Experiencing art reaches a new level at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Olafur Eliason's exhibition "Take Your Time" fills the fifth floor of SFMOMA, and centers around a prismatic tunnel made from hundreds of acute-angled triangles formed from transparent, mirrored or opaque acrylic. The tunnel is part of a footbridge 75 feet above the museum's atrium floor. Moving through the work titled "One-way color tunnel" is to be inside a huge kaleidoscope as light from the museum's massive skylight above is broken into constantly changing jewel-like colors and patterns reflected on the tunnel walls. For the past 15 years the Icelandic artist has been quietly creating "total immersion" art. (Think the giant artificial sun and mirrored ceiling in Tate Modern's turbine hall, and dying city rivers bright green to make urban dwellers look anew at their surroundings.) "Take Your Time" features his sculpture, photography, and commissions that unify his 15-year career and will embark on a national tour following its San Francisco debut. Through Feb. 24, www.sfmoma.com.

BOOKS

FROM COMFORT OF HOME, GO ON 500 OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST TRIPS

With the season in mind, here is a coffee-table book extraordinaire for anyone with a taste for travel. National Geographic "Journeys of a Lifetime" lays out 500 of the world's greatest trips in the magazine's inimitable style, organized by mode of transport: across water, by air, road, rail, and on foot. Peruse the Top 10 Canal Trips in the world or Top 10 ancient highways. Go on an India cuisine tour or fly across Alaska on a bush plane.

(Flying High in Paradise: A helicopter flight into Waimea Canyon on Kaua'i makes the 500). Stunning photographs and maps accompany each destination with advance planning advice on when to go, how long it takes and insider tips about highlights not to miss.

"The book is a glorious celebration of the world's most magical journeys. ... It's about the going, not just the arriving," says editor Keith Bellows in the introduction. Four hundred pages, 400 photographs, 200 maps. Put it on your list today. $40.

EYE IN THE SKY

STARGAZING CRUISES OFF WAI'ANAE WHEN METEOR SHOWERS PAINT SKY

Call it celestial lottery. The end of the year is the time to catch free shows in the heavens as the Leonids, Taurids, Geminids and Quadrantids (Jan. 3) meteor showers fall over Hawai'i. Wild Side specialty tours offer stargazing cruises on the Wai'anae Coast to observe the showers from their 42-foot catamaran. No special equipment or knowledge required; all you need are your eyes, and dark skies. Though hard to predict how spectacular they will be, word is that the Geminids shower, peaking Dec. 14, is the one to watch. www.sailhawaii.com/meteorshower.html.

Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.