Sunday, January 18, 2009

INAUGURAPALOOZA: LAST EDITION
You Can't Go Home Again

The following is a special message for all you clever types who, for whatever reason, got out of Dodge and are planning to enjoy the inaugural festivities in some exotic, stress-free locale, fruity drink in hand.

Don't come back.

Not yet, that is. Not for at least a few days. This proclamation comes not from us but from John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic, who informed CoGo that "the region will become a collectivity of roads to nowhere." (Ever the phrasemaker, that Townsend.)

Although we are technically still in the pre-inaugural period, CoGo won't spend much time giving you advice on when to leave the city, other than to say you should DROP THE PAPER AND RUN TO THE CAR.

Well, actually, you have a little time. A little.

"We know that the Potomac River bridge restrictions are in effect from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Inauguration Day," Townsend said. "That means, if you are leaving town, you should do it by noon Monday. Although it is a federal holiday, many of the non-government offices in the vehicle-restricted area -- a huge swath -- will probably start closing around noon until about 3. That's when you will have the first major exodus."

Okay, John, but lots of people are already gone, and the wall-to-wall news coverage is bound to make them desperately homesick, so . . . ?

"Best advice: . . . Don't come back until around noon on Wednesday at the earliest," he stressed. The thinking, as of now, is that Washington will return to some semblance of normality by then. (And if it hasn't, the rest of us will likely begin planning our own exoduses.)

And Townsend had one more piece of driving havoc to remind us about: "Keep in mind that the plurality of people coming to the inauguration are like your relatives from Oregon and my relatives driving up from the deep South." (CoGo and Townsend had traded stories about frantically sprucing up their digs for visitors.)

"They won't know how to navigate this mess."

Last week, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released its 2009 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations, a tradition that harks back to, oh, 2000. To receive this nod, the vacation locales must have "dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation and revitalization." Isn't that like asking for the perfect man?

The D.C.-based nonprofit, however, had no trouble finding its honorees, an interesting mix of givens and sleeper hits. "What we prize is a community that keeps its authenticity and maintains its character and heritage," said Richard Moe, the trust's president. "The traveling public wants to see something genuine and authentic, not faux history."

And the winners are:

• Athens, Ga.
• Bristol, R.I.
• Buffalo
• Fort Worth
• Franklin, Tenn.
• Hot Springs, S.D.
• Lake Geneva, Wisc.
• Lititz, Pa.
• Santa Barbara, Calif.
• Santa Fe, N.M.
• Saugatuck-Douglas, Mich.
• Virginia City, Nev.

With these dozen, the Distinctive Destinations tally jumps to 120 in 43 states (technically, 42 and one territory, Puerto Rico). Of course, CoGo, ever the champion of the underdog, wondered which states needed to bring their towns into the beautification salon. Alabama, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming: maybe 2010 will be your year.

For a complete list, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/ddd.

Visitors to Orlando's pricey theme parks, take note: Discounts of an unprecedented sort are becoming available. For just $94.99, you can get seven days of unlimited admission to Universal's two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. (Just one day in both parks is $83.99.) Tickets must be purchased online (and at least two days in advance) at http://www.universalorlando.com. . . . Through March 31, find Mass savings with a new pass created by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, the Massachusetts Lodging Association and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. The free Mass Value Pass offers at least 25 percent off 300 hotels, dining spots and attractions, such as 40 percent off the production "Bad Date" at the Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, up to 40 percent off Boston's Beantown Trolley and 60 percent off winter rates at the Martin House Inn on Nantucket. For savings, present the card at time of purchase and mention the pass when booking hotel reservations. For information and a printable pass, visit http://www.massvacation.com.

Reporting: Scott Vogel, Andrea Sachs

Help feed CoGo. Send travel news, road reports and juicy tattles to: cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.