If you haven't decided where to take the family on vacation this summer, fear not the World Wide Web can help.

No destination can compete for tourism traffic without a presence on the Internet today, and attractions and entire regions vie for the attention of Web surfers with informative and sometimes spectacular sites.

If you know where you're going, you can search for information about the area you're planning to visit. Go to your favorite search engine and enter the name of the town, region or attraction that you plan to visit. Odds are you'll find up-to-date information to help you make informed decisions about what you want to do once you arrive.

But first you have to find just the right place for the family to go. And if you need help deciding, the Internet can help with that, as well.

The Family Travel Network (FTN) at http://www.familytravelnetwork.com has received much publicity recently and for good reason. This site is one of the best if not the best sites for finding family vacation sites. A recent edition features beach escapes, summer camps for kids, super family resorts and even farm vacations. If it's family vacation ideas that you're looking for, this site may be just what you need. The site also features tips about family traveling and a message board where parents and kids of all ages can share their ideas about family travel with others.

The Family Travel Files at http://www.thefamilytravelfiles.com is yet another place to start looking when you don't have a clue where you want to go. The site offers family travel news, lots of family vacation ideas, vacation reviews, travelogues and the latest vacation deals.

There's an online vacation-planning directory that contains lists of family vacation possibilities searchable by location. You can find vacation opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Mexico, South America and even Australia and New Zealand.

Disney has become the name in family matters on the Internet and family travel is no exception. For a look at Disney's travel pages, check out http://family.go.com/travel. This site is not simply for those traveling to a Disney destination; you'll find a page where you can plan a family trip by region or specific location or by type of vacation. There's even a special area where you can plan day trips.

The Disney See America Travel Series on the Disney Family Travel site offers a list of family-friendly vacation sites by American region. Just click on one of the travel sites on the map of the U.S. to see an overview of the attraction.

And since it is a Disney-sponsored site, you'll find lots of information about the company's theme parks, just in case your summer vacation plans lead to Florida or California. You'll find hints on the best way to take the family to one or more of Disney's spectacular parks.

Employment opportunities

Blue Collar Jobs at http://www.bluecollarjobs.com is an online employment marketplace for the industrial trades. For job seekers, there's a place to submit resumes. If you're unsure how to write a resume, the site provides a wizard. For employers in search of employees, there's unrestricted access to the database and a way to search it by skill-set or keyword.

Puzzling crosswords

Need help with crossword puzzles? There's help on the World Wide Web at One Across at http://www.oneacross.com. You enter part or all of the clue as well as the word's pattern and the site's software goes to work to help you get the word you're looking for. You'll also find crosswords, cryptograms and anagrams.

Bigfoot sightings

If you're camping this summer and happen to run into Bigfoot, the folks at the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization want to know. They've established a Web site at http://www.bfro.net, where you can fill out a Bigfoot Report Sighting Form. But the Web site has more. There's a rundown on just what a bigfoot or sasquatch really is, and read a brief but intense history of the beast that many believe exists in many parts of the world.

Find something online you think others should know about? Or do you have a question? Let Dave Peyton know. His e-mail address is davepeyton@davepeyton.com.