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Fact
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Seventeen percent of fliers check in online before arriving at the airport.
SPOLETO 101
Well-Cultured Charleston
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At the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, S.C., culturati can get a year's worth of performing arts compressed into 17 days. During the 29th annual event, the city's population more than doubles as up to 80,000 patrons line up to see opera and theater, listen to classical and chamber music or watch dancers and marionettes. -- Andrea Sachs
The Near Side
Regional events for now or later.
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OH BUOY! Immerse yourself in the Chesapeake's history and nautical trades with local watermen at the M aryland Maritime Heritage Festival in Annapolis (April 30-May 1). Visitors can also board in-water contemporary and historic boats; those without sea legs can bop along to shanties on the Severn River played by the Eastport Oyster Boys Big Band, Calico Jack, Ship's Company and others. New for 2005: Captains go head-to-head in a watery parallel parking contest (i.e., boat docking), and high school sailors try their skills at an interscholastic 420s regatta.
Tele travel
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Comedian Mark DeCarlo (you may remember him as the host of "Studs") hosts Travel Channel's goofy series "Taste of America," in which he travels the country in search of regional specialties. This week, clownish DeCarlo visits Madison, Minn., where he zings the locals about their love of lutefisk, a pungent Norwegian dish. Tuesday at 10 p.m.
Bargain of the Week
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BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Fly for as little as $29 each way, plus taxes, with a sale from Independence Air. The round-trip fare from Washington Dulles to West Palm Beach, Fla., for example, is $77, including taxes. The $29 promotion is also good to Tampa and Fort Myers in Florida; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; and Manchester, N.H. Deal available for Tuesday and Wednesday travel April 25-Aug. 31. Buy by April 28; holiday blackout dates apply. Info: 800-FLY-FLYI, www.flyi.com.
What's the Deal?
The week's best deals around the globe, by land, sea and air.
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LAND
Book a stay at any of 14 Jury's Doyle Hotels in Ireland through Sceptre Tours and receive a free night with the purchase of three or more nights. Book by May 31 and complete travel by Dec. 31; prices start at $99 per night double. Info: 800-221-0924, www.sceptretours.com.
TRAVEL Q& A
Faster Than a Speeding Train
By Andrea Sachs,
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Q I'm going to be in Japan and would like to ride the bullet train. Can you provide any information?
EXHIBIT A
In Houston, a Bounty of African Art
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Need a culture break in Houston? For the next few weeks, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Contemporary Arts Museum are showcasing a brilliant panorama of paintings, sculptures and other pieces by many of Africa's rising stars.
DETAILS Calif. Cheese Country
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GETTING THERE: Many major airlines provide nonstop or direct flights from Dulles, Reagan National or BWI to San Francisco or Oakland, Calif., starting at about $99 each way. JetBlue, for example, flies nonstop from Dulles to Oakland; round-trip fare is currently about $218 with taxes. Connecting service from Reagan to San Francisco is frequently discounted; American, for example, was recently offering a round-trip fare of $194 including taxes.
No Plaza? Don't Panic
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The Plaza isn't the only icon on the block. While the vaunted hotel undergoes a makeover, NYC visitors can still stay at name-dropper properties where luxury drips from the faucets. Here are some of the classics.
MESSAGE CENTER
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New York Dining
I LOVED the guide to dining in New York ["10 From Tom," April 17], but I'd like to see other cities get the same treatment. Specifically, Chicago. I would love some suggestions for a romantic but moderately priced restaurant and a family-friendly (really infant-friendly) place for an early dinner.
