Sports Getaways for Sept. 7-10
MAIN EVENTS
TENNIS: U.S. OPEN - MEN'S AND WOMEN'S FINALS, ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM, FLUSHING, N.Y.
The questions here are simple: 1. Can anyone beat Roger Federer in the last of tennis's four major tournaments? 2. Can anyone beat him, period? 3. Will Andre Agassi reach the finals in the final tournament of his eventful career? 4. Will Amelie Mauresmo win, and solidify her No. 1 world ranking? Travel to New York and see.
Web site: http://www.usopen.org
Do: The Mets play the Dodgers at Shea Stadium (123-01 Roosevelt Ave., Flushing) Fri.-Sun., Sept. 8-10, practically across the street. The Dodgers, battling for postseason play, need to beat their longtime rivals (Tickets).
Stay: The hotels in Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East and West Sides will empty your wallet. Try Lower Manhattan instead. The Club Quarters Downtown (52 William St.) offers rooms from $169.
Eat: You can get into a good argument over which of Manhattan's 84 Zagat-listed steakhouses is the best. For our money, it's BLT Prime (111 E. 22nd St.), which features 20 different cuts of beef, including a Kobe rib-eye served with smoked sea salt. (Web site).
NCAA FOOTBALL: OHIO STATE VS. TEXAS, DARRELL K. ROYAL-TEXAS STADIUM
It doesn't get any better than this. No. 1 Ohio State (according to the USA Today preseason poll) faces defending national champion No. 2 Texas. Ohio State QB Troy Smith and WR Ted Ginn Jr. are All-America candidates. Texas OT Justin Blaylock is a contender for the Outland Trophy.
Web site:http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com/
Do: Visit the LBJ Library and Museum (2313 Red River St., located within shouting distance of the stadium on the University of Texas campus, Web site). To friends and foes alike, the nation's 36th president seemed larger than life. His triumph was passage of groundbreaking civil rights and voting rights legislation, his tragedy the quagmire of the Vietnam War. The story of his lengthy political career is told here through documents, photographs, audiotapes; plus, there's an animatronic story-telling LBJ. Admission is free.
Stay: Rooms are scarce. Try near Austin airport: The Woodward Hotel and Conference Center (3401 S. Interstate 35) offers rooms from $139 and the Oak Inn (1212 W. Ben White Blvd.) has rooms starting at $186.
Eat: The Austin Land & Cattle Company (1205 N. Lamar Blvd., Web site) is a classic Texas steakhouse. A welcome change from the glitzy chains, you'll rub elbows with local politicians and lobbyists at this down-home place.
UNDERCARD
NFL FOOTBALL: INDIANAPOLIS VS. NEW YORK GIANTS,
GIANTS STADIUM, EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
The marquee game of Week One is a family thing. Manning vs. Manning. Peyton, the Colts QB vs. Eli, the Giants QB, at Giants Stadium. Who do you think Archie will be rooting for?
Web site: http://www.giants.com/
Do: Stretch your stay, and see the Yankees and Derek Jeter (and A-Rod, Damon, Giambi, Abreu, the Big Unit, Rivera and the rest of the Millionaires Club) play the Devil Rays, Tues., Sept. 12, at Yankee Stadium (161st St. and River Ave., Bronx, Tickets).
Stay: The hotels in Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East and West Sides will empty your wallet. Try Lower Manhattan instead. The Club Quarters Downtown (52 William St.) offers rooms from $169.
Eat: Manhattan's best ribs joint is Blue Smoke (116 E. 27th St., Web site). Order a rack of them: St. Louis-style, Memphis-style, Texas-style or Kansas City-style. The hush puppies with Jalapeņo marmalade are to die for.
NASCAR: CHEVY ROCK & ROLL 400, RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, RICHMOND, VA.
It's the final race before the Chase for the Championship commences. Drivers will be jockeying to qualify for NASCAR's 10-race playoff series, racing side-by-side on this 3/4-mile track.
Web site: http://www.rir.com/
Do: Doubleheader! The race runs at night. Spend the afternoon at University of Richmond Stadium (1200 W. Broad St.), where the Spiders take on VMI in NCAA football (Tickets).
Stay: Rooms are going fast. Best bet: Try the Red Roof Inn Richmond South (4350 Commerce Rd.), where rooms start at $94, or the Red Carpet Inn Richmond (1500 Sherwood Ave.), with rooms from $119.
Eat: Where's the beef? At Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (11500 Huguenot Rd., Web site). Try the filet or the rib-eye -- or the porterhouse for two, if you're serious about your Adkins diet.
DEALS
HONOLULU
Various airlines are offering deals for last-minute travel to Honolulu. Tickets are limited, so hurry: Orbitz: Hawaii Flight Deals.
This week's deals focus on volleyball. Fly to Hawaii, Thu.-Sat., Sept. 7-9, for the three-day women's volleyball Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge. The University of Hawaii hosts Stanford, Northwestern and Fairfield at the Stan Sheriff Center (1355 Lower Campus Rd. Honolulu, Tickets).
LAS VEGAS
Major U.S. airlines are offering similar last-minute flight deals to Las Vegas. Again, tickets are limited, so hurry: Orbitz: Las Vegas Flight Deals.
Vegas and professional beach volleyball? Absolutely. The AVP Las Vegas Gods and Goddesses of the Beach tournament -- the battle of tanned hard-bodies -- takes place at Caesars Palace (3570 Las Vegas Blvd., Tickets) Thu.-Sat., Sept. 7-9.
If all of that natural sunlight is too much for you, stay inside and enjoy the opening weekend of the NFL season from your friendly neighborhood sports book. Our guide says that the Caesars sports book is "classic old-school."
SCHEDULE WATCH
Or make your way to San Francisco's AT&T Park (24 Willie Mays Plaza), where the Giants host the Padres in an NL wild-card contenders matchup (Fri.-Sun., Sept. 8-10, Tickets).
Inspired by Bill Simmons' recent pilgrimage to Lambeau Field in Green Bay? Well, the Pack are facing their rivals, the Bears, in their season opener (Sun., Sept. 10). Packers tickets, though, have been sold out since 1960. Try a ticket broker, or bring a few extra brats to try to make friends at the tailgate.
Minneapolis Links: 
Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
San Francisco Links: Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
Green Bay Links: Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
SPORTS PLUS
BABE RUTH BIRTHPLACE AND MUSEUM, BALTIMORE
The Babe may be a sore subject in Boston, but not in Baltimore or New York. The perfect time to visit the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum (216 Emory St.) is Fri.-Mon., Sept. 8-11, when the Yankees visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards (333 West Camden St., Tickets) to play the Orioles in a four-game series.
The museum has a wealth of exhibits covering Ruth's entire life-from his troubled childhood through his championship years with the Yankees and beyond (Admission).
INTERNATIONAL PICK
PGA: BELL CANADIAN OPEN, ANCASTER, ONTARIO
The PGA Tour leaves the U.S. once each year, for the Bell Canadian Open (Thurs.-Sun., Sept. 7-10, Tickets). See the best of the best play at Hamilton Golf & Country Club, a jewel of a course designed by H.S. Colt, located in Ancaster, Ontario (222 Golf Links Rd.), 50 miles southwest of Toronto.
Stay in Toronto. Take a day off from golf and see some Canadian football. The Toronto Argonauts host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Sat., Sept. 9, at the Rogers Centre (1 Blue Jays Way, Tickets).
