It's Obviously Black Magic - Crooked Forest

For this Halloween edition of Trippy Places, I present ... the crooked forest of Gryfino, Poland. What the heck is going on with this forest of about 400 trees? Why were they growing at a 90-degree angle? Did someone do this to them or is it a natural phenomenon? The world may never know. [Cue eerie wailing noises.]

Actually, the world has a few guesses. Some think that farmers purposely shaped the trees as saplings so that they could create interesting pieces of wood for furniture building. Others think a severe snowstorm may have kept the saplings in a bent position until the snow and ice melted. Still others (as in I) think that it was obviously black magic. But no one knows for sure, because just after the time the trees started growing this way, all the surrounding Polish towns were devastated by World War II, so no witnesses or records were left. Which might be an even eerier story, actually. [Cue more wailing noises.]

Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Gently Down the Street - Giethoorn

Streets are overrated, amirite? All that walking around is so tedious and unromantic. Well, in the Dutch neighborhood of Giethoorn, there's an alternative: canals instead of sidewalks. No running across the street to the neighbor's for a cup of sugar - you must row instead!

Dubbed "the Venice of the North," Giethoorn is home to about 2,600 residents, all of whom must feel like they're living in a storybook. I'd move in myself, but don't want to pay what must be a premium for flood insurance.

How High Can a Hut Go? - Solvay Hut

Well, here's another place I'm never going to get to. Mostly because I can't stand being cold, and I can barely climb a ladder. But if I were an adventurous mountaineer, I would definitely put the Solvay Hut at the top of my list of places to visit.

Located on a ridge of the Matterhorn in Switzerland, the hut was built more than a hundred years ago as an emergency shelter for mountain climbers. It earns the distinction of being the highest and, no doubt, most precariously located hut of the Matterhorn. Looks like a fantastic place to hang out, check your carabiners and snack on your gorp.  

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.

Feeling Frustrated? - Rage Room

You're having one of those days. Your boss yells at you. Your ice cream falls out of the cone mid-lick. Your nemesis, the roadrunner, speeds away again while you're squashed by an anvil. You feel angry. But you're an adult and you're supposed to just keep calm and do whatever the latest slogan says to do. Well, guess what? You don't have to stay so calm. You can grab a bat and start smashing things instead.

But to avoid ending up in a lot of trouble, first you should travel to Toronto, Canada, where you can book some time at Rage Room, a facility that offers angry people the opportunity to bash things with a bat. Twenty bucks will buy you a set of plates, a bat rental, some protective gear and 30 minutes in a room by yourself. Add on some wineglasses to hurl at the wall, or a mirror to pulverize. Feeling really upset? Go ahead. Buy yourself a chair ... then go at it! They say money can't buy you happiness, but what it can buy is an outlet for your frustrations. I'll take it.

What's Better Than an In-Ground Pool? - Embassy Gardens Sky Pool

I've always dreamed of having a pool in my backyard, but with the newly built "sky pool" at Embassy Gardens apartment complex in London, I'm beginning to realize that my dreams are pretty pedestrian. Because why have an in-ground pool when you can have one that stretches between the tops of two luxury buildings instead? Assuming you're a gazillionaire, of course.

Actually, maybe you don't have to be a gazillionaire. Note to self: Discuss with neighbor the idea of putting in a sky pool between our two houses next summer. It won't be 10 stories high ... and I'm actually not quite sure what the point of it would be exactly. All I know is that I want one.

Cutest Church Ever - St. Andrew's

Credit: Slavorum.org

I used to think that when it comes to churches, bigger equals better. After all, the most beautiful churches in the world are all vast and awe-inspiring. As it turns out, however, even small churches can be impressive. For example, St. Andrew's in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, sits on an island less than a hundred square meters in size, surrounded by gorgeous landscape, and is basically the most adorable house of worship I've ever seen.

To visit St. Andrew's, you must get the permission of the abbot and then take a small boat across the Vuoksa river. Even God must be thinking, "How cute is that?"

My Side of the Mountain - Skylodge

Peru is well known for its crazy elevations and gorgeous views. But did you know that you can experience these two things from a transparent capsule dangling off the side of a cliff? Well, of course you can.

Nature Viva's Skylodge is a group of three pods suspended 1,200 feet up on a cliff face in Peru's Sacred Valley. You can choose one of three fun ways to access your room: by climbing an insanely tall ladder, embarking on a treacherous hike, or flying across a series of ziplines. The hotel's website mentions that "safety is ensured by having the exit portal located in the upper part of the craft." So there you have it - should the cables holding up your capsule snap, an escape hatch will somehow prevent you from dying a distinctly terrifying death. Or, you could just stay at the Days Inn in town.

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.