in ancient Rome and you can even try to repair a broken reproduction of an ancient gladiator cup, or make your own Roman coins to take home. On May 22, American glassware is the theme, with gallery hunts, food and music, and a craft-making session. On June 26, explore Czech culture by visiting the museum's major summer show, "Czech Glass," and learning about the Czech designers and artists who created new sculptural forms in glass in the post-World War II and Communist eras.

Other family-oriented shows at the Corning Museum include "Do It!" stations, with hands-on exhibits about the science of glassmaking; a "Hot Glass Show," where glassmakers shape colorful objects out of molten glass; walk-in workshops where you can frost a drinking glass or blow a holiday ornament; and "You Design It: We Make It!," where glassmakers create an object using a child's drawing for the design.

For more information about visiting the Corning Museum, go to www.cmog.org or call (607) 937-5371.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A new high-speed passenger ferry connects Puerto Rico's capital with the outlying islands of Vieques and Culebra.

The new service, operated by Island Hi-Speed Ferry, leaves from Pier 2 in historic Old San Juan, said Robert Leith Sr., a spokesman for the Narragansett, R.I.-based company.

The catamaran Athena leaves San Juan once daily on weekdays and twice daily on weekends, Leith said. It can reach Culebra in approximately one hour, 45 minutes, continuing on to Vieques in another half hour, he said.

The 98-foot Athena has 250 seats and can reach speeds of 40 mph.

Roundtrip fares to Culebra range from $63 for residents to $68 for nonresidents while children's prices range from $48 to $53. Vieques fares range from $73 to $78 for adults and $58 to $63 for children.

Passengers can buy roundtrip tickets between Culebra and Vieques for $33, and $23 for children.

Currently, travelers headed to the islands must drive more than an hour from San Juan to the northeast-coast town of Fajardo to take a state-run ferry to Culebra and Vieques. The ferry takes about an hour and a half, but it only costs about $3.

There are also small planes that fly between San Juan and the two outlying islands.

Culebra and Vieques, east of Puerto Rico's mainland, are dotted with unspoiled beaches and their turquoise waters are known for snorkeling. Both islands were used in the past for U.S. military exercises.

For details, visit www.islandhighspeedferry.com.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Sweden is known for a tradition of excellence in marrying form and function, from its fine glassworks to designs from popular Swedish-based retailers like H&M clothing and IKEA home and housewares.

Now Sweden is celebrating its design masters by designating 2005 as a "Year of Design," with exhibits throughout the country.

The Lindshammar Glassworks, known for brilliantly colored painted glass, is observing its 100th anniversary, and visitors are invited to drop by its museum, showroom and shop. Go to www.lindshammarglasbruk.se for details.

Svenskt Tenn, a furniture and textile store, has a special design display through April 23, while Stockholm's National Museum hosts an exhibit from April 28 to Oct. 2 called "Konceptdesign: The Shape of Thought." The exhibit explores questions like what makes a design beautiful, and who decides what's beautiful.

The island of Oland and the Smaland-Blekinge region of southeastern Sweden are known for their glass artistry. Works by their finest artisans will be on display June 18 to Sept. 4; go to www.globalartglass.se for details.

Swedish plastic designs from 1950 to 1975 will be showcased later this year, Oct. 2 to Nov. 13, at the Smalands Museum in Vaxjo; details at www.smalandsmuseum.se.

For more information on Sweden's Year of Design, visit www.visit-sweden.com or call (212) 885-9700.

NEW YORK (AP) - Don't let the weak dollar take all the fun out of a trip to Europe. Look for freebies, discounts and other ways to enjoy yourself on a budget; consider including destinations in eastern Europe and other parts of the continent that are less expensive than places like Paris or London.

Here are a few other ideas from Europe Unlimited Travel, an organization that promotes tourism to 33 European countries:

- In Croatia, Zagreb Old Town hosts free open-air theatrical performances and concerts during the Summer Festival in June.

- Istanbul's Grand Bazaar is the world's oldest and biggest covered bazaar, crammed with 4,000 shops and teahouses. Admission is free; purchases are negotiable.

- Many cities have discount cards, such as the 24-hour Copenhagen City Card ($30) and the 72-hour Copenhagen Card Plus ($60), which offer free or reduced admission to museums, attractions and public transportation. The 72-hour Tallinn (Estonia) card, about $30, offers free admission to museums, attractions, public transport and sightseeing tours, plus discounts on restaurants, shopping and entertainment. The $19 72-hour Warsaw Tourist Card allows free or reduced admission to museums, free public transportation, discounted accommodations and other amenities. The $17 72-hour Ljubljana (Slovenia) Privilege Card allows free or discounted tickets to museums and galleries, free city buses, reduced guided tours and other offers.

- Enter Monaco's glamorous casino - the opulently decorated playground of kings and jet-setters - for $10. Gambling, of course, will cost you more.

- In Finland, if you're helpless in Helsinki, look for a Helsinki Helper - young adults, fluent in English and other languages, stationed in tourist areas to provide directions and assistance. One visitor from Connecticut became separated from his wife, who had all their itinerary information; Helsinki Helpers called around until they found his hotel and escorted him there.

For more information, including package deals and links to European tourism offices, go to www.visiteurope.com