The Travel Channel is taking you to the biggest, the best and the most over-the-top lodgings in America. From high-end to high up in the trees, this is the ultimate tour of the most "Extreme Places to Stay." Get the complete list below.
The Nordic Inn
Crosby, Minnesota
Constructed out of a former Methodist Church, this extreme Bed and Breakfast is for Viking enthusiasts. The second visitors are "velkommened," they are transported to another century. Each guest is given a name tag, a Viking tred (shoe), royal clothing and, when it's time for dinner, you won't be asking yourself, "Which fork do I use first?" This B&B is strictly a "eat with your hands" establishment. You're given a primitive knife and Viking napkin only. An extreme place to stay with 6,000 guests each year, The Nordic Inn welcomes you.
Out 'n' About
Takilma, Oregon
Don't call it a resort, call it a treesort. If you have a fear of heights, we're warning you now. Nestled above the trees 37 feet up (Out 'n' About's highest treehouse), this treesort is spread across 30 acres of land with 13 treehouses to rent by the night. Each one is connected by a series of bridges, ladders and stairs. Complete with heat, electricity, running water and, yes, a comfortable bed, too. This treesort boasts over 60,000 guests each year. Guests can also test their nerves at the Treetop Zip-line or the Tarzan Swing, which drops you 50 feet before you're caught at 20 feet by a pendulum, which dumps you onto a grassy meadow. And for those that dare, try the zip-line ride that reaches 800 feet in length and sends guests flying through the trees at 35 miles per hour! At Out 'n' About you're not just sleeping in the trees, you're experiencing a real adrenaline junkie adventure.
The Madonna Inn
San Luis Obispo, California
Experience a different vibe each night at The Madonna Inn. All 109 rooms at the Inn are decorated differently, from an African Safari to the Amazon Jungle. And the 5,000 square foot Gold Rush Steakhouse on the grounds is no exception, with its pink tablecloths, pink receipts, pink sugar and pink flowers. How about this for extreme, The Caveman Room features rock walls, floor and ceiling, and a waterfall for a shower. This room boasts a waiting list that's a month long! Millions of visitors each year make their reservations at The Madonna Inn.
The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast
Fall River, Massachusetts
If you love murder mysteries and being spooked by things that go bump in the night, then this B&B is for you. In 1892, Lizzie Borden allegedly killed her father and stepmother with a hatchet. Lizzie's sister and uncle had solid alibis, which made Lizzie the prime suspect. Out of the eight bedrooms, the room where Mrs. Borden was murdered is by far the most popular. Over 900 thrill-seekers are guests at the B&B each year, where they are provided with an oral history tour of the house along with a ghost hunt, conducted in the hopes of communicating with the Bordens. All guests leave the Lizzie Borden B&B with some great stories to tell their friends and family, but some leave a little confused, not being able to explain what they experienced the night before.
The Palms Hotel's Fantasy Tower
Las Vegas, Nevada
The Fantasy Tower is 53 stories high with 16 suites, each with its own theme and amenities to match. Between the Erotic Suite, Hugh Hefner Sky Villa and The Kingpin Suite, there is something for everyone. Large-screen TVs at every turn, Jacuzzis, a bowling alley and a magnificent view of the Las Vegas Strip. But be ready to pay a pretty penny. The Hugh Hefner goes for a whopping $40,000 a night!
Dunton Hot Springs
Dolores, Colorado
Need to get away from it all? Then Dunton Hot Springs, located 22 miles from any major highway, is your ticket. Birthed from a 1918 mining town that was long-since abandoned, Dunton is what some might call a luxurious rehabilitated ghost town. Dinner is served in the Old West communal style. The original saloon was restored and is in perfect working condition. And Dunton has a claim to fame. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stayed at this saloon after robbing a bank in Telluride -- their names are carved on the bar. But don't let the western style fool you. Guests enjoy snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice-climbing and snowshoeing, just to name a few of the activities. And after you're done freezing your bum off, defrost in Dunton's natural hot springs, which reach temperatures up to 106 degrees. Head to Dunton Hot Springs, and bring a few friends, cabins start at $1,100 per night.
Winvian
Morris, Connecticut
Built by 16 different architects, the 18 cottages of Winvian are all distinctly different. The 113-acre all-inclusive resort charges nearly $2,000 per night for private cottages. Take your pick of the Beaver Cottage; Golf Cottage, with three mini putting greens; or the Music Cottage, with its tree-stump drums, xylophone walls and a marimba fence. Winvian also touts its own treehouse rising 35 feet above ground. But nothing surprises guests more than the Helicopter Cottage. At 17,000 pounds, the Sikorsky U.S. Coast Guard helicopter comes complete with a full bathroom, bedroom, bar, couch and plasma TV.
The Aurora Ice Museum
60 Miles From Fairbanks, Alaska
Sharing the pedestal with its international cousins in Finland, Sweden and Quebec, the Aurora Ice Museum is the only ice inn in the United States, and since opening its doors in 2005, the Aurora has welcomed more than 600 guests. Carved out of 1,000 tons of ice and snow, and standing three-stories tall and 146 feet long, this ice museum stays open year-round with the assistance of a refrigeration system and an on-site geothermal energy plant, which makes Aurora the largest ice structure in the world to be up 365 days a year. The Aurora contains four large art galleries -- Gothic Room, Bear Room, Half-Moon Room and A Christmas Room -- each available for rent per night. Temperatures at night can reach a chilly 50 degrees below zero, so pack heavy, because there is only so much caribou hide to go around.
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