Hawaii state agency to aid Beijing Olympics

Hawaii state agencyto aid Beijing Olympics
HONOLULU (AP) -- Hawaii businesses are going to China to teach the hosts of the 2008 Beijing Olympics the business that this state knows best -- tourism. Hawaii's state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism was one of seven organizations to receive a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Market Development Cooperator Program. The grant means that the state will partner with the federal government to help China develop tourism-related services in time for the 2008 Summer Games.
A guide to jazz sitesin New York City
NEW YORK (AP) -- If you love jazz and you're visiting the Big Apple, pick up a copy of "Jazz Guide to New York City." The book is a guide to more than 60 musical sites from Harlem to Brooklyn. Listings include well-known clubs such as the Village Vanguard and Woody Allen's regular gig at the Cafe Carlyle as well as more obscure settings like "Das Neues Kabarett," live music nights held on the 10th floor of an anonymous building in Chelsea. The pocket-size paperback by Steve Dollar (Little Bookroom, $15.95) also features black-and-white photos and anecdotes about local jazz history.
Crowds are expectedat impressionism show
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -- Two collections of French masterpieces are expected to draw thousands of visitors to the Birmingham Museum of Art next spring for a blockbuster exhibition. "Toward the Light of Impressionism" will showcase 17th-century artists such as Georges de La Tour and Nicolas Poussin alongside 19th- and 20th-century impressionists Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir and Camille Pissarro. About 70 works will be displayed in three galleries from Feb. 1 through April 11. The $12 admission charge includes an audio tour.
Star Clippers offersflights to cruise sites
NEW YORK (AP) -- Passengers flying out of Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Washington or Miami will get free flights to the Caribbean when they book either the Royal Clipper out of Barbados or the Star Clipper from St. Maarten in November or December. The Star Clippers cruise line is also offering round-trip flights from Chicago, Dallas and Houston booked through their offices at $145 per person. The offers are valid for select cruises, and some restrictions apply. Call the cruise line at (800) 442-0551 or visit www.starclippers.com for more information.
Canine collar coutureover the centuries
KENT, England (AP) -- If you're visiting England and you love dogs, don't miss the Dog Collar Museum in Leeds Castle. The museum, located in Kent, has an unusual collection of more than 100 dog collars dating back to the 15th century, according to the fall issue of Bark magazine. The exhibit includes German iron collars, composed of linking spiked rings; a late 20th-century American punk dog collar made of recycled bicycle tires, and an Italian brass collar with family shield and embossed trellis work in blue and gold, nearly 400 years old. For more information about the museum, visit www.leeds-castle.com on the Web.
World War II site tours
NEW YORK (AP) -- 2004 is a big year for World War II buffs, with 60th anniversaries of all the major battles fought by the Allies in Western Europe, from D-Day in Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium. A variety of tours of the battle sites are being organized, including one offered by the History Channel. Prices start at $1,799 per person, and six tours are scheduled for next year. For details, visit www.historytravel.com or call (877) AETOURS.