Once upon a long time ago, I developed a fascination with Tahiti and the islands of the South Pacific. Maybe it was seeing "Mutiny on the Bounty" for the first time or perhaps it was something I saw at the New York Worlds Fair back in the 60s. I even remember this toxic waste in a can that was developed to compete with Hawaiian Punch, called Tahitian Treat. I loved that stuff. Doubt I could drink one now though. Later on in life, as I learned to sail, the lyrics from Steve Still's "Southern Cross" would bear to mind. A song, if you don't recall, is about being aboard his schooner "Music" in the Marquesas and the islands of French Polynesia

I knew that somehow, someday, I had to go there. As luck would shine on me I got a chance to do that this past May.

We had heard mostly great things about Tahiti from friends who had visited.

The Big Island on a small budget

Stroll, shop or eat your way through Kailua-Kona, but have a care where you spend the night.

The waterfront Royal Kona Resort (800-222-5642; www.hawaiianhotelsandresorts.com) has remained open during ongoing renovation. If you get one of the north-facing refurbished rooms like I did, Alii Tower room No. 614, you'll have a fill-it-yourself mini-fridge and a balcony that overlooks town, the entire bay, breaking waves and any cruise ships that might be in port. I stayed two nights at $194/night (all prices include tax and—for hotels—parking) and enjoyed the Old Hawaii feel of the place, although I thought it was overpriced. Royal Kona Resort guests who don't get an updated room may not find their stay so pleasant. Either way, don't eat at the in-house Don the Beachcomber restaurant (repulsive breakfast, $16.62) and maybe everything will be OK.

Promgoers and Graduates Seek Limo Rental Alternatives

February 26, 2008 Promgoers and Graduates Seek Limo Rental Alternatives -- DFW Elite Auto Rental.com Delivers Keys To Fun With SUVs, Sports Cars and 'Statement' Cars For Proms and Graduations --/24-7PressRelease/ - DALLAS, TX, February 26, 2008 - Whether they're called Millennials, Generation Z, or by some other name, the current crop of 16 to 22-year-olds are individualistic and fun loving. These attributes show in the cars they choose to rent for proms and high school or college graduations. "More of our younger clients are willing to experiment with a car rental for prom or graduation that makes a unique statement," says Tom Warren, General Manager of DFW Elite Auto Rental.com in Dallas/Fort Worth. "Although luxury sedans such as our 2007 Bentley GTC are the biggest part of our Dallas prom car rentals, a growing number of clients are choosing specialty rentals, exotic cars, or SUV rentals this prom season," insists Warren.

Residents strip down inn's business

OCEANSIDE, Ore. -- One young mother from Tillamook gathers her five children and drives two scenic miles to go beachcombing at a quaint hideaway off U.S. Highway 101.Another Tillamook mother slips into a black gown and drives to the same town to dance at the only exotic club on the northern Oregon coast -- the Anchor Inn and Grill. They, along with strip-club patrons, visiting families, longtime residents and retirees, mix it up in this quiet community. Dependent on vacation rentals and tourists, pint-size Oceanside -- population 326 -- sustains one cafe, one coffee shop, one nude adult entertainment venue and lots of feuding citizens.For the past three years, a dispute over growth and development has divided the community. Angry neighbors boycotted the Anchor because it expanded. Then, nearly broke, another owner of the Anchor brought in strippers in December as a last resort.Now a state land-use board is investigating the matter.

TUNE IN TONIGHT: PBS’ Seeger celebration is one-sided

American Masters" (9 p.m., PBS, check local listings) presents “Pete Seeger: The Power of So ng," a celebration of the sing er/activist who has been collecting, singing and popularizing folk music for most of his nearly 90 years. Fellow musicians Arlo Guth rie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, Natalie Maines and Bonnie Raitt discuss their admiration for Seeger. The number of songs that Seeger introduced is clearly impressive, such as the civil-rights anthem “We Shall Overcome," “Where Have All the Flowers Gone," “If I Had a Hammer" and the African folk song that would become “The Lion Sleeps To night." Seeger's songs even hit the top of the charts, including “Goodnight, Irene" with the Wea vers and the Byrd's version of “Turn, Turn, Turn." This “American Masters" film makes a nice addition to earlier “Masters" profiles of Woody Guthrie and Dylan, but falls far short of those efforts.

Ways to relax and get away from the hustle of Acapulco

With its warm nights and white sand beaches, Acapulco is the heart of the Mexican Riviera. The city, which sits on the Pacific about 300 miles south of Mexico City, dates back to 3000 B.C., and rose to prominence as a trading center in the 1500s. In more recent times (especially since Frank Sinatra crooned about the city in the 1957 song, "Come Fly With Me"), tourism has taken over, with a slew of resorts ringing the city's semi-circular bay. Today, the city is perhaps best known for cliff-diving performances, during which acrobatic adventurers plunge from a rocky promontory into the Pacific. Susanna Palazuelos, an event planner who has thrown parties for Queen Elizabeth II, Henry Kissinger and the last five Mexican presidents, has other favorites. Palazuelos, who also serves as head of the Red Cross for the state of Guerrero, has spent most of her life in Acapulco.

AAA Card Saves Members More Than $1.19 Billion in 2007

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 2007, AAA's 51 million members used their membership cards to rack up over $1.192 billion in savings through the AAA Show Your Card & Save(R) discount program. AAA members saved on everything from hotels and restaurants to toasters and bath towels to installation of home electronics and much more.

AAA members saved $91 million more than last year, when members saved $1.101 billion. When surveyed, AAA members reported saving an average of $98 over the past year, an increase of 13 percent over 2006.

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