MAIN EVENTS
Sun., Dec. 24
NFL: CHARGERS AT SEAHAWKS
Qwest Field, Seattle
The AFC West-leading Chargers vs. the NFC West-leading Seahawks. L.T. vs. Shaun Alexander. Philip Rivers vs. Matt Hasselbeck. San Diego LB Donnie Edwards vs. Seattle LB Lofa Tatufu. What a game of matchups. Right now the Chargers look pretty near unstoppable. Head to Qwest Field (800 Occidental Ave. South) to see how Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren tries to handle them.
Web site: http://www.seahawks.com/
Do: Zappa lives! The first and only Zappa tour sanctioned by Frank's family since the legendary, quirky rocker died 13 years ago arrives at Seattle's historic Paramount Theater (911 Pine St., Tickets) Fri., Dec. 22. Son Dweezil leads the band, which includes several who played with Frank. The show features a never-before-seen video from Frank's performances.
Stay: The price sure is right. Stay downtown at the 4-star Hotel Vintage Park (1100 Fifth Ave.), where rooms start at $139, or the 4-star The Edgewater (2411 Alaskan Way), with rooms from $143.
Eat: Dine at Canlis (2576 Aurora Ave. North, Web site), a Seattle institution. Try the wild Pacific king salmon or the Australian lobster tail. Or try the kobe-style Wagyu steak.
Seattle Links:
Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
Sat., Dec. 23
NCAA BASKETBALL: OHIO STATE AT FLORIDA
Stephen C. O'Connell Center, Gainesville, Fla.
This is one of biggest games of the early season -- and perhaps a preview of the 2007 NCAA Final Four: No. 5 Florida, the defending NCAA champs, vs. No. 4 Ohio State, in Gainesville's Stephen C. O'Connell Center (Gale Lemerand Dr.). Two big men who could possibly go 1-2 in the 2007 NBA Draft -- Ohio State's Greg Oden and Florida's Joakim Noah -- will battle inside.
Web site: http://www.gatorzone.com/basketball/men/
Do: Big Daddy Don Garlits -- the king of drag racing -- lives! Head to his twin museums: the Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and his Museum of Classic Cars (13700 SW 16th Ave., Ocala; Web site). The drag racing museum includes the first motorcycle to top 200 mph and Garlits's own Swamp Rat 22 dragster, in which he set a world speed record: 250.69 mph in 5.63 seconds. The classic car museum's $3.5 million collection features a 1926 Model T, a 1932 three window coupe and Big Daddy's 1950 Mercury, painted candy maroon over white pearl, that The Fonz once drove in Happy Days.
Stay: This won't hurt your wallet. Stay near downtown Gainesville at the 3-star Holiday Inn Gainesville-University Cetner (1250 W. University Ave.), where rooms start at $76, or at the 3-star Hilton University of Florida Conference Center Gainesville (1714 SW 34th St.), with rooms from $119.
Eat: Dine at Mark's U.S. Prime, (201 SE 2nd Ave., Web site), home to the city's finest steaks. Try the 12-ounce filet mignon or the 16-ounce Delmonico steak.
Gainesville Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
UNDERCARD
Fri., Dec. 22
NBA: ROCKETS AT SPURS
AT&T Center, San Antonio
San Antonio, behind Tim Duncan and Tony Parker (who is playing inspired ball, perhaps because of the support of his fiancé, Eva Longoria), is off to a hot start. But so is division rival Houston. No big surprise, given their stars -- Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. The teams have played once this year, with the Spurs winning, 92-84 in Houston. This time they meet at San Antonio's AT&T Center (1 AT&T Center Parkway). Payback time, anyone?
Web site: http://www.spurs.com/
Do: First stop: the Alamo (300 Alamo Plaza, Web site), where in 1836 Texans made a heroic (if doomed) stand against Mexican general Santa Anna's army in their battle for independence. Then amble the 2.6-mile River Walk (Web site), a pair of quiet pathways alongside either side of the meandering San Antonio River. You'll pass a cornucopia of downtown galleries, shops, hotels and restaurants.
Stay: The price is right. Stay downtown at the 4-star Sheraton Gunter Hotel San Antonio (205 E. Houston St.), where rooms start at $119, or the 4-star Emily Morgan Hotel (705 E. Houston St.), with rooms from $147.
Eat: Boudro's Texas Bistro on the Riverwalk (421 E. Commerce St., Web site) is where to go for Louisiana/Texas-style seafood and steaks. Order the center-cut strip sirloin or the Gulf yellowfin tuna.
San Antonio Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
Thu., Dec. 21
NHL: SABRES AT PREDATORS
Gaylord Entertainment Center, Nashville
Stipulated: Buffalo is an awesome team. LW Thomas Vanek leads the offense, while G Ryan Miller anchors a strong defense. But don't overlook Nashville, which leads the Western Conference's Central Division. RW Steve Sullivan and LW Paul Kariya are powerful offensive forces. Head to the Gaylord Entertainment Center (501 Broadway) to see the teams meet for the first time this season.
Web site: http://www.nashvillepredators.com
Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com
Do: Make it a country music Christmas. Head to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (222 5th Ave. South, Tickets), to see its wonderful special exhibit, I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles and Country Music. The museum has a collection of more than 200,000 archival recordings, including 98 percent of all pre-World War II recordings ever made. Then see Ricky Skaggs and Patty Loveless perform in the Grand Ole Opry at the historic Ryman Auditorium (116 Fifth Avenue North, Tickets) on Sat., Dec. 23.
Stay: Stay downtown at the 3-star Best Western Music Row (1407 Division St.), where rooms start at $70, or the 3-star Holiday Inn Express Nashville-Downtown (920 Broadway), with rooms from $108.
Eat: Reserve a table at the Stock-Yard Restaurant (901 2nd Ave. North, Web site), for the city's finest steaks. Order the 16-ounce certified Angus beef prime rib steak or the 22-ounce Angus beef porterhouse.
Nashville Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
DEALS
LAS VEGAS
Various airlines are offering vacation package deals to Las Vegas. Tickets are limited, so hurry: Orbitz deals
Not that you need an excuse to head to Vegas, but Thu., Dec. 21, No. 19 Brigham Young (10-2) faces Oregon (7-5) in the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl, at Sam Boyd Stadium (7000 E. Russell Rd.). BYU, the defending Las Vegas Bowl champs, are powered by QB John Beck, who threw for 30 TDs, and RB Curtis Brown, the top rusher in Cougars history. Oregon QB Dennis Dixon threw for more than 2,000 yards. Jaison Williams, his favorite receiver, averaged 14.5 yards per catch.
Before the game, tour the magnificent Wynn Collection art gallery in Wynn Las Vegas (3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Web site). Wynn's private collection includes paintings by van Gogh, Renoir, Gauguin, Mondrian and Monet. Its highlights are Vermeer's A Young Woman Seated at the Virginal, a Rembrandt self-portrait, a serial portrait of Wynn by Warhol and Picasso's Le Reve, which Wynn purchased for $42.4 million.
Las Vegas Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
HONOLULU
Various airlines are also offering package vacation deals to Honolulu. Tickets are limited, so hurry: Orbitz deals
Honolulu for a long weekend? That's a no-brainer. Especially given the added incentive of the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Head to Honolulu's Aloha Stadium (99-500 Salt Lake Blvd., Tickets) Sun., Dec. 24, to see Arizona State (7-5) play hometown favorite Hawaii (10-3). The Sun Devils are led by TB Ryan Torain, who rushed for 1,119 yards, and QB Rudy Carpenter, who threw for 21 TDs and 2,332 yards. Hawaii's remarkable QB Colt Brennan passed for -- are you ready? -- 53 TDs and 4,990 yards.
The day before the game, book a seat on Sail Hawaii's 42-foot sailing catamaran (Tickets), and head out onto the ocean. You have two options: a 4-hour morning cruise, where you'll spot humpback whales, spinner dolphins, sea turtles, albatrosses and manta rays; or a 4-hour sunset/night cruise, where you'll see meteor showers and a sky full to the brim with stars.
Honolulu Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
SCHEDULE WATCH
Thu.-Sat., Dec. 21-23
You won't find a better basketball weekend in the regular season. Visit Oklahoma City's Ford Center (100 W. Reno Ave., Tickets) Thu., Dec. 21, to see No. 2 Pitt, with top big man C Aaron Gray and G/F Mike Cook, play No. 15 Oklahoma State, led by F/C Mario Boggan and G JamesOn Curry, in the All-College Classic.
Or travel to Los Angeles's Pauley Pavilion (555 Westwood Plaza) Sat., Dec. 23, to see No. 1 UCLA, behind G Arron Afflalo and G Darren Collison against Michigan, powered by C Courtney Sims and G Dion Harris.
Or trek to Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena (1 Center Court) for back-to-back games: Thu., Dec. 21, see the Cavs and LeBron James take on Detroit and Richard Hamilton. Sat., Dec. 23, watch the Cavs play Orlando, with Dwight Howard and Grant Hill.
Oklahoma City Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
Los Angeles Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
Cleveland Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
SPORTS PLUS
Thu.-Sun., Dec. 21-24
WASHINGTON, D.C. FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials/Washington Monument
What better time to visit our nation's capital than at holiday season, to give thanks? These three monuments, artful as they are, are moving for what they represent: the liberty and justice for which these presidents fought. Inscribed in the Lincoln Memorial's (National Mall & Memorial Parks, Web site) limestone walls are his Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech beneath it.
The Jefferson Memorial (National Mall & Memorial Parks, Web site) held such meaning for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he ordered all trees between the White House and the Monument cut down so he could gaze upon Jefferson through his window.
Take an elevator to the top of the Washington Monument (National Mall & Memorial Parks, Web site). The panoramic view of the city is spectacular.
For some sports, head to the Verizon Center (601 F St. NW) on Sat., Dec. 23 to see Georgetown, behind F Jeff Green and G Jonathan Wallace, take on Navy and G Greg Sprink.
Washington, D.C. Links:Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
INTERNATIONAL PICK
Sat., Dec. 23
SOCCER: MANCHESTER UNITED AT ASTON VILLA
Villa Park, Birmingham, England
See all-but-unbeatable Manchester United, behind Christiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, take on a solid English Premier League side, Aston Villa, led by Milan Baros, at Birmingham's Villa Park (Trinity Rd., Tickets).
After the game, tour Birmingham. The second-largest city in the U.K. produced Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest. Dine in the Balti Triangle (formed by the Sparkbrook, Balsall Heath and Moseley neighborhoods in South Birmingham). Balti, a type of hot curry prepared in a deep, twin-handled wok, is the signature dish of the district's large Kashmiri population (Web site).
Thu.-Sat., Dec. 21-23, drive 40 miles south to historic Stratford-upon-Avon, and attend a performance of the world's most admired classical theater company at the Royal Shakespeare Theater (Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, Tickets).