Are You Looking For Something A Little Out Of The Ordinary

 
There's nothing that spells getaway like plunging into an exotic vacation experience, climbing into a bed made by someone else or being served fabulous caviar on ice.  Let's be clear, though -- we're talking literally plunging, actually climbing and really, truly on ice.
 

If what you need is not just a break from routine, but from routine vacations, how about a cozy undersea suite? Or a room with a view...from a lighthouse, treehouse, or fire tower? Would you like a yurt or a yacht, a vast castle or a snug little haunt?

 
Look no further than a new Web site dedicated to out-of-the-ordinary lodging: 
  

The site itself is an escape. Even if staying in an ice hotel isn't something you would actually do, it's fun to look at the surreal photo of the Snow Castle in Finland or read about the amazing art carved from the walls at the Ice Hotel in Quebec. And when stress at work really piles up, with a simple click you can gaze at an unbelievably snug "den" in a cave at Kokapellil's Cave Bed and Breakfast in New Mexico or fathom a fully appointed underwater suite at Jules' Undersea Lodge (no extra charge for a water view, complete with fish).

Did you even know that you can experience your castle fantasy without going abroad?  That you can feel like King Arthur...in Iowa?  Time travel back to 12th Century Norman in...Ohio?  Cross moats, scale towers and gaze upon gargoyles in...Texas? 

Most vacationers have no idea they can stay in fire lookout, but OddInns lists more than 60 of them around the U.S., plus provides links to more than 30 treehouse accommodations around the world, including ultra-romantic Secrets on the Lake in Australia, where sunken spa tubs and double showers come standard amid the branches. And the appeal of lighthouses for seekers of the uncommon is obvious -- dozens of them are listed.    

While such exotic lodging options -- plus railroad cars, hike-in lodges, winery lodging, and yacht experiences -- can be found at OddInns, for those not quite ready for climbing or plunging, the current feature highlights ideal National Park Lodges. Ahwahnee at Yosemite, the Hotel of Many Glaciers at Glacier National Park, and Sawtelle Mountain Resort in Idaho are among the lodges featured. 
 

And, yes, also featured are hotels and bed-and-breakfasts you can drive right to, that have perfectly normal rooms and features. So what if the bellman died ages ago at one and at another  another a dead soldier keeps changing the music to country? A bit of haunting just enriches one's experience and doesn't add anything to the cost.
 
 

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