Whether you are traveling or enjoying the holiday weekend at home, be safe and happy!

Remember my post about the excellent Rhode Island School of Design Museum? When I visited, the school was building a new gallery called the Chace Center and it opened to the public yesterday. The center’s inaugural exhibition is a collection by renowned glass artist and RISD alumnus and teacher, Dale Chihuly. Chihuly is famous for creating colorful, large scale hand blown glass sculptures. You may have seen his work in upscale hotels like the Bellagio in Las Vegas and Atlantis in the Bahamas. Also on display at the Chace are glass works by students of Chihuly who studied under him at RISD. The exhibit runs through January 2009.

Chihuly at RISD

When I’m in a strange place, I don’t always feel safe hanging my purse on the back of my chair and I hate putting it on a dirty floor. The Purse Keeper is great because it allows you to hang your bag from a counter or table so you can keep it securely in your sight. It’s small and easy to carry, works on just about any flat surface and it’s even stylish!

$14.85 Magellan’s

Travelers appreciate a unique bag so I love this swim cap toiletry case. Made out of colorful, retro bathing caps, they’ve been fitted with zippers and name tag chains. They are stretchy, durable and, of course, waterproof.

$25 Charles & Marie

The U.S. State Department is now issuing Passport Cards which will serve as an alternative to the traditional book Passport for some people. What is the difference? The Passport Card is not valid for international air travel but can be used for travel into Canada and Mexico by car or into Bermuda and the Caribbean by boat. It’s wallet sized and $55 cheaper than the Passport book. If you are a frequent international traveler, it won’t work for you but it’s perfect for those who prefer to travel close to the U.S. by driving or cruising across the borders.

U.S. Passport Card

Next week, the first ever international version of Monopoly will hit stores. Instead of Boardwalk and Illinois Avenue, players will buy real estate in Montreal and London. The 22 cities that appear on the new game board were chosen online by fans who cast over 5 million votes. Chance and Community Chest cards will reflect global scenarios and tokens, houses and hotels will also have an international flare. Best of all, cash balances will be tracked with credit cards and a digital banking device in lieu of paper money!

$34.99 Monopoly.com

Pilots Scott Kasprowicz and Steve Sheik have broken the record for flying around the world in a helicopter. The 23,000 mile journey took them over 24 time zones and 14 countries and and was completed in 11 days, an astonishing 6 days earlier than the previous record.

You can read more about their trip on their official website:

The Grand Adventure

Orbitz has debuted a new section on its website for booking vacation home rentals. Travelers looking for an alternative to hotels can book private homes, condos, cottages, and cabins for their next trip. This is particularly useful for families looking for extra space and those who prefer to cook in their own kitchen while traveling. Renting a vacation home is also often cheaper than multiple hotel rooms. At the moment, they are only offering bookings for destinations in the United States.

Orbitz Vacation Rentals

Keeping your clothes wrinkle free during travel can be a challenge, especially when it comes to formal wear. The Eagle Creek Pack-It Folder comes with a special folding board and instructions to help you keep 7-15 garments organized and crisp. You can use it for shirts or pants and it will fit easily into most carry-ons. It’s also stain and water resistant for added protection.

$22-$28 Eagle Creek

Getting married can be so expensive that sometimes couples decide to skip a honeymoon. A great way for newlyweds to keep their trip without breaking the bank is to let guests help pay for it by creating a honeymoon registry. Friends and family can log on to the registry and choose vacation expenses or activities to pay for.

Here are a few websites that provide this service for a fee of 7-7 1/2% of the trip cost:

Travelersjoy.com

Sendusoff.com

Honeymoonwishes.com

Source: The Wall Street Journal