Just outside Santa Cruz California nestled in the redwoods sits the mushroom dome cabin.  This is a very interesting place to stay, possibly a little more rugged than you’re used to but surely an adventure to be experienced.

For just around $80 a night you can stay in this unique lodging shaded by Oak and Madrone trees and next to a Redwood grove.

“The cabin has a loft under a geodesic dome (the “mushroom cap”) with a double bed, which is a cotton futon with 2″ of latex foam on top. It is very comfy: guests sleep in late! We provide clean sheets: you can chose either smooth cotton sheets or cotton flannel. In the loft, we also have a 22″ LCD Screen with a DVD player (no TV) for movies. (We have some movies you can view as well.)”

There are some amazing photos to check out on Airbnb.com.  Take a peak inside the place and the unique features that are all yours to enjoy.  While it may be a bit off the beaten path, they still have many of the amenities that you’d expect from a typical hotel/motel.

The cute bathroom has a Travertine shower, custom tiled sink and flushing toilet. We provide towels, soap, a hair blow-dryer, etc. (a word of caution: the bathroom has a low ceiling. If you are over 6′ you may have to do a little ducking here and there.).

They are centrally located on the Monterey Bay or only ten minutes from the beach near Rio Del Mar and Seacliff State Beach.  Also nearby is Nisene Marks State Park for miles of hiking or dirt biking. They are also only 20 minutes to downtown Santa Cruz, 23 minutes from the Beach Boardwalk, 45 minutes to Monterey and 1 1/2 hours to San Francisco.

While this place isn’t technically a tent house suite, tree house or yurt, this would fit right in if you’ve enjoyed staying at places like this.  Absolutely bring your camera to document your stay and excursions around the neighboring woods to share with your friends and family as this is a place you have to see to believe.

A buddy of mine introduced me to Trip Base which is a different kind of search.  Trip Base allows you to select your origin, the number of travelers and the dates to travel but then you use five slider controls to adjust the levels of Nightlife, Dining, Shopping, Nature and Attractions for which you’d like to travel.

The interface is clean and the results are the same.  It doesn’t overload you with possibilities, but the results can be viewed as a list or a map.  Once you’ve obtained your results you can adjust the attributes on the side search and automatically get updated results.

The results are very helpful once you drill down as well.  They have a photo of each location followed by tabs with additional information including an overview, hotels, flights, deals, photo gallery, map, things to do and any articles written on that location.  It’s an interesting site and travel search tool and I’d recommend checking it out.

East of Seattle in Issaquah Washington is a spectacular place to stay. The Dream of Pete and Judy Nelson , Treehouse Point has a variety of options for experiencing the outdoors.  This is a definite must visit and great addition to my collection of tents, tent house suites and yurts.

“The THP team is committed to a vision of sustainability while providing opportunities for lodging, education and connection in a unique and natural environment. Whether it’s hosting a wedding, planning a corporate retreat or implementing new practices, green principles are always at the forefront of daily operations. Please contact us with questions, to schedule a site tour or plan an event.”

The property hosts two tree house rooms with two more on the way. There is also a lodge as well as more rustic tents.

“During the summer months we set up the miner’s tent and create a romantic “Out of Africa” experience. With a queen size bed, side tables and a few eclectic curiosities placed about, one feels like true adventure is just around the corner. Miners never had it so good!”

My first choice would be to experience one of the two tree houses, Temple of the Blue Moon and Trillium.  It is the largest of the two tree houses. Built in 2006 the room is patterned after the Parthenon in Athens and supported by an ancient Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedartree.  It sits 16 feet off the forest floor and is only a short walk to a raging river and ten minutes from Snoqualmie Falls.

The interior is immaculately appointed with natural wood features, two classic leather reading chairs, a writing desk, a book case and a beatufifully hand-crafted armoire.    Topping it off is one of the Treehouse Point’s signature queen size beds.  The walls are well insulated with Golden fir to keep your toes nice and toasty year-round.  It also has a number of modern conveniences like an iPod/CD player.

Rates range from $110-$215 per night with an included continental breakfast.  If you’re looking for a unique getaway or a romantic escape with your favorite someone, this is a great place.  If you can imagine how much fun you’d have think of it as the ultimate family friendly kids getaway.  What a way to make a dream come true for your kids to sleep in an actual tree house that’s not in danger of being spied upon by the backyard neighbors.

The website is a bit clunky with few picture of the actual property, but what I saw I liked.  The limited photo gallery took forever even on a fast connection to view a few of the photos.  The photos are high-quality, it just takes a while to see them.  I’m missing a few common links that most pages would have, rates, getting here, etc.  Things like that to really make the web site useful and freindly.

While it’s nearly freezing outside my house right now I’m dreaming of warmer days.  I came across Mary Janes Farm in Moscow Idaho and I was transported to a warmer climate and as a simpler time.

This humble abode may not have all the amenities of a five star hotel but it has all the necessities in a pure, unspoiled manner. One look through the photo gallery will have you dreaming of soaking neck deep in an old fashioned tub and roasting marshmallow miles away from it all.

Mary Janes Farm comes from the organic efforts of MaryJane Buttars who started Mary Janes Farm.

MaryJane says, “I spent hours just sitting on our front porch looking up at the majestic peaks of the Wasatch Range. I wondered how I could go up there. I didn’t know anything about backpacking or camping alone,” MaryJane explained “I just knew I wanted to do it.”

“That summer I read everything Henry David Thoreau ever wrote. I got real dreamy, with a desire to live simply, with a love of living in just the silence of the forest. I never wanted to leave.” All this led to her opening Mary Janes Farm.

While their web site is a little dated, they’ve gone through great efforts to reach people through modern community methods like blogging. They have a blog for City, Rural, Suburban and Ranch farm girls.

The price for staying at the farm is well worth the expense.  Rates run $139.00 Mon-Thur and $179.00 Friday-Sunday. They have a great honeymoon package for about $440.

While the snowflakes may be falling in your part of the world and on the Mary Janes Farm, this is definitely one to mark down on your calendar to enjoy a few lazy summer days.  I think I know just where I want to spend the day too.