Fall Art Highlights

This Saturday, September 30, hundreds of U.S. museums large and small will follow the Smithsonian's lead by letting visitors in for free. Among the Museum Day participants are the San Diego Air and Space Museum; the Heard Museum in Phoenix; the Minneapolis Institute of Arts; the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; New York's Skyscraper Museum; and the RISD Museum of Art in Providence. Previously the annual event was open just to Smithsonian Magazine subscribers, but now anyone can save some cash--as long as you complete a free Museum Card. To download the card visit smithsonianmagazine.com. One note of warning: you'll still have to pay any special exhibition or IMAX fees. More on Museums:   Fall Art Highlights: 15 Must-See Shows   Designers' Favorite Museum Stores   This Just In: Art News

$20 Hat If eastern European fashion conjures up visions of peasant blouses and woolen vests, think again. Boho chic--like crocheted hats--is very popular, and Ljubljana is full of hip designers and models (Melania Trump got her start here). Katarina Silk, Gornji trg 5, 011-386/1-425-0010. $7 Folk art During the 18th and 19th centuries, Slovene farmers painted scenes on recycled beehive panels. The originals--depicting pastorals and folktales--hang in the Ethnographic Museum on Metelkova street. Reproductions are sold around town as souvenirs. Dom, Mestni trg 24, 011-386/1-241-8390. $15 Espresso cup Of the roughly 280,000 people who live in Slovenia's capital, 50,000 are university students, giving the city a distinctly young, caffeinated vibe. In the staro mesto (old town), a shop called Cafetino sells all the accoutrements you need to feed your habit at home--from beans to demitasses. Stari trg 3, 011-386/1-422-2955. $10 Slippers Agritourism is growing in this bucolic country. There are now more than 200 working farms and vineyards open to weekend visitors. Lend a hand shearing sheep, then, back in the city, pick up a pair of wooly slippers to remind you of a job well done. Dom, Mestni trg 24, 011-386/1-241-8390. $10 Bath salts The salt pans at Piran, a town on the Adriatic near the Croatian border, produce lovely bath crystals, mud masks, and herb-infused body scrubs. Piranske Soline, Mestni trg 19, 011-386/1-425-0190. $1 Lantern After World War I, architect Joze Plecnik designed dozens of buildings, bridges, and parks around town. Today, the outdoor stalls of his colonnaded Central Market display everything from cured ham to plastic candle lanterns. Closed Sun. $5 Vintage pin Slovenia broke away from the socialist republic of Yugo-slavia in 1991. You'll find leftover Communist-era kitsch at the Sunday morning flea market, along the Ljubljanica River. $25 Bowl Slovene artists have been blowing glass since the 16th century, but modern designers such as Tomaz Miletic turn traditional, dainty forms on their ear. ArtGlass Atelje, Dvorni trg 2, 011-386/1-426-3104.

BT Editors: Welcome to this week's Trip Coach. Let's get to your questions! _______________________ Alexandria, VA: I am taking my family to Rome for Thanksgiving and need a nice but relatively inexpensive hotel for 5. There will be three adults and two children. Would like to be fairly centrally located. Can you assist? Thank you! BT Editors: Our Rome Snap Guide, the most recent addition to our collection of downloadable mini-guides, is packed with insider tips on the best places to sleep, eat, play and shop. Here are three of the recommended hotels, all right in Rome's centro storico: Hotel Mimosa with doubles from ¿75/$95 and triples from ¿90/$114; Albergo del Sole al Biscione, with doubles from ¿110/$140; and Hotel Navona, with doubles from ¿125/$158 and triples from ¿160/$203. For insights on the best ancient art gallery, cheap city tour, and gelateria, read Rome Sweet Rome, Stephen Heuser's account of a six-month stint when he called the city home. _______________________ Hinesburg, VT: My three sisters and I live in four states: Vermont, Florida, Michigan and California. We get together the first week of April each year for "Sisters Week", In April, 2007, we'd like to spend Sisters Week someplace else in the U.S. suggestions? BT Editors: What a fun tradition! You four are the perfect audience for our special Girlfriend Getaways magazine. We highlighted 10 U.S. cities for long weekends, full of shopping, spas, culture, and a night out with the girls: Asheville, Austin, Burlington, Memphis, Palm Springs, Portland, Reno, Santa Fe, Scottsdale, and West Palm Beach. Enjoy! _______________________ San Jose, CA: I am going to Barbados in January. I am on a budget and want to stay in a clean safe villa or hotel on the beach. Can you please advise? I would also like to know if I could wait until I get there to get a hotel and pay with Barbados currency? BT Editors: We'd recommend booking at least the first night in advance. Check out Shells Guesthouse (246/435-7253, barbados.org/gstname.htm) or Cleverdale Guesthouse in Worthing (vrbo.com/11696), where rooms start at around $25/night.For more information on where to stay, read 'Bewitching Barbados.' You can also check out the official tourism website for more lodging options. _______________________ Canton, NY: My three sisters and myself are planning a sisters trip in July 2007. We are in our 50's and would like to find a place to go where we are able to walk to attractions, bars, coffee shops, etc. We prefer the small town atmosphere. Any suggestions? BT Editors: A few suggestions: Check out our recent articles on the Coolest Small Towns and Four Walkable Cities _______________________ Denver, CO: Hello! My best friend from college and I are planning a trip to London next fall. We are looking for some suggestions to do it on a budget, including B&B's that would cater to two single women traveling together and possible side trips. Although I have been to London twice, both times were when I was younger and all of the travel plans were made for me. Thank you for any suggestions you can give us! BT Editors: You'll want to check out our London Snap Guide. It's full of recommendations on where to eat, sleep, shop, and play _______________________ Vancover, British Columbia: We are traveling to Vancover in March 2007. We enjoy art theaters, musuems and dining out. What are your top picks? We are in our 60's. BT Editors: You should definitely try to stop by Vancouver Island. You can get there from Vancouver by ferry (bcferries.com). If you like museums, be sure to check out the Royal BC Museum. Also check out the stunning Butchart Gardens. In Vancouver, check out the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Museum of Anthropology. _______________________ BT Editors: Thanks for all your great questions. See you next week! _______________________

"During a research trip to London for Thunderstruck, an unusual bout of scalding weather forced me to transfer to a hotel with air-conditioning. I found a room at The Academy, a sophisticated and well-chilled hotel in a row of Georgian town houses in Bloomsbury. The next day, I began hunting the addresses of key events in my book, and discovered that by sheer coincidence my new room overlooked the very block where my killer and his wife once lived. It was a serendipitous if slightly creepy moment, once of those bursts of historical resonance that I always hope for." --Erik Larson, whose new book Thunderstruck goes on sale Oct. 24. The Academy, 011-44/20-7631-4115, theetoncollection.com, doubles from $188. More Take My Word: Claire Messud on New York Bill Buford on Tuscany Sue Grafton on California Peter Carey on Malaysia