Three Unusual Hotels Across the Country

You don’t have to travel across an ocean for a one-of-a-kind hotel experience — in fact, some of these hotels might only be a day trip away. Need a vacation? Check into one of these gems:

Turpentine Creek in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
You may have never imagined Arkansas could have something in common with Africa, until you check into Turpentine Creek. Originally a lodge for big cats found in peoples’ homes and the black market, Turpentine Creek now allows guests to sleep among big cats like lions and tigers, so long as guests don’t mind being awoken by growls in the night.
 
Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida
After providing scuba lessons and room keys, Jules Undersea Lodge invites guests to dive in and swim to their hotel rooms. Take about rooms with a view: the Lodge lets you get upclose and personal with fascinating sealife.  

Earthship Biotecture in Tres Peidras, New Mexico
To get prepared for the future and deep space, reserve a sustainable space pod in Earthship Biotecture. Made of sustainable materials, the pods also recycle gray water, grow food, and let you stream Netflix to your television.

Five Must-Visit Caves In America

If you’ve ever been wowed by the natural mystery and splendor of a cave or cavern, then you know the many fascinations that cave exploration can offer. Read on to learn about some of the most compelling caves in America, certain to satisfy the underground explorer in you:
 
Maramec Caverns, Missouri
This dazzling cave system, which has been rated one of the best in the United States, is located near St. Louis. There are seven levels of caves available for touring, each offering a different variety of fascinating formations and underground landscapes. And added benefit if the Maramec Caverns is that they are located in the State Park, so visitors can explore the natural splendor aboveground after they’ve taken in all the wonders of the caves. 
 
Luray Caverns, Virginia
These caves, located in the stunningly gorgeous Shenandoah Valley, are some of the largest and most-visited caves in America. The unique rock formations, colors, and sounds of the underground world at Luray Caverns will captivate you. Make sure to visit Luray’s famous and celebrated “Stalacpipe Organ,” known as the world’s largest musical instrument. The way it works is this: stalactites covering nearly four acres of the surrounding caves produce symphonic musical tones when electronically tapped by specialized mallets. It’s a music like none you’ve ever heard and definitely a major drawing point of the Luray Cavern experience.
 
The Lost Sea Caverns, Tennessee
The Lost Sea Caverns in Tennessee contain the largest underground lake in the United States, which you can explore via a guided tour in a glass-bottomed boat. You’ll be dazzled by the beauty of the caverns, relishing the exotic cave flowers, startling rock formations, and vast lake. You can also take flashlight tours if you want a truly memorable and atmospheric experience that brings the caves to life. The above-ground offerings in the area are great, too, including an eighteenth-century village and a variety of excellent restaurants, shopping venues, and cultural offerings.
 
Natural Bridge Caverns, Texas
The Natural Bridge Cavern system is a major attraction located near San Antonio. It is the largest cave system in Texas, very popular with families and ideal for trips with schools, camps, and scouting groups. Natural Bridge offers a variety of compelling tour options, including an “Illuminations Tour,” which will let you fully experience the darkness inside the caverns (while relishing rock formations dramatically lit in eye-dazzling ways), a “Lantern Tour,” which give you a chance to carry your own lantern through the caves like a mid-century cave explorer, and an “Adventure Tour,” which is designed for those who love physical challenges (rock climbing, crawling, obstacle courses, etc). There are also several great resources and tours to help you learn about the area’s fascinating mining history.
 
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
In this massive cave system, the largest in the world, there are over 300 miles of underground terrain to explore. The cave’s vast chambers and labryinthine twists and turns offer an endlessly fascinating underground adventure. There are cave tours offered for every level of experience and intensity, and the cave’s location in a National Park makes it ideal for people who want to explore a richly fascinating above-ground wilderness as well. The park is full of wonderful hiking, biking, and walking trails, fun activities for kids, and bustling wildlife. 

Best Ghost Tours Around The Country

Have you ever found yourself fascinated with the idea of paranormal activity? Maybe you’re a true believer in ghosts and maybe you just enjoy the goosebumpy fun of Halloween-and-Horror-movie style thrills – either way, you’re sure to get a kick out of taking a ghost tour at one of these purportedly haunted spots around the country:

Ghosts of Gettysburg
This hugely popular ghost tour company offers candlelight walking tours around the houses, quaint streets, and fields of Gettysburg Town – an area that many claim is haunted by the ghosts of Civil War soldiers and citizens. In fact, many ghost aficionados consider Gettysburg the most haunted town in America. Knowledgeable guides will lead you through cemeteries, former battlefields, and houses and buildings were reports of ghostly activity have been made.
 
The Haunted Haight Walking Tour
This is an eerie and fun evening journey through San Francisco’s famous Haight-Ashbury district. Once a huge hippie stomping ground, the district has a long and colorful history, not to mention a reputation as a region popular with paranormal enthusiasts. On this tour, you’ll garner fascinated information about the ghosts, witches, and various macabre activities associated with Haight-Ashbury.
 
Appalachian Ghost Walks
This is a truly spooktastic ghost tour company that explores the ghostly heritage of mountain life Appalachia. The company offers award- tours with expert guides (many of them certified ghost hunters) in both East Tennessee and West Virginia. The tours are packed with fascinating information about the regions so they are just as compelling to history buffs as they are to ghost buffs.
 
Haunted Parkersburg Ghost Tours
This company provides popular and thrillingly eerie tours through the quaint streets of downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia. Your guide will tell you all about the area’s haunted history and fill you with unforgettable anecdotes of the region’s paranormal activity – including tales of railroad ghosts and Civil War spirits. You’ll also learn about (and hopefully encounter!) some revered local figures on the ghost scene, such as the East End Ghoul and the Banshee of Marrtown.
 
Ghost Tours of Galveston Island
These entertainingly goosebumpy tours are led by a lifelong researcher of paranormal activity, Dash Beardsley, known for organizing some of the most memorable ghost tour experiences available today. On his Galveston tour, you’ll explore the historic (and famously haunted) Strand District. You’ll earn about the history of the area while visiting a variety of eerie places where ghostly sightings have occurred.