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Now open at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, N.H.: Andy Warhol: Pop Politics. The exhibit showcases more than 60 of the Pop Art phenom's political works—some highlights are images of the Kennedys (including Jackie), Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Mao Zedong, and Richard Nixon, in Warhol's signature cartoon-y color palette. To add some context to the artist's pop culture references, there are archival materials from Warhol's "time capsules". Turns out he was quite a packrat—by the time of his death, he had collected more than 600 boxes of papers, photos, records, and correspondence. The significant materials have been displayed in relation to the exhibit—for example, there's a letter from President-Elect Nixon for administration recommendations. As we approach Election Day (finally), this exhibit presents a timely, relevant way to look back on how we got here. What would Warhol make of politics today? Who knows. But if you get a chance to stroll through his political works, it might be fun to imagine the possibilities. The Currier also has European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs, and sculpture, including works by Picasso, Monet, O'Keeffe, Wyeth, and LeWitt. Manchester is about an hour's drive north of Boston. 150 Ash Street, Manchester, N.H., 603-669-6144, ext. 108, currier.org. Closed Tuesdays, adults $10, kids 18 and under free, admission is free for all ages between 10 a.m. and noon on Saturdays. Exhibition through Jan. 4, 2009. Read about Andy Warhol on pbs.org. MORE TO DO IN MANCHESTER Take a walking tour of downtown. And here's a handy map. MORE TRAVEL BLOGS Visit travel.alltop.com

The first peak-to-peak gondola in North America opens at Whistler Blackcomb Resort in British Columbia, Canada, on December 12. Its 28-person cabins will zip 2.73 miles from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain in 11 minutes—saving skiers valuable time that they can use to tackle over 8,000 acres on both mountain faces. The aptly named Peak 2 Peak gondola operates at a record breaking white-knuckle height; it's suspended 1,427 feet above the valley floor. Daily lift tickets, which include rides on the gondola, start at $66 (U.S. dollars), depending on the time of year. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has also been thinking big and will unveil a faster, spiffier aerial tram (the TramFormation, nicknamed the "Big Red Box") on December 20. It will transport 100 people from Teton Village to the summit of Rendezvous Mountain in nine minutes. That's 50 people and one-and-a-half minutes better than the original tram, which closed for renovations in 2006. From the top, a staggering 10,450 feet above sea level, thrill-seekers can ski one of the largest vertical drops in the United States: 4,139 feet down snaking black-diamond trails. The tram is imprinted with Wyoming's iconic silhouette of a bucking bronco, and it has large glass walls on all sides that offer dramatic views of neighboring Grand Teton National Park. An $82 lift ticket gives skiers unlimited access to the new tram, all the slopes and lifts for the day, while a $20 sightseeing tram ticket lets non-skiers scope out the magnificent views. —Helen I. Hwang

The more staggering a number, the more it can lose resonance. Where to begin getting your head around the fact that a billion people are jammed into the world’s slums? With Norwegian photojournalist Jonas Bendiksen, who zeroes in on a few families in Caracas, Jakarta, Mumbai, and Nairobi. Get to know them through engrossing 360-degree photos and audio clips posted at his site, The Places We Live. Bendiksen makes the world seem not only crowded, but smaller. I found out about The Places We Live through the VSL: Web newsletter, and I've had the topic of overcrowding on my mind lately. I blogged about how cities are grappling with its environmental challenges, and I’ve been caught up in the sweeping, largely autobiographical novel Shantaram, in which the narrator—an escaped Australian convict with a tendency to philosophize—winds up living in an illegal yet thriving Mumbai slum. Are Bendiksen’s photos a close enough look at slum life, or would you consider taking a “poverty tour” on your next trip? We wrote about the trend here and whether it helps or exploits poor communities.

Orlando receives nearly 50 million visitors a year. Many travel to the theme parks, of course. But Disney World alone can cost up to $75 per person per day. Here are a few tours that will show you what else the city has to offer—for free. The City of Orlando offers a free self-guided walking tour and map of the downtown historic district. The 11-page downloadable tour itinerary describes 28 historic buildings across 2.5 miles of downtown. From the 1927 Beaux Arts courthouse to the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church with bricks made by the congregation, there's plenty of local history to absorb. For some exercise, the local chapter of the Florida Trail Association offers free walking tours as well as some bike and paddle excursions. One of the most popular activities is a moonlight tour of the 1880 Greenwood Cemetery. The Winter Park Historical Association and Museum offers self-guided walking tours of 20 sites in this quaint suburb north of downtown. The neighborhood is home to Rollins College and the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, with an extensive collection of Tiffany glass. First founded as an artist colony in 1938, The Maitland Art Center has hosted a number artists over the years including painter Milton Avery. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, its grounds feature Mayan and Aztec motifs on five acres of gardens. Admission to the gallery is $3, but the gardens are free. Come on the third Monday of each month at 3 p.m. (when many other local museums are closed) if you'd like to take an hour-long guided tour of the grounds ($3). A reservation for the tour is required. EARLIER Coming soon: Free admission to Disney on your birthday /theme_parks_get_the_lowdown_fr.html"> Interview with a theme-park insider