5 Strange Places for Romance
What's the most romantic way you've wooed the love of your life? A serenade beneath the window? A walk in the rain? For some people that's fine, but others seek out the creative oddities that make life interesting. These crazy lovers don't just seek romance, they seek romantic, adventurous experiences they can share. Sometimes those experiences are wacky, sometimes straight up weird, but they are always fun.
Looking to get in touch with your bizarre side? Here are 5 Strange Places for Romance.
1) Integratron, Landers, California
Does it seem like you and your love were attracted by some strange magnetic energy? Maybe you were. In that case, bathe in the sounds of that sweet, strange electromagnetic force that brought you two together at the Integratron.
In the middle of the Mojave Desert in Landers, California, just outside of Joshua Tree National Park, sits a wood dome building said to sit on a powerful geomagnetic vortex. Built by George Van Tassel, this 38-fot by 55 ft. structure is designed to be an electrostatic generator for rejuvenation of cells and time travel. The site's geomagnetic forces are focused by the unique geometry of the building thereby becoming amplified. Those forces produce some significantly groovy effects for the lovers with peace and well-being in mind.
Experience one of the Integratron's signature sound baths for deep relaxation. The 60-minute healing sessions include 25 minutes of crystal bowls played live. The rest of the hour you'll be relaxing to recorded music. The experience is said to bring waves of peace, heightened awareness and relaxation of the mind.
2) Brain Museum, Buffalo, New York
They say that the true source of love isn't your heart but your brain. Guess Valentine's Day just wouldn't be the same if you filled it with tiny gray brains instead of plump red hearts. So if that's the case, then the Museum of Neuroanatomy in Buffalo, New York is the most romantic place to celebrate your love.
The Museum of Neuroanatomy is the only museum in the United States devoted exclusively to the brain. Located at the University of Buffalo, guided tours are available at this homage to the real love organ.
Often referred to affectionately as the Brain Museum, the Museum of Neuroanatomy features more than 80 illuminated brain specimen in what is considered a world-class collection.
Dissections will take you deep inside the brain while photographs, slides and tissue cross sections provide an intimate look at the vision and hearing centers of the brain, which may even give you insight into how your loved one perceives you. Aw, how sweet.
3) Isla de Munecas, Xochimilco, Mexico
Riding along a canal under a canopy of trees with the love of your life can be romantic. However, when there are dirty and broken dolls hanging from those trees it takes a special kind of couple to still smile and sigh and continue to enjoy that couple time.
Isla de Munecas, Spanish for Island of the Dolls, is a tourist attraction in Xochimilco, Mexico. A man named Don Julian Santana dedicated the last 50 years of his life to living alone on the island and collecting dolls, which he said were to appease the spirit of a girl who had drowned there. Feeling the romance yet?
After Santana's death in 2001 the island became a tourist attraction, with visitors being both enthralled and creeped out by the hundreds of dolls. Visit Mexico for its many romantic destinations and stunning beaches, and then if you are brave enough, take a ride to the Isla de Munecas.
4) International UFO Museum and Research Center, Roswell, New Mexico
So you say your love is out of this world? Check out what else may be out there at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico. The museum maintains itself as the serious side of all things UFO, and has a mission of educating the general public on the topic.
The idea for the museum came about in early 1990 when a couple of the participants in the Roswell Incident decided to dedicate a place for the research and debate on the existence of extraterrestrial life according to the museum's website.
The museum includes information on the Roswell Incident, crop circles, ancient astronauts, UFO sightings, Area 51, and abductions. The exhibits are designed to help visitors form their own opinions about the topic and research for themselves. The museum even launched the annual Roswell UFO festival attracting top-UFO researchers and attendees from all over the world—and possibly—worlds unknown. Lovers visiting Roswell, New Mexico can share their love, and their love for things unknown at one of the most mysterious locations in the country.
5) Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum, Yokohama, Japan
You may remember them from early in your relationship, when money was scarce and you lived on love. Or maybe you still enjoy a cup every now and then. At some point gourmet eating was Cup Noodles Instant Ramen. Visit Japan and the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Yokohama and learn about that iconic food you lived on in your early days.
It's an interactive museum that celebrates the creative thinking of Momofuku Ando, the creator of Instant Ramen. He started with Chicken Ramen in 1958 followed by Cup Noodles in 1971. In 2005 he created Space Ramen.
An exhibit called the Instant Noodles History Cube shows how the original product evolved into more than 3,000 products today. At the Ramen Noodles factory you can make your own ramen and even design your own Ramen package. Children can explore an exhibit that allows them to see the manufacturing process from the noodles' point of view. Explore the stranger side of your relationship with a trip to the Ramen museum.