GUIDES
'Encounter' the world
Lonely Planet has introduced a new series of pocket guidebooks, called Encounter, designed for short visits to cities around the world. The series just launched books on Barcelona, Spain; Hong Kong; Istanbul, Turkey; Las Vegas; London; New York; Paris and San Francisco. Each book features a full-color pull-out map, plus neighborhood maps, with a list of not-to-be-missed highlights in each destination and sample itineraries, plus attractions, restaurants and shops listed by neighborhood. For accommodations, each book offers only a two-page snapshot with names and Web sites for two dozen or so places to stay, so you'll want to complete that research before you leave home.
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[ASSOCIATED PRESS]
TENNESSEE
The King of all vacations
August will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, an event that will be anything but ignored by the King's fans. Elvis Week, an annual August event in Memphis, Tenn., organized by Elvis Presley Enterprises, will include an Elvis tribute artist contest for the first time. Winners will be chosen during the eight-day festival (Aug. 11-19), which will also include an "Elvis: Midnight in Vegas" concert, a Graceland Scavenger Hunt and an Elvis Presley International Art Show. Other highlights will include the Elvis Expo -- 35,000 square feet of convention space in Memphis devoted to Elvis memorabilia -- and the yearly Candlelight Vigil, which always begins the night before the anniversary of Elvis' death, Aug. 16. Information at elvis.com.
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[NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE]
10 FOR THE ROAD
Value vacations
The top U.S. cities for inexpensive vacations from hotwire.com:
Atlanta
Dallas-Fort Worth
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Orlando-Daytona Beach, Fla.
Kansas City, Mo.
Denver
Los Angeles
Chicago
Cleveland
Washington