59 Jaw-Dropping Roadside Attractions: Eastern U.S.

I've visited Washington, D.C. many times in my life - for work, to visit friends, to march in protest - but until recently couldn't recall a single meal that I had on any of those occasions. I must have eaten! I do so every day without fail. Yet the food there was never as memorable as equivalent dining in my hometown of New York or in Rome, New Orleans, San Francisco, Paris...virtually any city of note served better budget-priced meals. Not anymore. After spending serious recent time "eating D.C.," I'm delighted to report that the capital currently ranks with the best of them, especially for frugal fare. It abounds with budget restaurants distinctive for their decor and the high quality of their chow, where you can easily get tasty, filling dinners (appetizer and entree or entree and dessert) for $12 or less, and tasty two-course lunches for under $10. Most of these places are international in flavor, as D.C. has a large immigrant population. One of them reflects the city's proud southern roots. All are great values and a real improvement over what the capital used to offer. Here are eight different picks, each with their higher dinner prices listed (to calculate the cost of lunches, subtract $1 to $3). I've also listed Metro stops where available: Caribbean Dreams 1836 18th Street NW, Metro: Dupont Circle Sunny decor, a charming staff, and interesting food of the Tropics make this a top choice, especially since dinners start at a mere $10.95 for appetizer and entree. My first pick is, quite simply, one of the happiest restaurants in town. Canary-yellow walls, an infectious reggae soundtrack, and a tremendously amiable, helpful staff set the scene. Then comes the parade of tropical food, a dazzling show of virtuosity, with the cuisines of Trinidad, Jamaica, and Barbados all represented. For appetizers or "likkle tings" (as the menu puts it), there are sweetly addictive fried plantains ($2.95), a searingly spicy corn soup ($3), or crunchy "love patties" ($2), which come in beef, chicken, or vegetable. Jerk chicken ($9.95) is an obvious highlight of the menu, but you can't overlook the tangy Bajan BBQ chicken ($8.95) or curried goat ($9.95), especially the latter - no, I mean it, it's tender and tasty. Finish off, if you still have room, with a slice of the not-quite-Caribbean, but still ethereal key lime cheesecake ($3.50). Closed Mondays. AV Ristorante Italiano 607 New York Avenue NW, Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown A Washington landmark serving old-style Italian meals from just $8.50 for soup or salad and pasta or pizza. Stepping into AV Ristorante is like stepping into a scene from The Godfather: the lighting is dim, the walls a marinara red, the waiters craggy and Italian. You pass scores of autographed celebrity headshots (everyone from Cary Grant to Janet Reno to the previous Pope - he didn't sign his picture), and make your way to one of the tables, which is covered in - what else - a checkered red-and-white oilcloth. Then the food arrives, and it's simple and robust and by and large unchanged from what was served here a good 52 years ago when AV made its debut. Even the prices are old-fashioned, with soup costing $3.50, a massive salad just $2.95, single-person white pizzas from $5, and pastas starting at $6. You finish your meal, kiss the ring of the fat man in the back (just kidding), and are on your way, having emerged from this time warp a little fatter, a little happier, and a bit nostalgic for the days when an Italian meal meant spaghetti and meatballs, not tuna carpaccio over arugula puree. Closed Sundays. Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant 2434 18th Street NW The best in Ethiopian and the one place in Washington never to skip. Tasting menu $11.95 with meat, $11 vegetarian. Sure you can visit the White House and the Smithsonian, but you can't say you've really done Washington until you've tried Ethiopian food. It's the city's most popular cuisine - in fact, there are more Ethiopian restaurants here than in any other city in the United States. Most are scattered about the ethnic enclave of Adams Morgan, and the best of them is bustling Meskerem, three stories filled with African art and artifacts. Request a table on the top floor and ease yourself down onto one of the low-to-the-ground chairs or cushioned poufs that make up the seating (if you have a bad back, choose one of the more upright chairs on the ground level). Then order a messob, basically a tasting menu delivered to your table on a platter the size of a medium pizza. At the bottom and to the sides of the platter will be injera, bread with the texture of a damp sponge and a taste akin to sourdough, that you will use as your utensil to scoop up the stews piled on the plate. They (either lamb, beef, chicken, seafood or vegetarian stews) are remarkably varied in flavor, from the extra-spicy wat dishes to the mustard-intensive misir azifa to more gentle altichas. A truly unique dining experience. Talay Thai 406 First Street SE, Metro: Capitol South Consistently good eats in an exceedingly pleasant setting, from $11 for soup or salad and entree. I'll call it "the lemon test." At your run-of-the-mill Thai restaurant, you order that prototypical Thai dish, Pad Thai (it's noodles, peanuts, shrimp or chicken, egg, bean sprouts, and scallions), and then take a first bite - but only after squeezing the slice of lemon or lime perched on the rim of the dish. If the cook is good, you'll need a very small squeeze. Not-so-good, you order extra lemon to make the dish palatable. At Talay Thai, they don't give you a lemon slice at all. They don't have to - the Pad Thai ($7.95) here is that perfect. The same can be said for the majority of the menu from the generously portioned tom kha gai soup ($2.95) to a dizzyingly fiery green curry platter ($8.95). Add service that is beamingly friendly, a setting downright chic with bright orange tabletops, fine wood paneling, and orchids on each table, and you have a budget beauty, definitely worth a visit by any aficionado of Thai cuisine. Closed Sundays. Oodles Noodles 1120 19th Street, Metro: Farragut North A line-out-the-door neighborhood favorite offering Asian pasta and other assorted specialties of the Far East, from just $9.90 for a starter and main dish. This Pan-Asian paragon attracts swarms of suit-clad admirers by day, couples on dates, and families at night and on the weekends. It's partly the prices, which easily undercut the other nearby eateries; partly the polished decor; and mostly the food, which spans a numbing number of nationalities (Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Indonesian) with remarkable ease. For starters, try the spring onion cake ($2.95), a fluffy pancake crisp on the edges, with a gingery sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. For an entree, choose the lemon chicken ($7.95), a plump well-seasoned breast with just the right dash of tartness. Try the peanutty dan dan noodles ($6.95) and a meal-size soup called curry Laksa ($7.95), a fiery bowl of chicken, noodles, and still-crunchy green beans. As a nice added touch, each dish comes in a platter reminiscent of its heritage, so expect to fork your grub from lacquered red-and-black bento boxes, mini-woks, Vietnamese clay pots, or mint-green Japanese bowls. The setting? Like the food, it's a mish-mash of all things Oriental, with Balinese masks, Chinese calligraphy scrolls, ceiling light-covers made to look like Japanese screens, and bamboo, bamboo everywhere. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the space itself is so light and airy that you forgive the designer for occasional slips. Luna Grill and Diner 1301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Metro: Dupont Circle An eclectically decorated hangout for Dupont Circle's party crowd. Early bird special before 6 p.m.: salad, entree, and dessert for $10.95. Other times: soup or salad and entree from $9.90. Our waitress shifted her weight and stared at the decorated walls. "What does the mural mean?" she responded to our query. "It's modern society being blown up, I guess," she went on, quickly adding, "but we want you to be comfortable." That just about sums up Luna Grill for me, a quirky, fun little joint that is warmly cozy despite its colorful, lightly menacing wall and ceiling mural. The fare is greaseless, classically American comfort food, from a firm, slightly peppery meat loaf ($8.95) to Friday's blue plate special, southern fried catfish ($8.95), sided by delectable slabs of fried sweet potato and sour cream. Other menu highlights: a tangy cream of tomato soup ($3.95) in its own bowl of bread, any of the mix-and-match pastas and sauces ($5.95 and up; the marinara sauce tastes remarkably like the tomato soup, so don't pair them for a meal), and the freshly baked pies ($4.95 a slice). One last note: this is a very popular restaurant, jammed at both lunch and dinner by a young, hip crowd, so be sure to come early if you don't want to wait (you can get the early bird special that way). Taverna 305 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Metro: Capitol South Escape to the Greek Isles for just $10.50, covering soup and entree or entree and dessert. Thirty-five years ago, two brothers from the island of Cephalonia opened a lunch counter on Pennsylvania Avenue. It was an instant success, and by the mid-'70s the pair was able to expand, buying the building, adding a bar, and turning the restaurant into a simulation of a typical Greek island taverna, the kind with stuccoed white walls, curved doorways, and lush hanging plants everywhere. The illusion they created is so nifty that if you sit with your back to the street you'd swear you'd crossed the pond. The same will happen when you taste the food, even though the brothers are no longer overseeing it (Taverna has been passed down to two nephews). You'll be pleased with any of the Greek specialties: the flaky fresh spanakopita (spinach pie for $8.95), the slivered lamb and beef gyro platter ($8.95), the lemon-dill chicken soup called agnolika ($3.50), or any of the delicious appetizer spreads (most are $3.75). Taverna also turns out a mean rizogalo (rice pudding for $3.25). Caravan Grill 1825 18th Street NW, Metro: Dupont Circle Kebab house that delivers much more than the same old Middle Eastern fare. $7.95 buffet lunch, $10.95 buffet dinner, children 50 percent off. You can order all sorts of kebabs, hummus, and other typical Middle Eastern dishes at Caravan Grill. Don't. Put down your menu and head straight for the buffet table for a selection of authentic, unusual selections not often seen outside Iran. These include subtly spiced yogurt soup laced with spinach; dazzling pomegranate, almond, and chicken stew; and massive lamb shanks so tender that it's difficult to tong them onto your plate without the meat falling off the bone. Of course, the buffet changes daily, so these delights may not be on hand when you visit, but then you may get a chance to taste the smoked eggplant mirza or vegetables lightly dusted with salt, pepper, and oregano and roasted until tender. Staples of the buffet: homemade yogurt mixed with cucumber and spices, torshi (diced cucumber, tomato, and green pepper marinated in vinegar), and a number of hot relishes and pickles for an added touch of spice and vinegar. If the weather is warm enough, make your way to the restaurant's garden out back, with its twinkling white Christmas lights and hanging lanterns. Cafeterias of power For an inexpensive lunch on your visit to the capital city, eat where the politicos do: at one of a myriad of cafeterias, buffets, and restaurants in Washington's buildings of State. Although sometimes hard to find (purposefully so?), they provide tourists with a fascinating glimpse into everyday life on the Hill - you never know what sort of governmental gossip you'll overhear at the frozen yogurt machine! For some general indication of price level, see our Burger Meter at the end of each write-up. House of Representatives Restaurant Room H118, The Capitol Tops on the list isn't a cafeteria at all, but a full-scale sit-down-and-be-served establishment offering breakfasts and lunches in one of the most magnificent settings in town. In two deeply impressive rooms, with sparkling Georgian chandeliers, carved mahogany chairs, and historic paintings and prints on midnight blue walls, this is where your congressperson refuels between sessions. A cup of the creamy bean soup (a tradition since 1904) will set you back just $1.50; the "small" Caesar salad - actually big enough for a meal - is a mere $3.25; and deli sandwiches run $4.75 to $5.50. If you feel like something more substantial, the shrimp saute or grilled chicken platters are a steal at $9.95. The only downside to dining here is the hours, which can change depending on Congress' schedule. Call 202/225-6300 on the day of your visit to check times. Cost of a burger: $5.50 Dining at the Supreme Court You have two eating options here, just across the hall from each other: a pleasant well-priced cafeteria and a somewhat cramped, harshly lit snack bar. Like the House of Representatives Restaurant, their first function is to serve the folks who work in the building, so each eatery is closed to the public for key 15-minute periods during the lunchtime rush. As for the fare, it's fresh and cheap with make-your-own sandwiches (on the cafeteria side) at just 52:/ounce, daily-changing specials such as Salisbury steak or linguini with clam sauce at around $4.95 a plate, or a cheese steak for $4.25. Cost of a burger: $2.95. Lunch in the Library of Congress' James Madison Building 101 Independence Avenue For a meal with a view, visit either the cafeteria or the Montpelier Room on the sixth floor. Both feature floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding these modern watering holes with an abundance of sunlight. The cafeteria, open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., has a wide variety of choices from an "international" wings bar (35: per ounce) to a number of pasta selections ($3.65 to $4.95) to all the usual pizzas, grilled selections, sandwiches, and salad bar. The Montpelier Room is a daily-changing buffet in a refined setting of white linen tablecloths and fresh flowers. For $10.75 per person, you get a gourmet salad bar, a pasta selection, and such dishes as chicken curry, stuffed tomatoes, corned beef brisket, or vegetarian pilaf. Cost of a burger at the cafeteria: $3.13 Dirksen Senate Office Building At First and C Street Cheapest on the Hill is the cafeteria here, where you can get a grilled cheese sandwich for only $1.75, a substantial fresh fruit platter for $2.50, and a good-size rotisserie chicken entree with your choice of two side dishes for $5.50. Of course, this basement dining room has all the ambiance of your middle-school cafeteria, but if you're out to save money, you can't do better. For a slightly more upscale experience, walk down the hall to the South Buffet Room, where an all-you-can-eat meal is had for $10.85/adults, $6.85 children. Cost of a burger at the cafeteria: $2.25

"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less." Those were the sentiments of Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll'sThrough the Looking Glass. They could have applied to the antics of travel brochure writers in describing the activity of cooperative camping. By refusing to use the term--substituting instead a dozen or so contrived titles that only they understand--the pamphlet authors have so confused matters as to conceal this marvelous travel mode from 80 percent of the people who could have benefited from it. Cooperative camping (the name they won't use) is a cheap and sensible travel method for people who haven't the energy, funds, or commitment to buy and then transport their own camping equipment and/or camping vehicle to regions overseas or far away. The operators of cooperative camping tours print literature in which they describe dozens of potential itineraries throughout the United States, Mexico, and Europe. They schedule departures for each itinerary, take bookings from widely scattered individuals, and ultimately assemble a group of about 14 for each departure. When the group of 14 reaches the jumping-off point (London, Mexico City, Los Angeles, or New York), they board a 14-person van furnished by the operator and driven by a professional guide-the only paid employee on the trip. The vehicle is already supplied with up to eight state-of-the-art tents, elaborate camping utensils and (sometimes) sleeping bags--although most companies require that you provide the latter. Except for that last item, passengers avoid all the expense and burden of outfitting themselves for camping. For many such adventures, there is a "food kitty," a pooling of cash for group food expenses (usually between $20 and $40 a week). Members of the group, in rotation, shop for groceries along the way, and then rotate the cooking and cleaning chores. They each pitch their own tent each night and pack it away in the morning. The driver drives. Since the group carries its own accommodations (the tents) and needn't adhere to hotel reservations, they are able either to follow the preplanned itinerary, and make small deviations and stops along the way. They are also able to travel through areas where standard hotels aren't found. The entire trip is unstructured and fun, close to nature and informal, adventurous, instructive--and cheap. The average cooperative camping tour costs around $60 a day, plus airfare, and plus about $5 per person per day in contributions to the food kitty. The major companies TrekAmerica(P.O. Box 189, Rockaway, NJ 07866, phone 800/221-0596, Web address: trekamerica.com, email: info@trekamerica.com) is the largest U.S. operator of youth-oriented (mainly people in their early 20s) cooperative camping tours (they supply the transportation, passengers come with their sleeping bags, and alternate the job of cooking and pitching tents cooperatively). Offering about 40 itineraries through North America, from one week to two months in length, with up to two dozen departures per itinerary yearly, at daily costs of $45 to $100, plus a food kitty of $35 to $45 a week. Passengers are limited to the age group, in this instance, of 18 to 38. A colorful catalogue is yours for the asking. The company also has a "Footloose" style of tours, aimed at the adventurous of all ages (recommended for those 25 to 55), and "Winter Sun" tours to all-year warm weather destinations like Mexico, Florida, and the Southwest. AmeriCan Adventures & Roadrunner, Inc.(P.O. Box 1155, Gardena, CA 90249, phone800/TREK_USA, Web address: americanadventures.com, e-mail: AAsales@premiereops.com) seems to act as a competitor to TrekAmerica, but it is actually owned by the same company -- England's Heritage Limited. Still, AmeriCan offers slight differences. For one, though the majority of AmeriCan's customers are in their 20's and early 30's it imposes no upper age limit (so you could get stuck with a granny on your tour). It also offers a greater amount of shorter programs. Tours cost between $50 and $90 per day (Road Runner is at the pricier end of the scale) plus a $6 daily charge for food ($7/day in Alaska and Canada). If hotels are included in your itinerary (in some urban areas camping is not an option), you usually have to pay an additional charge of about $35 per night. If tours are scheduled to start within two months and have not sold out, they are usually discounted by 20-30 percent. Suntrek(77 West Third St., Santa Rosa, CA 95401, phone 800/SUNTREK, Web address: suntrek.com, e-mail: suntrek@suntrek.com. Traveling in vans throughout North America, participants camp out along the way, with Suntrek providing all the relevant equipment (minus sleeping bags). With over 70 different itineraries from one to 13 weeks in length, most of which are camping programs. Per-day costs range from about $50 to $100, plus a weekly food kitty of about $35 to $40. Like AmeriCan Adventures, Suntrek imposes no upper age limit, but the majority of its customers are between 18 and 35. To maintain its youth clientele, Suntrek offers a 10 percent discount to U.S. students, and foreign students studying in the U.S. (who purchase their tour package while in the states). Additionally, Suntrek offers a 20 percent discount to au pairs living in the U.S. Tours that have not sold out and are set to depart within six weeks are usually discounted by 20-30 percent. Those interested in Cooperative Camping may also want to read about Backpacker Buses in the Youth Section.

Many years ago, I was the laughingstock of my family when I bought a new coat (however divine) in a New York City department store at retail! There I was, paying full price, smack in the middle of the garment capital of the world, where people with an ounce of sense bought only at wholesale (from the hundreds of small apparel factories which then existed in midtown Manhattan). It was a major fashion faux pas that you don't have to make. Although those factories have long since decamped to North and South Carolina (and from there to Asia), their showrooms - there are still hundreds of them - have scads of samples, closeouts, discontinued lines, leftovers, and seconds that they sell periodically, at drastic cuts, to the nation's sharpest shoppers. Let me assure you that the "wholesale" tradition is alive and well in New York, and waiting for you. The semipermanent showrooms The garment industry/fashion district is mainly found on the west side of midtown Manhattan from Fifth to Tenth Avenues between 32nd and 42nd Streets, where entire buildings house one showroom after another. On a daily basis, these are not open to the public, but on a good weekday (most are closed on weekends) you can walk up Broadway or Seventh Avenue and be handed at least ten fliers inviting you to "showroom sales." Recently, I followed the paper trail to a warren of rooms in the basement of 1410 Broadway and found a pair of Easy Spirit shoes in just my size for $19.99 (they are usually priced around $60). Better than this hit-or-miss approach is a knowledge of the permanent and always-open venues (displaying manufacturers' discontinued lines and seconds) that almost always have high-quality fashions at rock-bottom prices. One such warehouse/showroom is A Nice Price/SSS Sample Sale (261 W. 36th Street, 2nd floor, fax 212/947-8748, clothingline.com), a quirky loft that's been running stock and sample sales for over ten years and can be a genuine gold mine if you're lucky. Its most recent highlights: Betsey Johnson's latest dresses and skirts, plus remainders from the rest of her line, all 60 percent off retail; White + Warren cashmere sweaters for $50; the hot Essendi line greatly reduced, with tanks that retail at $130 now $27 and turtlenecks that retail for as much as $160 now just $40; and Maxou velvet skirts retailing at $170 and up, now $5. They also occasionally have some bargains for men. Staley/Gretzinger (270 West 38th Street, 5th floor, tel. 212/764-3982) is another permanent showroom that's open on the first Friday of every month and by appointment at all other times. Funky, hand-painted, appliqu,, and one-of-a-kind items suited for the bohemians among us are available at 50 percent off retail; samples are discounted up to 70 percent. This entire line, from sportswear to relaxed evening wear, is manufactured in the United States at factories on 38th Street and in Wappingers Falls, New York. Labels include Bread, MadLab, and Staley/Gretzinger. The Find Outlet, a little off the beaten track at 361 West 17th Street at Ninth Avenue (212/243-3177), is the crown jewel of discount outlets, offering perfect gems of this season's special items including Martine Sitbon, Anna Sui, Daryl K, Tocca, and Stephane Kelian shoes, all 50 to 80 percent less than retail. Recently, I nabbed a cashmere sweater at 60 percent off its price at Barneys where I had seen it that same day. It's true that Find features top-quality items that start out on the expensive side and are not cheap even at half off. But if you are fashion conscious and into elegant things, this refined version of a warehouse is the place for you. It's open Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 7 p.m. For guys and brides The gents will be interested in places like Prato (28 West 34th Street, 212/629-4730), packed to the rafters with heavily discounted designer shirts, suits, coats, and casual wear. Yves Saint Laurent shirts, once $48, are now $19.99, while $38 Pierre Cardin shirts are $15. You can find a Bill Blass sweater for as little as $19. Perry Ellis sweats were $50, now $19. And I once saw a Bill Blass microfiber trench coat originally marked $300 for $129 and leather jackets for as low as $49. Considering a trip down the aisle? Check out the rather overwhelming Bridal Building at 1385 Broadway (between 37th and 38th Streets, 212/764-5769); it houses showroom after showroom of wedding gowns plus mother-of-the-bride and bridesmaid dresses; some places also have shoes and accessories. However, unless you're just browsing for ideas, it is important to know what you want and what the items are worth: prices are usually about 30 percent off retail but aren't absolutely guaranteed to be lower than in traditional bridal shops. The Bridal Building is open to the public only on Saturday mornings. One more thing: skip the people in the lobby who ask for your name and address for a "drawing" - they're not officials, and they'll only inundate you with junk mail and phone calls. Samples and a giant samples showroom Another top option for the committed shopper is to go to those exciting Manhattan sample sales, where you rub shoulders with New York's best-informed skinflints. Customarily, sample sales are a rock-bottom sell-off of whatever inventory the manufacturer has left after all the ordered merchandise has been shipped to the stores for the season. Big designers will usually have a sale dedicated to their line alone, while some smaller names will do a group show. One of Manhattan's largest sale showrooms is at 560 Seventh Avenue. You can get on a mailing list for their events if you e-mail debra209@aol.com or write to Collective Elite, P.O. Box 1631, New York, NY 10150. During the course of a year there are between 30 and 40 sales at this location, and for the most part the goods are still packed in big brown boxes or jammed on freestanding metal clothing racks. Get down on your hands and knees and rummage with the best of them. Keep in mind that if the sale is running for three days, the prices will be lowest on the third day, as the aim is to clear the house. In any event, you're sure to save at least 60 percent off retail. And the shopping is fierce. Blink, and that vivid blue je ne sais quoi is most likely gone forever. But if you buy it, it's yours forever. I once bought a $380 Johnny Farrah backpack for $45 and nearly expired from the joy of it. Getting on a mailing list But 560 Seventh Avenue is merely one sale location; there are many others (none, however, so consistent a venue). Sometimes sales take place in the designer's showroom; often they are in a rented loft instead. You can easily find out what is happening in the way of sample sales when you are in town if you have access to the Internet. On a weekly basis, simply check: newyorkpost.com (click on "savvy shopper"); lazarshopping.com; or newyorkmag.com (click on "Sales and Bargains"). The webless can purchase current issues of New York magazine or TimeOut, or phone Sarah Gardner's "Fashion Update Hotline" every Monday for late breaking sales (888/44SAVINGS). A typical scene in the fashion district - let the shopping begin.

Taverns and pubs in the 1800's used to carry signs warning patrons--"No Politics, No Religion"--the two topics of conversation so contentious that it was considered best to avoid them altogether. A current-day version of those signs might be expanded to include timeshares. Ask ten different travelers about timeshares and you will very likely get ten different responses; some love them, some hate them, some have been too scared by timeshare horror stories to even give them any thought. But timeshares have changed a great deal since their introduction in the 1960's, so they at least deserve a second look before we outlaw any further discussion of them. The basic premise behind timeshares is simple enough--travelers make a one-time purchase in advance for the rights to use a property for a certain amount of time each year, usually in weekly intervals. Prices vary according to the size, location, season and amenities of the property, but the average cost for a new one-week interval timeshare is around $15,000. In addition to the purchase price, owners pay annual maintenance fees which can range anywhere from $450 to $750. The sticker price for a new timeshare is a lot for most people to swallow, but stretch that cost out over a lifetime and--in theory, at least--owners pay a fraction of what a lifetime's worth of week's stays at a hotel would cost. Of course, that is Timeshares 101. Things get more complicated when you get down to the fine print. There are fixed weeks, floating weeks, swaps, peak seasons, point systems, deeded properties, color codes and so on. Bill Rogers has been a timeshare owner for over ten years, he runs a website devoted to solving fellow timeshare users' problems, and yet even he admits that he doesn't have all the answers. "There's no such thing as a timeshare expert," he says, "the rules are always changing and there is always something new to learn." The number one piece of advice Rogers gives to potential timeshare buyers is to do their homework. "There are countless stories of people who have had bad experiences with timeshares, but most likely, those are the people who didn't take the time to educate themselves before they bought," says Rogers. Jim Cummings has been a timeshare owner for over twenty years. "Overall, I think timeshares are generally a bad idea," says Cummings. "Having said that, I own four," he adds with a laugh. Cummings' sentiment is typical among timeshare owners. Even the most ringing endorsement of timeshares usually comes with a caveat. "Timeshares have allowed me to stay at some really great resorts at prices a lot lower than I would have spent on an equivalent hotel," Cummings says, "but they are a lot of work. You really have to work the system to make timeshares pay off." Before signing on the dotted line The most important thing to consider before buying a timeshare is whether or not they fit the way you travel. A person who prefers exploring a region and staying in a different hotel every night is probably not the best timeshare candidate. Someone who takes a more laid-back approach and enjoys having a "home base" while traveling might do well with the more residential feel of a timeshare. Rogers says the best way to get acquainted with timeshare properties is to actually go and visit them, sitting in on a few timeshare presentations. Usually packaged as part of a discount vacation--travelers receive a free stay at a hotel if they agree to listen to a "property demonstration,"--these sales pitches are notorious for their hard sell techniques and have probably added more to the negative stigma of timeshares than anything else. "They have actually been toned down a lot," says Rogers. "I've heard of presentations where you would have to sacrifice your first born just to get out of there, but there are not many of those around any more." Jim Cummings disagrees. "They are worse than you can imagine," he says. "Having to sit through three hours of a presentation that was only supposed to last a half hour is about the worst torture I can think of." They may be a necessary evil, however, as some properties can only be viewed as part of a presentation package. As long as buyers go into presentations with a firm resolve not to buy that day, Rogers says presentations can provide important information. Though presenters try to entice potential buyers with promises of special deals it's always best to research the options first. Big bargains on the resale market One option for "would-be time sharers" is to investigate the resale market before plunking down good money on a new property. Resales are timeshares sold by individual owners rather than a management company. "People who have bought resales have been making out like gangbusters," says Rogers. "A lot of resales sell for less then fifty cents on the dollar of the original purchase price." Of course, the resale market is flooded because people have had bad experiences with timeshares, but Rogers believes that the people looking to unload their timeshares are the people who didn't do enough initial research before they bought. Jim Cummings bought two of his four timeshares on eBay, both in Cozumel. He paid $800 for the pair. "I only buy from sellers with a high rating and I either e-mail or phone them before I bid. Both people I bought from were people whose situations changed and they could no longer use their properties. I have friends who pay $4,000 for one week in the summer at the New Jersey shore, but I'm able to spend two weeks a year sitting on the beach in Mexico for a quarter of that." A sentiment echoed by everyone involved with timeshares is that travelers should not think of them as moneymaking ventures. Cash cows they are not. Ed Kinney, vice president of corporate affairs, Marriott Vacation Club says,"Try to keep it in the right perspective. If you think of a timeshare as a commitment to a vacation lifestyle rather than a money-making proposition, you will be a lot happier." The ins-and-outs of swapping No matter how great the destination, visiting the same place year after year can start to lose its appeal. One of the nice aspects of a timeshare is that owners have the ability to swap a week at their home property for equal time at a different location. Of course, like everything else, there are fees involved and you will need to do your homework. Swapping timeshares relies on the use of a timeshare exchange company. The two major players in this field are Interval International and Resort Condominiums International. For an annual membership fee, (RCI, $89 per year, $149 two-year special; II, $79 per year, $133 annual gold membership), these companies will do their best to match owners with available timeshares throughout the world. The catch is that your options are limited to properties on par with the value of your home timeshare. In other words, your off-season week in Orlando probably won't land you a week in Vail during the peak ski season. Timeshare exchange companies have been working to make the swapping process easier to navigate. Many now employ a points system which quantifies the trading value of a given timeshare. Owners can bank their points by sacrificing their timeshare one year for greater trading opportunities the next. Timeshares get a corporate makeover The biggest change to occur in the world of timeshares has been the entry of major hotel chains into the market. Companies such as Marriott, Starwood, Westgate, Disney and Hilton have all made major investments into developing timeshare properties. Known as "branded properties," the competition between these chains has served to make the timeshare experience more customer friendly. "Companies are applying the lessons they learned in the hotel business to the timeshare industry, making them more willing to cater to the needs of the customer," says Ed Kinney of Marriott. Many branded timeshares now offer floating time systems that allow users to choose a week within a certain season, rather than being handcuffed to a specific week. And whereas traditional stays had to be from Sunday to Sunday, some properties are now more lenient with their check-in days. With branded properties, swapping has become a simpler proposition since the chains now have numerous timeshare locations under the same banner. Although most still require members to use an exchange company to facilitate swaps, either II or RCI, consistent point values makes trading within chains more convenient. Unfortunately, going with a chain won't eliminate the annual exchange company membership fees. One of the other perks of choosing a branded property is that many are now allowing their timeshare owners to participate in the rewards programs typically reserved for their hotel customers. Owners at Marriott Vacation Clubs have the option every other year to exchange their timeshare week for Marriott Rewards points, which can be then be redeemed for hotel stays and discounts. Despite all their frills, Bill Rogers still emphasizes caution in buying any timeshare, branded or not. "Think of branded properties as just another option," he says. "Just make sure they mesh with what you are trying to accomplish with your vacation destination." The bottom line A timeshare, either new or used, is a long-term financial commitment that requires some due diligence on the part of the buyer. New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer released a guide to timeshares entitled "Before You Buy A Timeshare" which canvasses all the potential pitfalls that go along with timeshare ownership. He suggests consulting a financial advisor before purchasing a timeshare. The guide also points out that if a buyer borrows the money needed for a down payment, they must consider the financing costs will be in addition to annual maintenance fees required by the timeshare company. Timeshare owners might also be liable for any special assessments that the management company deems necessary for future operations. According to the guide, "these assessments are hard to predict and might arise when you least expect them." Travelers should also remember that they are still responsible for paying typical vacation costs as well, such as transportation, meals and miscellaneous expenses. In spite of the improvements timeshares have undergone, there is still a great divide between supporters and detractors. Fans of timeshares say they enjoy having a week's vacation waiting for them every year. Naysayers insist that timeshares are too expensive, too confining and too much work. So who's right? Perhaps we better change the subject.