Explore further afield and discover these highly rated hidden gems, including quirky attractions, deserted theme parks and unusual places to stay, from a human birds nest in California, to a doll village in Shikoku, Japan.
AMUSING ATTRACTIONS
Explore abandoned theme parks across Japan
Japan is a haven for experiential amusement parks and otherworldly activities but as the country has modernised so quickly in recent years, various parks have been left behind, standing still in a bygone era. The Japanese word haikyo means ‘ruins’ and describes these run-down urban areas. The most prominent perhaps being Nara Dreamland which was built in the 60’s as Japan’s answer to Disneyland, before closing with the arrival of newer more advanced parks. Several amusement parks are internationally themed with Niigata Russian Village in central Japan, German themed Gluck Kingdom up in Hokkaido and just 2.5 hours outside of Tokyo lies Western Village an American Wild Wild West park. Generally all these abandoned parks are free to roam around, provided they are observed only.
Enjoy Mura Tanbo rice paddy art in Inakadate, Japan
This is about the closest thing to a crop circle that really exists. Near Hachinohe in Inakadate Village, Aomori Prefecture, art is as much a part of farming as planting and harvesting. Each rice paddy farmer creates an incredibly beautiful art scene on their field. Every year has a different theme with previous years featuring well known films, artworks, anime and musicians. Visitors come from all over Japan to enjoy the display with the best time to witness this amazing show in October.
Denver Art Museum, Colorado
Denver Art Museum is located at the base of the majestic Rocky Mountains, it is an 113-year old building originally designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti in 1893. This fantastic building design consists of a series of geometric volumes inspired by the peaks and valleys of the mountain range.The unconventional and modern interior design resulted in sloped walls with no right angles to carry the weight of the building with every stone slab having to be angle cut into the wall.
The Experience Music Project, Seattle, Washington
The Experience Music Project (EMP), a museum designed by Frank Gehry, celebrates the innovative history and legacy of rock ‘n’ roll. The project idea was inspired by the Fender Stratocaster guitar that Hendrix used to destroy after each concert. Built to resemble smashed up guitars, there are no right angles on the exterior of the EMP. The building is also home to the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame which opened in 2004. About 3,000 panels with more than 21,000 shingles cover the exterior. This quirky building can’t be missed with its roof being made up of 21 thousand panels of stainless steel with shades of purple, silver and gold, aluminum and painted red and blue.
Amargosa Opera House, Death Valley National Park, California
Death Valley National Park is known for many things, but an opera house isn’t one of them! In March 1967 dancer Marta Becket and her husband came to Death Valley Junction and, while exploring abandoned adobe buildings, came upon what appeared to be a performance space. Renaming it the Amargosa Opera House, Marta presented her first performance there in 1968 in front of 12 adults and a smattering of kids and grandkids. “There were many performances I gave when no audience came at all,” she recalled, “but I proceeded to perform anyway.” Her solution—cover the blank walls with people. Six years later, she had finished painting her eternal audience. To stage her own works over the years, Marta created scenery, masks, and costumes, putting on productions until she was 87 years old. Today, Marta’s legacy continues through performances in her Opera House. Traditional performing arts including acoustic music, theatrical plays, opera and spoken word are held on every weekend during the season (October through to May).
Pittsburgh’s alternative natural history museum, Pennsylvania
Birthplace of pop artist Andy Warhol, home to the psychedelic installation art at Randyland, founder of Heinz Ketchup and host of a unique festival dedicated to the popular American pickle, Pittsburgh is full of weird and wonderful things. The Center for PostNatural History is disguised as a regular store front in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighbourhood, but with an intriguing museum just waiting to be explored inside. In contrast to typical natural history museums, the Center for PostNatural History is focused on the collection and exposition of organisms that have been intentionally altered by humans, including selective breeding or genetic engineering, a phenomenon referred to as post natural.
QUIRKY ACCOMMODATION
Human Birds Nest and Tree Houses, Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur
High atop the cliffs of Big Sur, just off Highway 1, sits Post Ranch Inn, a sanctuary for the soul. Post Ranch Inn is one of the world’s leading resorts for luxury and ultimate privacy, with a unique design built into its stunning natural surroundings. Those who explore the historic 100-acre grounds will find a surprise in the meadow – the human bird nest. Built by a local artist from branches harvested onsite, the interactive sculpture emulates a giant bird’s nest and offers an intimate retreat where couples can connect and contemplate at 10 feet off the ground – the views are stunning. Post Ranch offers 39 wonderful rooms, from coast-side rooms that seem to soar, cantilevered off the mountain, to mountain-side houses that curve around old-growth trees. Our favourites are the seven uniquely designed Tree Houses. They are triangular shaped in the design and are free-standing structures on 9ft stilts, set amongst the forest. There is a skylight above the bed so you really feel at one with nature as you sleep in the trees with the stars above.
Nagoro doll village, Shikoku Japan
Owing to its shrinking population, the one resident of Nagoro Village on Shikoku Island has come up with a novel way to fill the town and quash their loneliness; making life-size dolls. Over 350 life-like dolls are now dotted around the village taking up a range of activities from planting vegetables to chopping wood, sitting along the riverbank and even a school dance. The dolls were a project of one elderly resident who recreated past residents who had left the village. Nowadays Japanese and international visitors alike travel to see the ‘spooky’ village, stay and partake in the opportunity to help make a doll of their own. This activity is free to join as the residents are merely excited to have people in the village once more.
OTHER WORLDLY ADVENTURES
California’s Dead Sea – Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes
Majestic in scale and awesome in its natural beauty, the year-round adventureland of Mammoth Lakes is one of those rare places that you have to see to still not totally believe. The name speaks to the size of the mountains, the expanse of the valleys, the incredible number of crystal clear mountain lakes. Take a trip to the near-by Mono Lake, one of the Eastern Sierra’s most spectacular of California’s natural wonders. Mono Lake is one of the oldest lakes in North America and has been dubbed “California’s Dead Sea” because it’s 2 and 1/2 times as salty as the ocean. One of the most unique features of the lake is it’s tufa towers, which make it seem like you’re on Mars. The towers are spires of porous “rock” that looks like moon rock, and they are formed when natural freshwater springs interact with the highly alkaline lake water. This spot is a photographer’s dream!
A snowed in Ghost Town – Bodie, California’s High Sierra
Bodie is undoubtedly one of the most legendary ghost towns in the Western U.S. and well worth a trip from Mammoth Lakes. Preserved in a state of “arrested decay”, visitors to the old gold mining town are able to explore the turn of the century remains of one of California’s most lucrative mining districts. With a diverse population numbering close to 10,000 at the town’s peak in 1880, industrious miners and successful businessman rubbed shoulders with notorious gunfighters and nefarious gamblers and Bodie quickly gained the reputation as a “shooters town” due to the Wild West-style gunfights that often erupted during the height of the town’s prominence. Today the interiors remain as they were left and visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town on a self-guided tour and peek inside the windows of abandoned homes, a church, the saloon, jail and other buildings reminiscent of the Wild West from the movies. There is also a bookstore inside the museum where you can inquire about daily guided tours. Bodie State Historic Park is open all year, however, because of the high elevation (8,375 feet), it is accessible only by skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles during the winter months.
Skydive over the best views on earth – Yosemite National Park, California
Whilst Yosemite National Park itself isn’t a hidden gem, it’s a little known fact that you skydive in the park. Imagine seeing the iconic Half Dome and magnificent El Capitan from 14,000 ft! Skydive Yosemite is a local family run business that offers some of the most spectacular views of Yosemite National Park and Yosemite Valley. As the plane ascends to the chosen jumping elevation, the pilot flies a loop over the stunning Yosemite Valley offering you a rare and amazing perspective of the park and backcountry peaks. When it’s time to jump, you are met with the vast panoramic view of Yosemite while you begin to freefall. As the parachute opens, jumpers enjoy the scenic array and soon land gently on the ground steps away from where they checked in.
SCENIC ISLANDS TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BELIEVE
Keewaydin Island, Florida’s Paradise Coast, Florida
From beautiful wetland trails to intriguing, small museums, visitors will find plenty of hidden gems in Florida’s Paradise Coast, encompassing Naples, Marco Island, and the Everglades. Keewaydin Island, a barrier island located between Naples and Marco Island, offers eight miles of untouched, white sandy beach and is only accessible by boat. It is ideal for shelling and visitors often discover starfish, sand dollars and fighting conch shells.
Visit Venus Point in The Islands of Tahiti
The French Polynesian Islands are a popular spot for astronomers and stargazers, with a vast and uninterrupted view to the sky above. The islands here are not affected by light pollution commonly found in big cities nor are they overshadowed by skyscrapers which make up most modern day skylines. The aptly named Venus Point, on Tahiti island, is where Captain James Cook first recorded the planet Venus transiting the face of the sun, in 1769. This rare occurrence happens only once every 243 years. Today, Venus Point in Matavai Bay is home to a black sand beach and eight-story Victorian lighthouse.
