Subject:

offbeat

One of my favorite ways to view art is in a house museum, a collection of art that is in the home of it's original owner instead of a museum. The home itself can often be a treat with original furnishings and period decor. More importantly, you get the privilege of seeing art on a real scale, as it was meant to be displayed. Instead of seeing art in a sterile white box, you get a unique and highly personal display of a collector's treasures. The next time you're heading to a new city, don't overlook a house museum.

The highlight of any American roadtrip is a glitzy, gimmicky roadside attraction. Bright lights, oversized dinosaurs, and miles of billboards telling you to stop. So, what better place to spend the night on a trip down Route 66 than at the historic Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona?

With planes, trains and a hobbit hole, Woodlyn Park in New Zealand offers unique retreats just a few hours south of Auckland.

Public art can be, well, bad. If you've had a chance to visit any major American city in the last few years, you've most likely seen the city's attempt at public art geared for tourists. Every summer, they roll out a cast animal sculpture, ask local artists to decorate it, and place them around town in heavily visited tourist attractions. Washington, DC had the pandas, Seattle had its pigs, and Berlin even had bears. While these may have given local artists a chance to express themselves, all-in-all they were pretty uninspiring.

Instead of checking out what the local tourism board has deemed good art, Seattle has plenty of public art to inspire you....for free.

Does this look like Paris to you? Me neither, but Huttopia Versailles is just five minutes from the Palace of Versailles and a mere twenty minutes from the Eiffel Tower. (By car, we're assuming.) If you're into camping, the Huttopia may be the perfect solution for a peaceful retreat just steps away from civilization.

If you've ever wanted to stay in a spaceship, the Capsule Hotel in the Netherlands may let you live out your fantasy. Not a spaceship, but a recycled TEMPS (totally enclosed motor propelled survival craft) often used in offshore drilling. It offers a cosy and offbeat place to rest your weary bones while in the Netherlands.

When we're in a new city, I always want to check out its artistic treasures. Instead of always turning directly to the museum, I like to look outside of the big white box. After my eyes (and my wallet) have had their fill of art on the wall, I like to seek out lesser known venues. Public spaces always offer a wide variety of art to see, often for free, regardless of what country you are visiting.

We read recently on Tony Wheeler's blog (that's Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame) that when he needed to get from the UK to Italy, he decided to skip the affordable, quick trip on Easy Jet and take a ride down on the Orient Express. We were intrigued and the idea of chugging across Europe in a vintage locomotive appealed to our romantic sensibilities. But, his account of his trip was noticeably lacking any details on how one could take such a trip themselves. Details that we quickly learned took this romantic ride deep into luxury travel territory.

Visiting a work of art is always a thrill, but what about staying in one? Several Frank Lloyd Wright residents are open for overnight guests, including the Seth Peterson House, seen above.

Did you know you can hop aboard a container ship and sail the high seas? Neither did we, but think we may have found the perfect vacation for those who want to travel to foreign lands, but don't want to hop on a cruise ship through the Carribean.