#snowrestaurant

[informativesisters]

Are there any life-size castles with restaurants or hotels? #shorts #yts...

[playavacationblog-blog]

Chasing the Northern Lights

Each wondrous in its own right, Alaska, Finland, and Sweden share one particularly extraordinary trait: All three fall within the auroral oval, the zone within which the northern lights (also known as the aurora borealis) become visible. The phenomenon is caused by electromagnetic storms in space and is steeped in lore. The Nunamiut of Alaska believe that if you whistle at the lights, they will dance to your tune, while others say that whistling will prompt the shimmering curtain to scoop you up and carry you into the sky. As for the Vikings, they believed the lights were how the gods made themselves known on earth.

This dazzling spectacle is best viewed from September through March. Even if you know roughly when and where to go, catching the lights can be tricky and depends partly on good luck and clear weather. To see them for yourself-and have some fun along the way-follow our lead to arctic latitudes in North America and Scandinavia, where igloos, reindeer-led sleigh rides, and dog mushing are a prelude to the big event: the lights themselves.

Alaska

Carl Johnson, who took this shot outside of Anchorage, leads photo tours of the northern lights. Photo: Carl Johnson

The Last Frontier is a magical place to look for the northern lights, and unlike most areas within the auroral oval, Americans don't need a passport to get here. Many travelers base themselves in Fairbanks over Anchorage because it falls farther north and thus deeper within the auroral oval, making it a more reliable place to see the lights, but the phenomenon can be seen around Anchorage, too. Just make sure to get out of the city lights-the darker and clearer the sky, the better.

Fairbanks

For Outdoor Lovers: Up north in Fairbanks, the Northern Alaska Tour Company (3820 University Ave. S.; 800-474-1986; three-day tours, from $789 a person with double occupancy) leads multinight excursions into the remote Brooks Mountain Range to search for the aurora. You'll also cross the Arctic Circle (and get a certificate to prove it!) and go dogsledding through pristine wilderness.

For Pleasure Seekers: At the 1,940-acre Chena Hot Springs Resort (17600 Chena Hot Springs Rd.; 907-451-8104; aurora snow-coach tours, $75 a person; children 6–11, $38; round-trip shuttle service with pickup anywhere in Fairbanks, $125 a person for two or more people), 60 miles northeast of downtown Fairbanks, you don't have to be a guest to take part in the on-site activities-snowshoeing, dogsledding, ice-skating, or searching for the lights aboard a snow coach. If you've got time, don't miss a relaxing dip in the natural hot springs, which stay open until midnight; you just may glimpse the sky doing its thing while you soak in the mineral-rich waters.

Anchorage

For Independent Types: You don't necessarily need to sign up for a tour to see the northern lights in Alaska's largest city. If you would rather go it on your own, set out after dark and travel 16 miles southeast of downtown to the Glen Alps Trailhead and Viewpoint (3101 Glen Alps Rd.; 907-345-5014), at Flattop Mountain. The parking lot here is a popular place to scope out the sky on cloudless nights. Before heading outdoors for the evening, fortify yourself with a meal of wild Alaskan salmon at Simon & Seafort's Saloon & Grill (420 L St.; 904-274-3502; dinner for two, $70*), a downtown Anchorage institution that affords panoramas of the calm waters of Cook Inlet.

For Shutterbugs: A clear image of the aurora is notoriously difficult to capture, but you can maximize your chances as a student of photographer Carl Johnson of Arctic Light-Gallery & Excursions (17800 Steamboat Dr.; 907-748-7040; aurora photo tours, $275 a person). The tours usually max out at three people, so you'll get lots of one-on-one training from Johnson, who has been in Alaska since 1999 and says that taking good photos of the aurora depends more on fine-tuning the camera's focus than its exposure settings. He'll walk you through other hacks while leading you to remote areas within an hour's drive of Anchorage so that you can escape the crowds and lights. “We practice compositions while waiting for the aurora, working on incorporating landscapes, trees, rivers, and ponds so people already have ideas for how they want to frame their shot by the time the lights appear,” Johnson says.

Finland

Viewing the northern lights over a lake in Oulu, Finland. Photo: Mikko Karjalainen/Alamy

In parts of Finnish Lapland, the northern lights are visible for about 200 nights a year, from late August to early April. The small town of Kemi, set near the Swedish border and right on the Gulf of Bothnia, is a favored destination for winter fun and aurora viewing. Finnair flies to Kemi from Helsinki, or you can take a bus, train, or rental car to get here. Alternately, a 90-minute drive farther north from Kemi brings you to Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland. Rovaniemi is mainly known for being Santa Claus's official hometown-but a chance to spot the northern lights is another compelling reason to visit. To the southeast, travelers can gaze up at the lights in Vuokatti, a ski village in the Lakeland region that's an hour's flight from Helsinki.

Kemi

For Instagram Obsessives: From the walls to the tables to the cups, SnowRestaurant (29 Kauppakatu; 011-358-16-258878; three-course dinner for two, $120; opens in January) is made almost entirely of ice and snow. You can wrap yourself in one of the restaurant's blue-and-white blankets while you feast on Arctic specialties, such as reindeer fillet or smoked salmon, beneath a glittering chandelier. If the aurora appears while you're eating, don't worry-someone will beckon you outside.

Rovaniemi

For Adrenaline Junkies: In Rovaniemi, Aurora Emotion (27 Lehtoahontie; 011-358-40-5402146; Northern Lights Safaris, $175 a person for a two-person eSled) recently launched the world's first electric snowmobile safaris on machines called eSleds. You'll be outfitted in the proper gear-think boots and balaclavas (a type of ski mask)-before embarking on a guided 8 p.m. ride through forests frosted with snow to see the northern lights, stopping along the way for belly-warming sausages, crêpes, and drinks.

For Families: With Lapland Safaris (1 Koskikatu; 011-358-16-3311200; tours, $186 a person; children 4–14, $140), arctic reindeer will pull you and your little ones on sleds to Santa Claus Village (011-358-16-3562096; admission, free), a themed village where you can meet Santa, mail a letter with an Arctic Circle postmark, and see the northern lights. Before you leave Rovaniemi, sit for a meal at Ravintola Nili (20 Valtakatu; 011-358-40-0369669; four-course tasting menu for two, $135) to try smoked vendace (a Finnish fish specialty) or pike soup; fishermen catch the pike by casting nets under the frozen surface of nearby lakes.

Vuokatti

For Dog Lovers: The countryside around Vuokatti is a natural paradise. On the Howling Northern Lights tour from Vuokatti Safaris (1 Suvikkaantie; 011-358-40-9115-323; Howling Northern Lights tours, $244 a person, including safari outfit), you'll pile into a two-person dogsled for an hour-long ride through meadows and forests, passing by lakes, rivers, and canals, and then spend time getting to know your team of friendly huskies before gathering around a picnic dinner.

Sweden

The northern lights shine over a lake in Sweden's Abisko National Park. Photo: Conny Sjostrom/Shutterstock

The picturesque town of Åre, an hour's drive east of the Norway border, is a good place to base the family for an aurora expedition. Åre sits at the foot of Sweden's largest ski resort, where a dedicated kids' ski area has “magic carpet” (conveyor belt) ski lifts and serves pint-size hot chocolates and cardamom buns.

For even better odds of seeing the northern lights, it's worth the trip farther north into Swedish Lapland. Daily flights depart from Stockholm to the country's northernmost town, Kiruna, some 90 miles within the bounds of the Arctic Circle.

Åre

For Soft Adventurers: Explore Åre (1 Regnbågen; 011-46-647-50885; Åre Northern Lights Adventure tours, $113 a person) leads nighttime snowshoeing excursions outside of town through thickets of towering fir trees to wide-open spaces where you can keep an eye on the sky for the northern lights. The company also arranges daytime activities, such as reindeer feeding, ice fishing for arctic char, and even ice-sculpting lessons. Back in Åre proper, Granen Restaurant (127 Tottvägen; 011-46-647-51560; dinner for two, $45) makes for a good introduction to Swedish fare. And one can't talk about this area without also mentioning star chef Magnus Nilsson's Michelin-starred restaurant, Fäviken (216 Fäviken, Järpen; 011-46-647-401-77; dinner for two, $677). A meal here is hard to secure-only 16 diners are seated each night-and a very serious splurge, but hard-core foodies may not mind all that for the chance to dine on innovative dishes made with flora and fauna from the surrounding hunting estate and lakes.

Swedish Lapland

For Cocktail Culturists: In the snowy village of Jukkasjärvi, Sweden's IceHotel is rebuilt every winter with enormous blocks of ice cut from the nearby Torne River. You can sip cocktails with muddled mountain berries in glasses carved from ice at the on-site Icebar (63 Marknadsvägen, Jukkasjärvi; 011-46-980-668-00; drinks for two, $44) then dance into the wee hours on a floor made of snow-stopping to dash outside if the northern lights appear, of course.

For Foodies: In Lapland's Abisko National Park, the Aurora Sky Station (STF Abisko Mountain Station, Abisko; 011-46-980-402-00; admission, $82; admission for two with four-course dinner, $436; both prices include warm overalls) is set on Mount Nuolja in an area nearly devoid of light and sound pollution. A chairlift brings travelers through the inky sky to the station. Consider reserving the add-on four-course dinner so that you can settle in for the night as you wait for the lights to appear.

STAY

RCI® affiliated resorts in some of the featured destinations include:

Holiday Club Saariselka 3553

Kids will love the on-site Angry Birds Activity Park, with its play areas and foam pit. 7 Saariseläntie, Saariselkä, Finland

Holiday Club Salla 3939

Cozy up by one of two fireplaces in-unit or with hot chocolate in the spacious dining room. 2 Revontulentie, Sallatunturi, Finland

Holiday Club Kelorinne 3498

Ideal for ski enthusiasts, with lodges right on the slopes. 2 Revontulentie, Sallatunturi, Finland

Holiday Club Pyha 3554

A picturesque setting for skiing or hiking just north of the Arctic Circle. Hotelli Pyhätunturi Oy, 21 Kultakeronkatu, Pyhätunturi, Finland

Holiday Club Yllas 1 2418

After a day of snowmobiling, unwind at the sauna or in the rock-walled hot tub. Tunturintie 16 A 1, Äkäslompolo, Finland

Holiday Club Yllas 2 2425

Shares amenities with Holiday Club Yllas 1. Tunturintie 16 A 1, Äkäslompolo, Finland

Fjallbyn 1946

Enjoy rustic living in floor-to-ceiling pine lodges that afford sweeping views of Tännäs. 8 Torpvägen, Tännäs, Sweden

Holiday Club Are 7791

Some units have a private sauna so you can pamper your muscles after a day on the slopes. Åre Strand, Åre, Sweden

RCI® Tip

Looking for ways to see all that Alaska has to offer? Several cruise lines offer itineraries throughout Alaska. RCI® subscribing members can save up to $1,200USD per cabin toward the purchase of select sailings with Cruise Exchange.** Visit cruiserci.com for more terms and conditions.

For member reviews and additional resort listings, visit RCI.com or call 800-338-7777 (Weeks) or 877-968-7476 (Points). Club Members, please call your specific Club or RCI telephone number.

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Non-RCI affiliated resorts in the featured destinations include:

Chena Hot Springs Resort

Known for its hot springs and year-round outdoor activities, this resort 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks has rooms outfitted with coffee makers and Alaskan photography. Children 17 and under stay for free. 17600 Chena Hot Springs Rd., Fairbanks, Alaska; 907-451-8104; chenahotsprings.com; doubles from $210 a night

Seaside Glass Villas

One-bedroom cabins with glass ceilings and expansive windows let you watch for the northern lights while staying toasty in bed at this property on the frozen Bay of Bothnia in Finnish Lapland. 15 Lumilinnankatu, Kemi, Finland; 011-358-16-258878; visitkemi.fi; doubles from $630 a night, including breakfast

IceHotel

Carved from ice, the rooms and suites at this Swedish Lapland hotel come with thermal sleeping bags and reindeer hides. Daily breakfast and sauna access are included. 63 Marknadsvägen, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden; 011-46-980-668-00; icehotel.com; doubles from $237 a night

The post Chasing the Northern Lights appeared first on Endless Vacation.

[bestwesternmoviemanor-blog]

9 Hotels to Sleep in Before You Die

(CNN) — Never mind the sub-freezing temperatures on the Arctic Circle. The magical SnowHotel in Finland forgoes heat as self-preservation, and couples happily choose an ice block over a pillow-top mattress, even on their wedding night.

Enjoy the extraordinary ice sculpture and, possibly, Northern Lights dancing outside at the SnowHotel, which is part of the SnowCastle of Kemi complex that is rebuilt each winter.

From hotels built out of ice to overwater tipis to underwater suites, these 9 astonishing places guarantee a night to remember.

Wine barrels in the Black Forest, Sasbachwalden, Germany

"Zum Wohl!"

That means "To your health" in German.

Toast to a transformative adventure -- three parts romance to one part glamping -- at this hilltop vineyard's seven furnished wine-barrel rooms.

Each elevated, private sleeping site is carefully decorated by the host Wild Family. There are two 8,000-liter wine barrels: one with comfortable] mattresses and gingham duvets and the other split between a dining banquette and an eco-toilet with sink.

Settle in for the sunset with three very local wines and a basket including a garlic bierwurst, Black Forest ham, Appenzeller cheese, whole grain bread and chocolate that Mrs. Wild delivers by golf cart. Stars appear.

Awakened by birds, hares or distant paragliders? A breakfast basket with Mrs. Wild's fruit spreads and a coffee thermos will be outside your door.

Schlafen im Weinfass

, Bergstraße 7, DE-77887 Sasbachwalden, Germany; +49 7841 5149

Overwater tipis, Sabrevois, Quebec, Canada

Live off the land like the First Nations of Canada in colorful tipis floating on Quebec province's Richelieu River.

The small riverside resort of Domaine Pourki rents out three unusual tipieaux or water tipis, in addition to standard lodge rooms and a few thatched huts.

Set on rafts that are anchored close to the shore but accessible only by canoe, each of the waterproof, colorful cones shelters four spartan beds and a chemical toilet. Raft floors, notably, have a removable Plexiglas panel for guests to fish. Outside on the bobbing deck, host Théo Ibba provides a grill and seating in anticipation of a good catch.

Newlyweds may prefer the more stable, riverview VIP Tipi on shore, which has its own kitchenette.

Les Tipieaux Domaine Pourki

(also called Pourki Estate), 1631 Rang du Bord de l'Eau, Sabrevois, QC J0J 2G0, Canada; +1 514-529-0222

At home at the movies, Monte Vista, Colorado

Movie buffs will find the Best Western Movie Manor irresistible because the accommodation is built between the screens of a vintage drive-in theater.

After sundown, guests can watch one nightly movie from the privacy of their room. Guests can move to another room or head to the other screen's parking lot to catch another flick.

For anyone road-tripping between Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Rio Grande National Forest, this cozy place provides an upgraded motel experience. Rooms, each named after a movie star, have a fridge, microwave and TV, plus celluloid-patterned wall trim and Hollywood-themed artwork.

Single rooms have a great view of the screen and surrounding San Juan Mountains from each bed. Family rooms have partial screen views from two queen beds, but they boast a dining area with full view of the screen, allowing for eating a meal or noshing without the worry about getting crumbs in bed while watching.

Call to request the screening schedule; two screens show first run features during the mid-May to mid-September season, so choose your room accordingly.

Best Western Movie Manor

, 2830 US Highway 160 W, Monte Vista, Colorado 81144; +1 719-852-5921

Sleep on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

Experience stunning undersea life at Australia's Great Barrier Reef without the crowds by booking a swag above Hardy Reef.

Swags, canvas pods with mattress and viewing windows, are set up nightly on the deck of this pontoon hotel floating 31 miles off Hamilton Island.

Overnight adventurers can take out snorkel gear; join a semi-submersible tour or borrow a SEABOB, a personal propulsion device, to explore on or under the remarkably transparent Coral Sea. (Scuba diving, helicopter rides and massages are available for an additional cost.)

After dark, relax in the pontoon's submerged chamber, complete with underwater lighting, and watch turtles, a friendly giant Maori wrasse (an endangered thick-lipped fish also known as Humphead wrasse because of the bump on its head) and other nocturnal sea life incognito.

Tour operator Cruise Whitsundays runs ReefSleep, which accommodates 30 adventurers nightly.

Reefsleep

, 24 The Cove Road, Airlie Beach (Port of Airlie), QLD 4802 Australia; +61 7 4846 7000. Guests over age 12 only.

Be the night light, Saugerties, New York

To be one with the sea, sign up for a tour of duty in this red brick lightkeeper's home. The operating beacon has protected sailors from the rocky banks of the Hudson River since 1869.

Rescued from demolition by a non-profit, Saugerties Lighthouse is supported by tours of the square tower, a maritime history museum, gift shop and two classically furnished rental rooms that share a parlor and kitchen.

Tranquil and remote, the nearest road is a half-mile walk, and the small dock only accepts private boats with reservations. For action, guests enjoy climbing the lighthouse steps for panoramic Hudson Valley views.

Since it's often rented to repeat guests, and only rents rooms from Thursday to Sunday nights year-round, be aware that summer weekends sell out six months to a year in advance.

Good news: Another historic lighthouse at Cedar Point, Long Island mirroring this sustainable development model will open to guests in 2019.

Saugerties Lighthouse

, Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy, P.O. Box 654, Saugerties, New York 12477; +1 845 247-0656

Underwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The enormous pink Atlantis, The Palm rising over The Palm Island Sands may have 1,539 guestrooms, but the two to stay in are hidden below the sea: the underwater Poseidon and Neptune Suites.

A private elevator and air-conditioning service the luxuriously furnished three-story, two-bedroom enclaves for a pretty $8,000 per night. There's even a dedicated butler and hand soap with 24-karat gold flakes.

But what's really special is being watched by thousands of sea creatures in the resort's Ambassador Lagoon through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Atlantis, The Palm boasts a spa, shopping arcades and every amenity imaginable, while all resort guests enjoy nearly a mile of beachfront lounging, 23 bars, restaurants and lounges.

Seagod suites include such special perks as complimentary pool cabanas, entry to the water park and, for those who prefer to commune with the marine life, dolphin swims and an aquarium.

Atlantis, The Palm

, Crescent Road, The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; +971 4 426 2000

Chill at an ice hotel, Kemi, Finland

Need to chill? Check into this frozen Arctic Circle hotel, rebuilt annually to accommodate 48 guests in a slick, sculpted 23F (-5C) environment.

Depending on the design, 10 artisans work on the SnowCastle compound for two weeks to shape about one million cubic feet of snow and 10,000 cubic feet of ice cut from the nearby Gulf of Bothnia.

A translucent beauty pervades the frozen bar, hollowed-ice shot glasses, dining tables and SnowHotel's ice-block platform beds, romantically draped with sheep skin. Until 9 pm, day visitors can tour each room's sophisticated ice sculptures, visit the glittering SnowChapel, play with costumed snowball mascots or try a Finnish sauna.

Special attractions include an Arctic Market featuring Lappish reindeer products, an ice carousel and a meal at the highly regarded SnowRestaurant (book in advance).

SnowCastle of Kemi

, Kemin LumiLinna, Lumilinnankatu 15, 94100 Kemi, Finland; +358 40 8318273. Projected season is January 19 to April 13, 2019.

A magical grotto, Trout Creek, Montana

Need some quiet time before embarking on a quest with dwarves? There's nothing quite like this fantasy bunker surrounded by hobbits, trolls, sprites and elves.

Designed by Steve and Chris Michaels as a childlike, adult enclave, the 1,000-square-foot thatch and mud cottage is carved into a forested hillside. Local elk graze on the roof. A small door and window let in as much of the real world as guests choose.

Inside Enchanted Lodging, a wood stove takes the chill off the comfortable king bedroom, tiny guest bedroom and full kitchen. There's a satellite entertainment system, WiFi and library about C. S. Lewis' world of hobbits.

Outside the hobbit hole, 20 secluded acres are overrun with little houses and fairy doors, whimsical sculpture, a waterfall and wishing well. Try fishing, hiking and barbecuing say the hosts, but don't miss the fairies who appear to dance in the trees when the wind blows.

Enchanted Lodging

, 9 Hobbit Lane, Trout Creek, Montana 59874; +1 406 827-7200. Open May 1-November 1. Guests over age 12 only.

Sleepless nights not at sea, Long Beach, California

Frequent cruisers rave about the comfort and convenience of sleeping onboard a ship, but few have experienced a stateroom fraught with history like The Queen Mary's B340.

After King George V launched R.M.S. Queen Mary in 1936, her reign at sea entertaining notables such as Clark Gable and Winston Churchill was short-lived. In 1939 she was recruited as a military transport ship and did not resume leisure cruises until 1947.

The elegantly decorated Art Deco ocean liner retired to southern California in 1971. She became a floating 347-cabin hotel with restaurants, event space and the infamous stateroom B340, known for paranormal activity.

After being closed for 30 years, a restored stateroom B340 opened in April 2018 as a one-bedroom suite. Celebrating its quirky status, the suite features a chest packed with ghost-hunting equipment, an Ouija board, tarot cards and a crystal ball.

Stateroom residents hoping to add more ghostly encounters to the ship's logs should be sure to join one of the several, guided paranormal tours... or just request a roll-away bed.

The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, California 90802; +1 877 342-0742

This Article is originally Published on cnn.com