Airbnb's quirkier properties get plenty of attention thanks to incessant "OMG!" media coverage. "These bizarre rooms will blow your mind!" the digital headlines scream, and proceed to reveal sleepovers in New York and London taxi cabs, gypsy caravans, chuck-wagons, airplane cabins...the list goes on.
But in my experience, bed and breakfasts have always been a bit quirky. Back in October of 2001, for instance, my future spouse and I decided to get out of Toronto for a weekend of strolling through Ontario's fiery fall foliage. The Siberi*inn seemed ideal. Set in a leafy forest between Barrie and Orillia, it was close to the Ganaraska Hiking Trail and was priced within my modest means. Its moniker was a bit odd, but the B&B was home to a pair of Siberian huskies, the website explained, so I figured the owner was fond of both word play and his dogs.
But the Siberi*inn went waaaaay beyond fondness. Upon entering, we were greeted by the vacant stares of dozens, possibly even hundreds, of furry husky dolls (pictured) arranged along a staircase facing the front door. Sporting an airbrushed husky sweatshirt, our friendly and soft-spoken host, Mike Pidwerbecki, showed us to a comfortable room containing a husky bed spread, husky doilies, husky artwork, husky candles, more husky dolls, miniature husky figurines and, yes, a husky board game (pictured below).
In a kennel behind the property lived Mike's real huskies, which tore around the surrounding forest trails with more energy and enthusiasm than we could possibly muster. They were quite charming, in an exhausting sort of way, and for a moment I considered asking Mike if he would be willing to part with his disconcertingly lifelike husky footstools.
The kicker, however, came the next morning at breakfast. I had not considered the possibility that the dogs were being raised for culinary purposes...until Mike presented us with "husky paws" studded with blueberries and slathered in maple syrup. The Siberi*inn's pancakes, you see, consisted of one big blob of batter and five smaller blobs arranged around it in paw-like fashion.
I recommended the place to friends for years, but sadly, the Siberi*inn is no longer in business. According to Mike's website, "the huskies have moved to the sledding trails in the sky."
His new preoccupation, it seems, is his 2004 Audi TT S line (pictured below). So maybe he's postponing the Audi*inn's opening until the doilies arrive...
But in my experience, bed and breakfasts have always been a bit quirky. Back in October of 2001, for instance, my future spouse and I decided to get out of Toronto for a weekend of strolling through Ontario's fiery fall foliage. The Siberi*inn seemed ideal. Set in a leafy forest between Barrie and Orillia, it was close to the Ganaraska Hiking Trail and was priced within my modest means. Its moniker was a bit odd, but the B&B was home to a pair of Siberian huskies, the website explained, so I figured the owner was fond of both word play and his dogs.
But the Siberi*inn went waaaaay beyond fondness. Upon entering, we were greeted by the vacant stares of dozens, possibly even hundreds, of furry husky dolls (pictured) arranged along a staircase facing the front door. Sporting an airbrushed husky sweatshirt, our friendly and soft-spoken host, Mike Pidwerbecki, showed us to a comfortable room containing a husky bed spread, husky doilies, husky artwork, husky candles, more husky dolls, miniature husky figurines and, yes, a husky board game (pictured below).
In a kennel behind the property lived Mike's real huskies, which tore around the surrounding forest trails with more energy and enthusiasm than we could possibly muster. They were quite charming, in an exhausting sort of way, and for a moment I considered asking Mike if he would be willing to part with his disconcertingly lifelike husky footstools.
The kicker, however, came the next morning at breakfast. I had not considered the possibility that the dogs were being raised for culinary purposes...until Mike presented us with "husky paws" studded with blueberries and slathered in maple syrup. The Siberi*inn's pancakes, you see, consisted of one big blob of batter and five smaller blobs arranged around it in paw-like fashion.
I recommended the place to friends for years, but sadly, the Siberi*inn is no longer in business. According to Mike's website, "the huskies have moved to the sledding trails in the sky."
His new preoccupation, it seems, is his 2004 Audi TT S line (pictured below). So maybe he's postponing the Audi*inn's opening until the doilies arrive...
