I did HITS Napa last year, which is not actually close to Napa [city] since it is up at Lake Berryessa, but the race went great. Beautiful location and scenery, nice lake, great bike course with some climbs, and rolling out and back run. I don't know how they manage to have so many problems at Palm Springs, because Napa was done well and despite probably not going back to Palm Springs I will give Napa another go next year.

Anyway I think Chicago Triathlon is a great value. The triple challenge is $280 for three (plus the cumulative) races, the Oly by itself is $145, a very professional production that is a great location and in a great host city. A bike course on lower wacker drive where Batman was filmed is quite an experience. Full lanes of traffic are closed down so the bike course is very safe, the lower Wacker Drive portion is completely closed for the race, The swim is about as safe as any open water swim could be given that it runs parallel to the edge of the lake, and the run course has got some great scenery too. Add 100 tourist things to do as a destination race, and I'd say it has some pretty great value.