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This year's Affirmation Conference in Washington, D.C., may be the best bargain you see all year Inexpensive Flights As of February 28, the cost of flying from Los Angeles to Washington for the conference dates is $248 roundtrip, only $30 more than LA to Denver. At $325, Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., and back is only one dollar more than Portland to Los Angeles, and less than $100 more than a ticket from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington. (Lowest priced fares, one stop or less, posted on www.Orbitz.com.) We have three major international airports in Washington, and price competition is strong, both for domestic and international flights. Come fly the friendly skies and discover why the airline industry is in so much financial trouble! So Do I Have to Sleep in the Lincoln Memorial? They say that staying in DC is not cheap—the average hotel room when Congress is in session can run from $300 to $1,200 per night, if you can find a room. The Conference Committee, however, has negotiated a room rate of only $149 per night (plus tax) in a great LGBT-friendly hotel on Capitol Hill, and you can have up to four in a room at that price. Bring three friends with you, and that's less than $38 a night! One word of warning, though: you must reserve by September 5; after that date, rooms are on a space available/prevailing rate basis. Most hotels in the area expect to be near capacity for the second half of this year. Reservation information is available at www.affirmation.org/conference. Amazing Metro System So now we have you in Washington and you have a place to stay. Now you can start saving some real money. Forget about airport shuttles and rental cars. The DC Metro system will whisk you from Reagan-National Airport or Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport to Union Station, just two blocks (that's a five-minute walk or a one-minute taxi ride) from the hotel. Metro trains will also get you to Dupont Circle (the center of gay life on the mid-Atlantic coast), and just about anywhere else that you might want to go that is beyond walking distance. Union Station also features some great architecture, dozens of shops and restaurants, a food court, and Amtrack Accela high-speed train service to New York City. Things to Do in DC Washington is America's hometown and a favorite vacation destination. Watch the conference web pages at affirmation.org/conference this month for a list of fifty free attractions within walking distance of the conference hotel, including museums, monuments, the U.S. Capitol—you can even tour the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and watch money being made! Want something on the cultural side? Some of the greatest talent in the world performs every evening at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—for free. Shopping? We have some of the best. And then don't forget the conference itself. You may have noticed our Friday night opening speaker, Brett Parson, on the pages of the latest issue of The Advocate. We have a number of other prominent speakers lined up—politicians, religious leaders, activists, authors and entertainers—all included in your conference fee. The Early Bird Gets the Discount And speaking of conference fees, there are substantial discounts this year if you send in your conference registration early (before June 1), and special low rates for students and for first-time conference attendees. Come spend some time in Washington. You will have a great vacation, see some amazing sights, meet unforgettable people, attend a dynamic conference, and get a chance to see just what it is that your elected representatives do all year. (You may also hear a bit about how the District of Columbia is the only place in the United States whose citizens have no voting representation in Congress, but we also have the only mayor in the United States who has the power of the death penalty! Life inside the Beltway is unique.) Circle your Calendar for the first weekend in October, then plan a few days extra. Registration forms will be on the website in just a few days; hotel information is there now. See you in DC !
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www.affirmation.org