Think You're So Smart? - Escape the Room

Credit: Escape the Room NYC

It's Saturday night in New York City. Do you (a) take in the latest Broadway show; (b) go out to dinner at a shi shi restaurant; or (c) let yourself be locked in a room where you must decipher a series of clues found around the room in order to get out?

If you feel that C sounds way too similar to the premise of Saw (and you wouldn't be wrong), read no further. But if it sounds like your idea of fun, then dust off your trusty magnifying glass and sign up for Escape the Room. Choose from several scenarios (Victorian-themed home? Office space? Creepy old theater?), round up a group of your smartest friends, and see if you can work together to find the key that'll let you out of the room. It's loads of fun and will get your mental juices flowing. What's the significance of the chess game in progress? What's this message typed out on the old-timey typewriter? Are the eyes on that portrait following you?! Just kidding on that last one. But be warned: Only 20 percent of participants manage to get out of the room before the hour is up, so you'd better be as smart as you think you are, lest your fragile ego be crushed to smithereens. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.

Free Refills! - Waterfall Restaurant

Credit: Growld.com

At the Villa Escudero resort in San Pablo City, Philippines, vacationers can dine at a restaurant where delicious Filipino cuisine is served with a side of waterfall. Yes, as in that wet, cascading, impressive-looking thingy. Not only that, but the bamboo picnic tables are set up at the base of the waterfall, literally in its stream, so while you're eating, spring water is running over your feet. Floating pieces of dropped chicken adobo notwithstanding, it's a pretty neat idea, no?

I'm packing my fanciest poncho with one hand while I type this, and if you have any sense at all, you would, too. After all, you know what they say: You should always whet your appetite while you wet your feet. ... What? No one says that? Well, clever me. Just remember that you heard it here first.

Don't Eat a Big Breakfast Before Visiting - Mütter Museum

Credit: Mütter Museum

What's that? You're wondering where you can go this weekend to view some brains and skulls? Of course you are. The Mütter Museum in Philadelphia is billed as a museum of medical history, and it has on display numerous anatomical goodies, including pieces of Albert Einstein's brain, the conjoined livers of conjoined twins, John Wilkes Booth's thoracic tissue (not sure why they decided to collect that particular body part, but okay), and the pièce de résistance, a 139-piece skull collection. For those who are squeamish about viewing real pieces of anatomy, there are exhibits of medical equipment as well, including a delightful display of an actual Civil War amputation kit.

This museum is not for the faint of stomach or, well, most people. In fact, there's a very good chance you might be heebee-jeebee'd to death. But c'mon - Einstein's brain is on display here. How cool is that? You might even get smarter just by looking at it.*

* You won't get smarter by looking at Albert Einstein's brain.

Enroll Today! - College of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Do you fancy yourself a real Harry Potter fan? Have you read all seven books in one sitting? Dressed up as Neville for Halloween? Applied for a license to own an owl? Well, guess what. That sort of adorably earnest but ultimately noncommittal display of fandom doesn't cut it anymore. Real Potterheads enroll in wizard school in Leśnia, Poland. That's right, there's a real-life WIZARD SCHOOL, and if you're a true fan, you'll fill out an application TODAY.

The Czocha College of Witchcraft and Wizardry is based in a real 13th-century Polish castle, and students who are accepted to the program are provided with robes and textbooks, sorted into different houses, and given lessons in essential life skills such as potion-making and spell-casting. And of course there's Quidditch. I'm not sure how your degree in wizardry will translate to job-readiness in the real world, but no doubt you'll still have an advantage over the psychology and English majors.

Fans of Child Labor Unite! - Baby Boss

I am a big fan of child labor (for proof, see my previous post on Kinderkookkafé). Yes, I know how that sounds and no, I'm not taking it back. Children need to earn their keep, and if it means roughing up those cute little chubby hands, then so be it. Serendipitously, the people of Taiwan agree with this viewpoint and have come up with an ingenious way of disguising child labor as a family attraction.

At Baby Boss in Taipei, children are invited to try their hand at different professions, like construction worker, hairdresser, pizza maker, astronaut, fire fighter. At each job placement, attendants help dress up the kids in convincing costumes, give them a run-down of the job, and let them give the equipment a whirl. It's all very realistic and fun. The fire hoses really spray water, there's a real crane at the construction site, and real pizza gets made (and eaten). At the end of each session, the children are paid in "baby bucks," which they can then spend at the shops within the building. I know. BABY BUCKS. If that's not reason enough to fly to Taiwan immediately, you're obviously a Communist.

And You Thought Your House Needed Work - Upside-Down House

Credit: WonderfulEngineering.com

So here's a trend I never saw coming: upside-down houses. This one, on display at the Tierpark Zoo in Gettorf, Germany, is the the latest in a series of topsy-turvy abodes to be built around the world; some are exhibits open to the public, while others are actual personal dwellings. The interior of these houses are upside-down as well, so the furniture is bolted down (up?) and visitors are required to walk on the "ceilings."

Come to think of it, why live in a boring old right-side-up house when you can live the inverted life? You'd never have to deal with a leaky roof. If a burglar breaks in, he won't be able to steal anything because all the furniture would be stuck to the floor ... er, ceiling. And he'd be very confused. Plus, your neighbors will leave you alone because you're obviously cray cray. Win-win-win. Never has anything made so much sense to me. Excuse me while I go check my local real-estate listings.

Who's Down for Some Hiking? - Haiku Stairs

Did your last vacation include physical activity beyond lifting piña coladas? Is your idea of fun doing a lap around the nearest national park? Do you own a walking stick? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I'm not sure I can be friends with you. You're probably in better shape than I am and look better than I do. But I'll let you in on a secret anyway. There exists in Oahu, Hawaii, a hike that offers fantastic views of the top of Pu'u Keahi a Kahoe. Consisting of steps, platforms and ladders (some completely vertical), the Haiku Stairs, or "Stairway to Heaven," leads visitors more than 2,300 feet up, from Haiku Valley to a peak that rises above the clouds. The rickety 4,000-step path was originally constructed during World War II to provide access to transmission stations at the top of the ridge.

Before you run to grab your walking stick, I must tell you that it's currently illegal to attempt this hike, as no one wants to see "stairway to heaven" become a literal term - although there are plans in the works to reopen the stairs to the public. Trespassers have been stopped by the police, and tickets have been issued, so you have been warned! I do not encourage or condone illegal behavior! Unless you're planning on bringing me back some spam musubi, in which case, carry on.

Is That a Microchip in My Food? - Haohai Robot Restaurant

Caption: Quirky China News / Rex Features

When I was a kid, I was sure that by the time I grew up there'd be robots everywhere, taking care of all the things I didn't want to do. They'd walk the dog, water the plants, attend my company holiday parties. Well, here I am in the future, a proper adult ... with nary a robot servant in sight. What gives?

Turns out I'm living in the wrong country. In Harbin, China, there's a restaurant called Haohai that's staffed by robots. Robots take your order, prepare your food, bring them to your table, even serenade you upon request. Next time I'm in China, I think I'll pop in and try to convince one of these guys to come do my laundry. Just don't tip too badly, or the robots will, of course, revolt. And then the robot apocalypse will be on you.

Wreck Diving for the Wealthy - Visiting the Titanic

Did you know that you can go see the Titanic? Like, the famous ship that crashed into an iceberg. Like, the actual wreck at the bottom of the ocean. Like, the real Titanic that carried the Astors and Leo DiCaprio. Well, that last part may or may not be factually correct, but whatever. I can see you're already on board (snicker).

All you gotta do is fork over sixty grand. Oh, I should've mentioned that first? Apologies. But get this - after you turn in that chunk of change, you get to hop on a tiny submersible vessel with Great Canadian Adventure Company in Edmonton and sink 12,460 feet to the spot where the Titanic has been resting for more than a hundred years. Marine biologists accompany you on the dive to tell you what you're looking at and make sure you don't meet a similarly tragic fate on your own nautical adventure. Can't you hear the strains of "My Heart Will Go On" already? That's your cue to start saving your loose change for the trip. Because why pay down your mortgage when you could go on an undersea exploration of the biggest FAIL in history?

It's Not Bad for You If You Live in It - Palacio de Sal

I'm a member of Team Salt. Don't get me wrong - I love me some sweet, too, but salt is what keeps me going through the day. It looks like the people who run Palacio de Sal in Bolivia have somehow gotten wind of my vices and decided to exploit them - by building the world's only salt hotel, on the banks of the world's largest salt flat. The walls of the hotel are made entirely of salt, as are the ceilings and the furniture. The guest rooms are shaped like igloos, only they're made from salt blocks. I know. Let the licking commence!

Actually, there's a strict policy against licking at this hotel, as the point of it is to provide a therapeutic atmosphere, not a delicious one. Which is kind of like saying, "Here's a kettle-cooked potato chip ... now RELAX IN IT." I guess I'll have to settle for the meals prepared by the hotel's dining room, which specializes in dishes made with sugar. Nah, I'm kidding. It's salt.