Find an alternative to a hotel room

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You can find a warm bed … and four normal walls … in just about any hotel room. So, if you’re looking to defy convention every step of the way, opt for a yurt, treehouse or prison, instead.

Unusual Hotels of the World (the name explains everything) says that you can crash in an igloo anywhere from Finland to Quebec, but be sure to bring a coat. Or, you can climb into bed after climbing into a treehouse. Out ‘n’ About Treesort in Cave Junction, OR and Winvian (near Litchfield, CT) are on the list.

Closed spaces are accommodated by any number of cave hotels. You can spelunk to the lounge in Turkey and Spain, or you can just go to Parthenon, AR, where the Beckham Creek Cave Haven can be found.

[Via Toronto Sun via Associated Press]

[Photo by Bill Janis]

Mystic Caverns for sale on eBay

by Meg Massie on

Looking to invest in some real estate while interest rates are low? How about your own cave?

Steve Rush, owner of Mystic Caverns in northern Arkansas, is looking to unload this tourist attraction. He’s put the set of two caves, which draw approximately 15,000 visitors per year, up for sale on eBay. He’s asking just shy of $900,000 for what he calls a business investment.

Rush has been hosting visitors to Mystic Cave and Crystal Dome since 1992, but attendance has trailed off since a nearby amusement park closed in the late 90’s, and Rush wants to devote more of his own time to Christian ministry. He says the buyer of the caverns should have a flair for entertainment, as visitors want more than just information.

The caverns are tourist-ready, with rock walkways, lighting, and a gift shop all included in your purchase. So far, nearly 20,000 visitors have viewed the listing, but it’s still up for grabs as of this post. How many times do you get the opportunity to buy your own caverns? What would you do with Mystic Caverns if you could buy it?

The spread of Wal-Marts over time

by Justin Glow on

For those of you that aren’t from the United States, and haven’t had a chance to visit yet, it might be hard to visualize just how many Wal-Marts we have.

In 2005, there were roughly 3,800 stores in the United States, which honestly doesn’t sound like a lot until you realize just how big the stores are. To put it into a better prospective, the company employs roughly 1.9-million people — enough to take the #5 spot of U.S. cities with the highest population if it were, you know, a city. Pretty wild stuff. (And what a city that would be!)

Toby over at Kiwitobes.com took Wal-Mart’s location data and created a time lapse video showing the growth rate of the chain around the country. Starting with the first store in Arkansas in 1962, it runs through the years, placing a white dot as a new one opens. To watch the video, click the image above.

[Via BoingBoing]

Geraldi’s of Eureka Springs

by Adrienne Wilson on

Did I forget to mention an essential part of my day trip to Eureka Springs – of course not! I knew if I got started talking about food anywhere in the previous piece we wouldn’t have gotten any further so I saved for a plug of its own. Before we boarded our trolley we figured it’d be a good idea to fuel up and word on the town was Geraldi’s was yummy and cheap. No questions asked – we headed right over.

It’s a small Italian food spot tucked between souvenir shops and more souvenir shops. Very casual dining space with simple Italian inspired decor. The waiter was a young guy with a welcoming smile and well attentive. We were all hungry so it didn’t take long to decide what we wanted to order. I went for a salad, side of olives, and an Italian sausage sandwich. My stomach was roaring from the aroma of dishes passing by. I devoured my salad in moments after it arrived. With fork and knife in the air I sat waiting for my sandwich. Was I that hungry or was the food really that appetizing? Both? When my lunch arrived I did my best to eat slowly so to savor the sauce, cheese and sausage taste all at once. There was no point. It was gone. Gulp!

Got Geraldi’s?

Geraldi’s is located at 61 B S Main Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632. Ph. (479) 253-6511

Exploring the Ozarks – Eureka Springs, Arkansas

by Adrienne Wilson on


Making the time to write this piece on Eureka Springs has been no easy task. I’ve been trying to get it off my plate since June 6th – a few days after hanging around the Arkansas town located in the Ozarks, but never got a chance until now. Tanya, one of the walkers on the tour, had proclaimed herself the Ambassador of Fun for the day and I decided to roll with a few others in the group to get in on all this fun. Unusual considering I often enjoyed spending my spare time alone and away from the other walkers, but she promised Eureka Springs to be something of an exciting adventure. I couldn’t pass it up. I needed to see it with my own two.

The ride up to the mountain area was curvy and a bit narrow for my comfort zone. We were high up there and going higher. Once things leveled out a little I opened my eyes and found a cute town before me. Streets lined with shops and summertime local tourists picking up trinkets wandered around. We parked next to the trolley station and got tickets for the next ride further up into this jewel in the Ozarks.

From the trolley ride I could tell one day was not going to be enough time to see everything the town was made of, but I gathered these observations. If you’re wanting to escape somewhere amazing and away from the rest of the world in the U.S. Arkansas and the Ozarks is the place to go. Hidden from practically everything you can check in to a cozy B&B like 5ojo Inn located at 5 Ojo Street or the famous Crescent Hotel & Spa. Expect to feel both pampered and at home. Cabins and cottages are also available for those who want to be closer to outdoor recreational activities like fishing (they have one of the biggest trout populations around). To plan your escape I suggest checking out the Eureka Springs website for further detail on bookings, rates, and attractions.

As far as my day went it was fun, relaxing and the highlight for me was seeing the Christ of the Ozarks Statue (above) where they also host the Great Passion Play. Don’t ask me why I got geeked up by this statue. Oh, and Tanya is not available as an Ambassador of Fun, you’ll need to find one of your own.