World's Largest Fort - The Minister's Tree House

Situated off a back country road in Crossville, Tennessee, is the world's largest tree house/hotel, dubbed The Minister's Tree House by the religious man who built it. With 10 stories supported by seven oak trees, the hotel of 80 rooms is made entirely of wood, complete with a church and bell tower on the top level.

If you think this place sounds like a fire hazard, well, the local fire marshal agrees. Even with its firm no smoking policy, the hotel was shut down a few years ago and today stands empty, although the owner is still trying to get it open.

Wheeee! - Ten-Story Slide at City Museum

What's the best part of the playground - the swings? Nah. The monkey bars? Boring. The see-saw? That's just an accident waiting to happen. Here's the correct answer: the slide! And here's where you can find the most awesome slide in the whole world: City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, which features a 10-story slide that deposits you in a room called "the Fungeon."

Actually, all of City Museum is pretty cool, created by an artist who wanted to build a museum-playground that would appeal to kids and adults alike. Among other attractions, there's a giant indoor tree house and a human-size hamster wheel, as well as a display of the world's largest pair of underwear. And everything's made from reclaimed materials. But seriously? They had me at "giant slide."

Catching a Bite to Eat - Lambert's Café

If you find yourself in Missouri with a hankering for carbs, the place to go is Lambert's Café, where they apparently sell the biggest, most buttery rolls on this side of the Ozarks. The only catch? You'll need to know how to catch -- the only way to get your hands on the dinner rolls is to field one from the waiters, who chuck them at you from across the room.

Visitors come from afar just to catch the rolls at Lambert's, at the risk of getting bonked in the head by a stray piece of bread. But hey, I could think of worse, less delicious things to be hit in the head with.

No PhotoShop Necessary - Watkins Glen State Park

Sometimes a trippy place is right in my own backyard. Such was the case with Watkins Glen State Park in New York, which features a gorge trail that looks like a computer screensaver. Everywhere you turn you're hit with another unreal view.

Cliff faces carved from thousands of years of stream erosion? Sure, they're here. Waterfalls? There's 19 of them. Beautifully carved stone bridges? Got 'em, and I'll raise you 800 spellbinding stone steps. A place like this is so lush and stunning, you'll feel like a miniature person in a carefully kept terrarium. And who hasn't fantasized about being one of those?

Oh, Deer - Nara Park

Credit: Amusing Planet

Think deer are skittish animals that run at the first sight of humans? Think again. At Nara Park in Japan, the deer do run -- but it's right toward you. Especially if you're holding one of the deer cookies that are sold around the park. Because it turns out that cookies are more delicious than grass.

There are about 1,200 free-roaming deer in the park, and they're believed by the Shinto to be messengers of the gods. Messengers or not, these deer want their snacks. Deer eating cookies -- doesn't get more adorable than that.

Land Before Time - Dinosaur Place

You never know where you might come across a dinosaur. For example, you probably didn't think they'd pop up in southeastern Connecticut, and yet that's exactly where you'll find a whole bunch of them, in all their life-size glory.

The Dinosaur Place in Montville features 40 realistic-looking dinosaurs along a shady trail that runs through a park. All of the dinosaurs stand still in their designated places, except for one, the animatronic Dilophosaurus that's tucked away in a cave. There's a sign outside the cave that warns visitors that this attraction may be frightening for small children, and after going in to view it myself, my conclusion is that they need to make that sign larger! My blood ran cold at the sound of its screeching, and when it spat "venom" at me, I almost fell over in terror. The thing is positively evil. So maybe stay away from the Dilophosaurus if you've got a heart condition.

Gnome Man's Land - Gnomesville

Love gnomes? What am I saying – who doesn’t? As far as creepy-yet-cute lawn ornaments go, gnomes definitely take the prize. They’re even cuter and creepier when they congregate in their own little village, the way they do in Gnomesville, Wellington Mill, Australia. Here you can view more than 3,000 gnomes that have been dropped off in the bush by visitors from around the world. Just don’t take a gnome with you – it’ll bring you bad luck until it’s returned to its home. Plus, kidnapping gnomes is kind of a jerk thing to do.

   

No one knows exactly how Gnomesville started, although there plenty are legends and folklore surrounding its origins (as there should be). Some say that the first gnome was placed there to protest a road that was being built in the area, while others think that it magically appeared all by itself. My money’s on the latter explanation. Considering the subject matter, it just makes more sense.  

Buggy Nights - Waitomo Glow Worm Cave

Credit: paraskhnio.gr

I don't know about you, but I prefer my bugs cute and glow-in-the-dark. Not a fan of earthworms, for example, but glow worms I love. Which is why I'm remortgaging my house to pay for coach tickets on a 24-hour flight for the whole family to Waikato, New Zealand, where thousands of an indigenous species of glow worm hang out on the ceiling of Waitomo cave, doing their glowing thing.

Full disclosure, though: Glow worms aren't really worms at all, but a type of fly larvae. And it turns out that the luminescence comes from their excretory organs. You can see why the New Zealand tourism board went with "glow worms" instead. Still, the revolting truth won't be deterring me from viewing this natural wonder, and if you consider yourself an animal lover, you'd be wise to do the same.

Chinese Food Just Got Cuter - Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine

Credit: Hello Kitty Chinese Cuisine / Facebook

If you've ever wondered what Hello Kitty tastes like, you can find out at the world's first Hello Kitty dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong. The undoubtedly adorable eatery offers almost 40 dishes based on the famous cat, including shrimp buns that resemble her face and noodles fashioned into the shape of her bow. If that's not fine dining, I don't know what is.

I love how Hello Kitty is slowly but surely taking over the world. First it was just clothes and dolls, then it graduated to appliances and housewares, and now it's restaurants and even hotels. I predict that she'll be the first cat president by 2024. You heard it here first.

Riding on Stars - Van Gogh-Roosegaarde Bike Path

Credit: ABC News

If you've ever been to the Netherlands, you know that biking is the preferred mode of transportation there. Look the wrong way while crossing the street, and you'll get mowed down by not one bike, but an entire fleet of bikes. I know because it almost happened to me. I also tried renting a bike while I was there, which proved to be an equally humiliating experience, as the Dutch are certified giants while I'm the size of a prepubescent girl. I was finally assigned a children's bike that was still too large, because it seems that even Dutch children of bike-riding age are taller than me.

Given all this grief, the Dutch would have to come up with a pretty awesome attraction to lure me back to their country. Which they now have, dammit. The world's first glow-in-the-dark bike path can be found in Eindhoven, and it features polished, solar-charged stones arranged in the same pattern as the stars in Van Gogh's "Starry Night." Artist Daan Roosegaarde designed the path as a tribute to Eindhoven's most famed resident, and you literally get to ride across a glowing, twinkling work of art. So, yeah. I'm going back to the Netherlands. But this time I'm bringing some platform shoes with me.

Roll With It - Zorbing

Credit: Holleyweb.com

Maybe you like the idea of rolling down a hill in a carefree manner, but you're fussy about grass stains. Or you've always wondered what it's like to be a hamster. Or you're just plain crazy. Whatever the reason, there exists an activity in Rotorua, New Zealand, called Zorbing, in which people pay good money to roll down a grassy hill in a giant plastic ball.

Of course you can customize your hill-rolling adventure. Do you want to be strapped in or bouncing free? Would you like some water added into your ball so that you get splashed in the face while you're rolling? Perhaps you would like to tack on the adventure package, in which your ball switchbacks down the hill and does a vertical drop off the edge in the end. Whatever the case, remember to wear clothing that won't come loose and accidentally reveal anything. Because you'll want to be able to crawl out of your giant plastic ball with your dignity intact.

What's the Password? - Safe House Restaurant

Credit: OnMilwaukee.com

So you probably don't expect to find any spies or undercover activity going on in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (and you probably wouldn't), but what you can find there is a restaurant devoted to espionage called Safe House. And I mean that you literally have to find it. The entrance is hidden somewhere in an alley way, and even after you figure out which door it is, you need to offer up a worthy password to get in.

Once you're inside, the spy theme continues. I'd tell you more about it, but then I'd have to kill you. Just kidding! Covert activities include finding the secret phone booths and accepting missions that take you on a tour of the restaurant, which is filled with spy memorabilia. The menu features items such as the "squeak-easy" (batter-dipped Wisconsin cheese curds topped with a secret sauce, natch), and the drink of the house is, of course, the martini. Mmm ... cheese curds and martinis. Offer me that combo and I'll tell you anything you want to know. Guess M16 won't be hiring me anytime soon.

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.

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.

Turning the Tables on Dinnertime - Kinderkookkafé

I've often heard that restaurants are the most difficult businesses to run. Well, if this is true, why, may I ask, is there a restaurant in Amsterdam that's completely staffed by CHILDREN? At Kinderkookkafé, kids ages five to twelve make the food, serve it, clean up, and bring you the check. It is literally child's play, and guess what? It's a huge success, to the point where you typically need a reservation to get a table.

Before you call child services, don't worry, the restaurant is also a legitimate daycare. There are a couple of grownups on the scene, helping the kids read recipes and making sure no boogers make it into your soup. Parents are typically the ones dining at Kinderkookkafé, but completely unrelated patrons are welcome as well. I know what you food snobs are thinking. Is there a decent grape juice list? You'll have to dine in to find out.

Bigger Is Better - Monster Truck Bus Tour at Showcase of Citrus

At Showcase of Citrus in Clermont, Florida, you can pick oranges off trees, buy farm-fresh produce ... and take a ride in a monster truck bus. That's right, it's part monster truck, part bus, and it's billed as the world's largest 4x4. I've never been prouder to be an American.

The one-hour ecotour begins with a climb up a very long stepladder to board the truck-bus. What takes place next is no monster rally, but it's still pretty fun. You drive through ponds, hurl oranges at cows to eat, maybe even take a turn at the wheel. The tour ends in the farm's parking lot, but unfortunately does not include the experience of rolling over a row of parked cars. Seems a little anticlimactic to me. Maybe I'll put in a suggestion on Yelp.

World's Cutest History Lesson - The Teddy Bear Museum

When was the last time you had a history lesson taught to you by a teddy bear? If your answer is "never," then you'd better get your unfortunate butt down to the nearest airport and hop on a plane to Seoul, Korea, which boasts the world's cuddliest attraction, the Teddy Bear Museum. Visitors are treated to endearing exhibits of teddy bears reenacting pivotal points of Korean history, as well as famous scenes from around the world, such as Da Vinci's "The Last Supper." It is seriously as charming as it sounds.

And just when you thought teddy bears couldn't get any cuter, the museum features the world's smallest teddy bear, at 4.5 millimeters. Go. Just go. But don't blame me if you are, in fact, adorabled beyond recognition.

Fairy Real Estate - Mackworth Island

So you don't believe in fairies? Silly grownup. Then explain to me why there's a whole island off the coast of Portland, Maine, that's covered with fairy houses. If fairies didn't exist, they wouldn't need houses, would they? That's some foolproof logic right there.

On Mackworth Island, which is accessed via a causeway from the city, visitors are encouraged to construct fairy houses for the island's mystical inhabitants. The island is literally covered in tiny homes. But before you rush out to Home Depot, here are the rules: All the building materials have to be natural items found on the island. So twigs, shells and leaves are ok. Pavers, granite countertops, and Terrazo flooring, not so much. Even with these building restrictions visitors have constructed some pretty awesome homes. I saw some pieces of real estate that I'd pay good money for. Except then I'd probably get into a bidding war with a fairy with deep pockets and likely lose out. Story of my life.

What Would Jesus Do on Vacation? - Holy Land Experience

The Bible comes to life at the Orlando theme park Holy Land Experience. Because why get a picture with Mickey when you can get one with Jesus? This isn’t really my kind of place – not because of my religious views, but because there are no coasters. It’s a shame, because there are so many great names for rides for a place like this: Heretic’s Fall; Red Sea Flume; Wrath of God. The possibilities are endless.

Instead, there are shows and exhibits. You’ll get to experience Jerusalem circa 66 AD, and dine on Middle Eastern fare at the concession stand. The misting stations are a bit anachronistic, but perhaps after a few hours of baking under the Florida sun, they can also be seen as minor miracles.

Chicken Teriyaki With a Side of Stealth - Ninja New York

The last time you were consuming chicken teriyaki at a Japanese restaurant, did you think to yourself, "Boy, I wish this was being served to me by a ninja." No? Well, the owners of Ninja New York did. It's a restaurant where the skilled assassins leap out like dark shadows as you meander along an eerie path to get to your table ... then appear at your table to take your order and tell you about the specials.

The decor evokes a 14th-century feudal village in Japan, and the prix-fixe meal is presented with ceremony, employing everything from white smoke to samurai swords. The a la carte menu features dishes with intriguing names like "floating sashimi" and "choco wasabi salmon," but the item that really caught my eye was the "ancient short rib." I picture a wise but frail old short rib who spouts advice such as "You have much to learn about fine dining, young grasshopper." At which point, I'll gobble him up.