Stretching the Dollar in Europe

When Albert C. Barnes turned his large collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist art into a foundation in 1922, he had one request: The artworks could never leave his mansion in Merion, Pa. For 80 years, his wish was honored--bringing the Barnes Foundation to the brink of bankruptcy. In 2002, the trustees voted to transfer the collection from its out-of-the-way location to a building on museum row in Philadelphia. It seemed like a great solution--until opponents intervened in court, leaving the Barnes's future like a Monet viewed up close: hazy. Backed by a recent court order, the trustees are finally moving ahead with the new space. There's a little over a year left to see the 1,879 works--Renoirs, Picassos, Cézannes, Matisses--as Barnes intended. The pharmaceutical magnate, who died in 1951, had strict rules for displaying his art: Every piece in the 23-room building had to hang where he left it. Because he was a stickler for grouping works by visual elements rather than by period, an African mask might hang right next to a Picasso portrait. "Barnes believed that great artists had similar ideas about art, including how they set things in space," says director Derek Gillman. Curators will rehang the collection following Barnes's master plan, but some pieces can't be moved--such as the Jacques Lipchitz bas-reliefs that peer down from the old building's beaux arts façade. 610/667-0290, barnesfoundation.org, $10.

"While researching A Voyage Long and Strange, I did weird things in remote places. One of my most exotic stops was just north of Atlanta. The Etowah Indian Mounds are a time capsule of a civilization that few know existed. Centuries before Columbus, local Native Americans built earthen domes and crafted artwork from sharks' teeth and marble--all of which is on display in a 54-acre site next to a trailer park in Cartersville, Ga." • Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site 813 Indian Mounds Rd., Cartersville, Ga., 800/864-7275, gastateparks.org, $4.

Radiohead made news when it allowed its fans to pay whatever they thought was reasonable to download the band's latest album. Now, innovative restaurants around the world are doing the same thing--letting their patrons decide how much their meal is worth. At Terra Bite Lounge in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, most diners slip cash into a donation slot by the barista, while others just walk away without bothering to pay. "If I forget to bring enough money, I can just give more next time," says real-estate consultant Tina Cooper, who stops at Terra Bite most mornings for what she claims is the best soy latte in the neighborhood. "When we first opened, some people felt uncomfortable and didn't come back," says Terra Bite's founder, Ervin Peretz. "But we now have regulars who put $20 into the slot every Friday for a week's worth of joe." Discretion is certainly a theme of the pay-what-you-want trend. At Salt Lake City's One World Everybody Eats, you can deposit cash into a "treasure box" or use the customer-operated credit card machine. The 50-seat restaurant, decorated with Buddha statues, serves organic dishes from a combination self-serve and assisted buffet. There's also an edible herb and flower garden with outdoor seating. "All we ask is that you put a fair price on the food you eat, based on your income," says founder Denise Cerreta, who's mentoring other chefs to open sister restaurants in Durham, N.C., and Denver. A philosophy student opened Der Wiener Deewan in Vienna, where cash donations are accepted at the take-out counter. The all-you-can-eat buffet features Pakistani curries that change twice daily. "I wasn't sure the concept would even work," says co-owner Natalie Deewan. "But after the first few weeks, our customers were so enthusiastic that they were paying more than their fair share." You can add to the funky decor by drawing on the Plexiglas walls with permanent markers. At the Lentil as Anything chain in Melbourne, Australia, you drop money into a box by the kitchen. The first restaurant opened in 2000, and now owner Shanaka Fernando is working on his sixth location (when he's not running a refugee program). The cuisine is a mix of Sri Lankan and Tibetan, but eggs and veggie burgers are also on the menu. "When it comes down to it, we just want to promote the very underutilized concept of trust," says Fernando. KIRKLAND, WASH. Terra Bite Lounge 219 Kirkland Ave., terrabite.org SALT LAKE CITY One World Everybody Eats 41 S. 300 East St., 801/519-2002, oneworldeverybodyeats.com VIENNA, AUSTRIA Der Wiener Deewan Liechtensteinstrasse 10, 011-43/1-925-1185, deewan.at MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA Lentil as Anything 1 St. Heliers St., 011-61/3-94-196-444, lentilasanything.com

AUSTRALIA The Edge The Edge is a cube that slides out from the Eureka Skydeck 88 observation deck of Melbourne's Eureka Tower. When the cube is fully extended, the walls and floor turn transparent--and as if that weren't scary enough, speakers blare the sound of shattering glass. The Edge opened last spring; up to 12 people can spend five minutes suspended over the city. Only one in three Skydeck visitors is willing to brave the Edge, but of the 30 marriage proposals that have been tendered inside, there hasn't been a single no. 011-61/3-9693-8888, eurekaskydeck.com.au, $25 for Skydeck and the Edge. Susan Crandell PANAMA Canopy Crane Tour More than 70 percent of all rain-forest species hang out high in the canopy, but it's not like you're going to climb a tree yourself. Tour operator Cox & Kings USA, however, is using the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute's crane to bring you face-to-face with the fauna in Panama's Metropolitan Natural Park. The crane raises four guests and a naturalist guide 112 feet up through the treetops--and as much as 160 feet out in any direction. "When I first did the tour, we spotted a napping sloth and zoomed in for a closer look," says Susan Lee, who does marketing for Cox & Kings. "The naturalist imitated the call of an eagle, one of the sloth's main predators. The sloth looked at us, decided there was no danger, and went right back to sleep." Other commonly seen animals include green iguanas, toucans, and red-naped tamarins. The best time to take the 45-minute tour is between 6:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., when the wildlife is most active. 800/999-1758, coxandkingsusa.com, $110 per person (based on four people), no children under 12, reservations are required. Beth Collins TENNESSEE Zorb Smoky Mountains Where some people see a hillside, others see a thrill ride. The popular New Zealand activity of Zorbing--in which you tumble down a slope while inside a plastic bubble--has arrived in the U.S., at Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Before you start, there's a two-page waiver to sign, five different courses to pick from, and two Zorb options: You can sit strapped into a seat or flip head over heels in a ball filled with water. ("It's like white-water rafting without the rocks," says CEO Craig Horrocks.) The 12-foot spheres reach speeds of up to 35 mph; the view is a blur of trees, sky, and your limbs, punctuated by the occasional scream of "Awesome!" 865/428-2422, zorb.com, from $37 per ride. Liz Ozaist ARIZONA Grand Canyon Skywalk More than a few visitors to the Grand Canyon Skywalk at Grand Canyon West white-knuckle their way around the 70-foot-long, U-shaped glass structure, never letting go of the railing. Others jump up and down for the Skywalk's photographers, unbowed by the view of the jagged canyon about a mile below. The $30 million attraction opened last spring after years of collaboration between a Las Vegas businessman and the local Hualapai tribe, which owns much of the canyon's western rim. The surrounding area remains a work in progress, as a theater and a restaurant are under construction--so is the 14 miles of as yet unpaved road that leads to the entrance, making for a rather bone-rattling approach. grandcanyonskywalk.com, $60 includes admission to the reservation and the Grand Canyon Skywalk, cameras not allowed. Bus tours depart daily from Las Vegas, about two hours west (702/878-9378, destinationgrandcanyon.com, from $159). Henry Cabot Beck FLORIDA SeaWorld's Aquatica The star attraction of SeaWorld Orlando's new water park, Aquatica, is Dolphin Plunge--a pair of 300-foot-long transparent tube slides that weave through an actual marine-mammal habitat. The black-and-white Commerson's dolphins who frolic in the lagoon seem to enjoy the action, too. "When I was zipping through the tunnel, the dolphins were following alongside me," reports operations director Bryan Nadeau. "For a moment, I felt like I was in their world." The water park also has an eight-lane racing slide that whips you in and out of tunnels and around a 360-degree loop. 888/800-5447, aquaticabyseaworld.com, $39, $33 for kids ages 3 to 9. Jessica Henderson MAINE Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory The first Penobscot bridge, completed in 1931, was crumbling into the Penobscot River, so everyone agreed it was time for a new-and-improved bridge--if not on much else. "At first, the city wanted something that looked like the old structure," says Bruce Van Note, deputy commissioner for Maine's Department of Transportation. But area residents rejected every proposal, eventually coming up with a one-word idea of their own as inspiration: granite. "To lifelong Mainers, granite is rugged and timeless, and it matches the state's rocky coast," says Van Note. Made primarily of local Freshwater Pearl granite, the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory is one of only three cable-stayed bridges in the world to also have an observation tower (the others are in Slovakia and Thailand). No matter which direction you look from the glass-enclosed deck, the views are postcard-worthy. 207/469-7719, penobscotnarrowsbridge.com, $5, tower open May 1-Oct. 31. Sarah Mahoney SINGAPORE Singapore Flyer When it opened March 1, the Singapore Flyer captured the title of the world's tallest observation wheel from China's 525-foot Star of Nanchang. The 541-foot Flyer has 28 gondolas; each one holds up to 28 passengers and rotates 360 degrees over Marina Bay. Watch your step while boarding: The Flyer never stops moving. "That surprises a lot of people," says general manager David Beevers. "But once the doors close, it's quite serene inside the glass capsule as it ascends over the bay." Halfway through the 30-minute ride, you're up high enough to see Malaysia and Indonesia. 011-65/6333-3311, singaporeflyer.com.sg, $21, timed tickets can be purchased online in advance. David LaHuta