Q I am planning a trip with three girlfriends and have had no luck finding a hotel room with two queen beds. Seems most hotel rooms these days have one king. What gives?

A I checked with Joe McInerney of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, and he explained why most hotel rooms have either one king or two double beds. It is all about room size. "The room itself would look small with two queens; they wouldn't leave room for even a desk."

McInerney had several suggestions. You could consider a historic hotel: "Sometimes they merge two smaller rooms and they might put in two queens," he explained. An all-suite hotel could be another option. Otherwise, he said, you could just get cozy. "Finding a room with two doubles should be no problem."

Answers to questions appear weekly in Travel and at startribune.com/escapeartists; send your question by e-mail to travel@startribune.com.

KERRI WESTENBERG

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Cragun's Resort on Gull Lake is offering a "Family Fun Pak" for two- to five-night stays midweek through Aug. 27. Nightly rates start at $129 and include lodging in a lakeview room with fireplace for two adults and up to two children age 12 and under. Nightly family activities include beach games, horse-drawn trolley rides, bonfires, bingo and Family Survivor. The resort has both indoor and outdoor pools, a sandy beach, tennis courts and an indoor sports center. For details, go to www.craguns.com or call 1-800-272-4867.

KERRI WESTENBERG

a new hot spot

Credit last year's Michelin Green Guide Japan or the area's 2004 listing as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Whatever the reason, the number of Europeans who visit Japan's sacred Koyasan area is growing. Located in secluded Koyacho, Wakayama Prefecture, the area was settled by Kukai, also known as Kobo Daishi (774-835), and is recognized as the center of the Shingon sect of Buddhism. It has 117 temples, about half of which have shukubo lodgings, providing overnight accommodation and meals for visitors. "In the past, foreign tourists visited Koyasan after Nara or Kyoto. Recently however, increasing numbers of sightseers are coming to Japan specifically to visit Koyasan, where they can read books and relax in shukubo lodgings," said Noriki Ueki, a Koyasan Tourist Association official.

MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE

WEB WATCH

Where should you go on your next vacation? That depends upon your astrological sign. The new website www.tripbase.com/travelhoroscope/ helps you plan a trip based on your sign. Basically, it's a fun and different way to look for vacations. Punch in your sign -- Aries, Scorpio or Leo, for instance -- and it will describe your travel needs: "Don't give up on seeing beauty -- seek it in overdoses in a design-oriented city." It then suggests trips that are compatible with your astrological sign's needs.

DETROIT FREE PRESS

SIDEROADS

Music from the 19th and 20th centuries will waft through Northfield, Minn., Thursday through next Sunday during the Vintage Band Festival. At parks, pubs, concerts halls and other venues, 25 brass bands from around the world -- including 11 from Minnesota -- will perform in 100 concerts. Baroque-era European music, Civil War marches, New Orleans jazz, alphorns songs and Mexican mariachi will be among the featured styles. The festival also includes the first U.S. performance by the Russian Horn Capella, which will play music that dates to the 1700s. Concerts begin at noon daily and continue on the half-hour throughout the evening. In addition, the festival includes a vintage baseball game, contra dance and the 26th annual meeting of the Historic Brass Society (1-507-663-0319; www.vintagebandfestival.org).

COLLEEN A. COLES

NEXT WEEK IN TRAVEL

With its pristine lake, comfy cabins and kind hospitality, Burntside Lodge makes you want to extend your stay -- or at least return next year.