Thanks Queenie. I look forward to seeing you there too.

For those planning to attend, I have two suggestions to offer for those who don't have the benefit of a travel budget or a large amount of income to otherwise devote to the trip.

For those within 500 miles or so, it may be worthwhile to consider renting a car and driving, putting the miles, depreciation, and cost of an oil change on someone else's car. I recommend using Hotwire and comparing it to either Expedia or Orbitz to determine a base rate. (Hotwire offers unlimited miles on its rentals, which is a key here). It is then possible to use Priceline to bid for an even lower price, using the Hotwire price as a maximum amount to pay.

I also highly recommend using Priceline for hotels, as they can offer amazing rates on very nice accommodations. I often travel to the west coast, where I reguarly stay at two Hyatt Regency hotels whose lowest discounted rates are at least $120, yet I rarely pay more than $30 per night. You can choose an area that is close to the event and save a bundle. Also, all rooms are for 2 occupants for those who want to further economize. The web site www.biddingfortravel.com is a wonderful resource and lists the hotels priceline uses in each areas plus recent successful bids to serve as a guideline for determining the best bid amount.

I've never favored Priceline or Hotwire for air travel, as it leaves too many variables up to the God's while not always offering a substantial enough discount to make it worth foregoing being able to choose a specific flight time, airline, or frequent-flier miles. Nevertheless, it is a way of saving a few dollars, especially for those who cannot meet a Saturday stay requirement. For those flying in, Reagan National Airport (DCA) is going to be the most convenient option by far, as both BWI (Baltimore) and Dulles (IAD) are at least a half-hour away and fairly expensive to reach from D.C. proper.

I hope this helps!