This coming weekend (10/20-10/23) my husband and I will be traveling to either Toronto, ON - Vancouver, BC - Albuquerque, NM - Austin, TX (where Lance Armstrong lives) or Seattle, WA. We have never traveled to any of these places and were wondering if anyone had any information on these destinations (good or bad) that would help us make our decision. Thanks.

You win today's vague award, Maria. You've picked some very disparate places...what info do you want? I've been to all five cities and like all five, yet I'm not sure how to compare them without more info.

OK Scott - The reason this is so vague is because we picked these destinations based on the last minute deals TWA is offering. So really we aren't picky about where we go - these places were the ones that we would like to visit some day and now it's a good idea because TWA is cheap this weekend. I don't know anything about these locations and was looking for some help. Thanks for writing.

Well of course I'm obliged to recommend Seattle, where you might get lucky and attend the World Series. (Written 60 min. before Game 6 of the ALCS - hope springs eternal.) Baseball notwithstanding, the leaves are lovely, the weather might be dry (might not) and the crab at the Pike Market is $4.99 a pound or less.

Vancouver is just up the road, too, you know. Twofer.

Boy, that's a tough one to offer feedback on ... and, only because there's so much to say about all of them. If you're traveling on a whim, how about picking some place completely different than anywhere that you've been before? If you've never been to Austin, it's different than anywhere else in Texas. The food's terrific, great live music, nice people, beautiful lake (if you rent a car). On the other hand, Seattle is scenic, great food, too, etc. Or, if you've never been to Canada, now is as good a time as any, and both Vancouver and Toronto are beautiful (if I had to choose, I'd go with Vancouver ... it's one of the most beautiful cities in North America).

Have you looked at the weather forecasts for all of the cities/regions? That's where I would start. You don't want your whole weekend to be full of rain.

I vote for Sante Fe, NM. It's 40 minutes from Albuquerque and it's a beautiful time of the year to visit. Fabulous restaurants and great shopping and galleries. Hotels are offering great deals at this time--stay near the Plaza. Wonderful hotels include the La Posada, the Eldorado and the Inn of the Annisazi (think I mispelled the last one). You could spend a full day at the flea market (really a big open-air market) and take a day trip to Bandolier or Taos.

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