From an underwater apartment to sharecropper shanties, wigwams and a historic train, the Southeast has some one-of-a-kind lodging options. They may not have all the luxuries of the top hotels in the region, but for adventurous travelers these accommodations might be worth checking in to.
Jules' Undersea Lodge
Key Largo, Fla.
Like a bungalow at the bottom of the sea (a lagoon, actually), Jules' Undersea Lodge is a two-bedroom, one-bath facility with a front door 21 feet below the surface of the water. Guests must be scuba certified; for those who aren't, the lodge offers a three-hour course, so you can be sleeping with the fishes that same night. You enter through a wet room to change out of scuba gear and into dry clothes brought down in a waterproof suitcase. Then you step into a fully functional apartment wish a fish's-eye view of the mangrove lagoon floor teeming with reef fish. The underwater structure serves as an artificial reef itself, enhancing the ecology of the lagoon by attracting marine life with its shelter and substrate. The waters of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park are nearby, popular with snorkelers and scuba divers for its vibrant reef system and an underwater statue of Jesus known as "Christ of the Deep." Rates start at $400 for an overnight stay (chef-prepared meals included). 305-451-2353, www.jul.com.
Eat
Mrs. Mac's Kitchen. Old-school Florida Keys ambiance in this roadside restaurant serving fresh seafood and burgers a few miles from the Undersea Lodge. Sandwiches and entrees start at $6.95. 99336 Overseas Hwy., Key Largo. 305-451-3722, www.mrsmacskitchen.com.
Visitor info
Florida Keys Tourism Council. 1-800-FLA-KEYS (352-5397), www.fla-keys.com.
Shack Up Inn
Clarksdale, Miss.
On the grounds of the Hopson Plantation near the famous crossroads of blues lore, The Shack Up Inn is an authentic slice of Americana geared towards travelers on the blues trail. Guests stay in shotgun shacks once used by sharecroppers on the plantation. Staying in one of the houses is akin to staying in a museum exhibit, with furnishings and decorative touches designed to evoke the feel of a time gone by, though they do have modern amenities like refrigerators, microwave ovens and air conditioning. As the Shack Up states on its website, "The Ritz we ain't," but if you need slightly plusher accommodations, you could stay at the Cotton Gin Inn, also on the plantation. If things like sheet thread count are important to you, stay elsewhere; if you're a history or music buff wanting to bask in the plantation atmosphere of the Mississippi Delta country, this is the place for you. There's even a juke joint on the grounds. Rates start at $65. 001 Commissary Circle, Clarksdale. 662-624-8329, www.shackupinn.com.
Eat
Ground Zero Blues Club. Actor Morgan Freeman, a native of the area, is part-owner of this bar and restaurant serving burgers and Southern specialties such as fried catfish and fried green tomato sandwiches. Live blues featured most nights. Plate lunches and dinners under $10. O Blues Alley, Clarksdale. 662-621-9009, www.groundzerobluesclub.com
Visitor Info
Clarksdale Chamber of Commerce and Mississippi Delta Tourism Association. 800-626-3764, www.visitthedelta.com.
Wigwam Village Inn #2
Cave City, Ky.
A kitschy bit of mid-20th century roadside America still exists in Kentucky at Wigwam Village Inn #2 in Cave City. The guest rooms are 15 separate units built to resemble teepees, which are lined up in a semi-circle facing a large lawn and playground area. This is one of the few Wigwam Villages that remains among the seven that were built around the country between 1935 and 1950, and it still looks like it did decades ago. It also still has decades-ago rates to boot, making it an economical choice for travelers, especially families with young children, who are usually thrilled at the sight of the teepee village with its playground. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, visitors still flock to Wigwam Village for photo ops and bragging rights. Mammoth Cave National Park, one of Kentucky's most popular attractions, is just a few miles away. Rates $40-$70. 601 N. Dixie Hwy., Cave City. 270-773-3381, www.wigwamvillage.com.
Eat
Joe's Diner. Keep the '50s kitsch going with a breakfast or lunch stop at this diner built to resemble an old malt shop. There's even a mini-golf course on the premises. Near the entrance to Mammoth Cave. Under $10. 1040 Mammoth Cave Rd., Cave City. 270-773-3703, www.joesdinermammothcave.com
Visitor info
Cave City Tourism Development. 1-800-346-8908, www.cavecity.com.
Chattanooga Choo Choo
Chattanooga, Tenn.
Terminal Station, a grand Beaux Arts-style building circa 1909, is home to the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel and the train made famous by the song of the same name. Standard hotel rooms and suites are available in modern wings of the building, but for a more out-of-the-ordinary experience stay in one of the 48 rooms in converted Victorian train cars that now permanently sit on the tracks next to the rail platform. You can enjoy a romantic meal on the Dinner in the Diner car, or a relaxing Southern-style meal at the Gardens Restaurant in the 82-foot-high, domed skylit lobby inside Terminal Station. Other cafes, lounges, shops and attractions are on the grounds. When you're ready to explore the rest of Chattanooga, the city runs a free electric shuttle between the Choo Choo and the Tennessee Aquarium on the riverfront, with many stops in between. Rates for a rail car room start at $159. 1400 Market St., Chattanooga. 1-800-TRACK-29 (872-2529), www.choochoo.com.
Eat
212 Market Restaurant. Gourmet Southern cuisine in a restaurant that was a pioneer in the revitalization of downtown, opening for business before the aquarium did in 1992. This Wine Spectator award winner was also in the vanguard of the local farm-to-table movement. Entrees start at $10. 212 Market St., Chattanooga. 423-265-1212, www.212market.com.
Visitor info
Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Visitor Center (located across the street from the aquarium). 215 Broad St., Chattanooga. 800-322-3344, www.chattanoogafun.com.
About the Author
