If you want to go mainstream, it’s always good to go on Trip Advisor and have a look at the tip-top travel tips and follow them, especially if you are short on time at a particular spot. But if you do enjoy the luxury of time and enjoy strolling on the road less traveled, a really good way to find hidden gems is to google blogs.
Which is how I came across Mansion on O Street.
Wow!
This place is a very funky set of townhouses, connected through secret doors and maze-like corridors, with many rooms with an explosion of themes and decoration that can be stayed in, eaten in, danced in, married in.
This is Ted.
“We don’t own the Mansion, the Mansion owns us.”
If you aren’t doing any of the above, you can just take the tour like we did.
We are in one of the function rooms. Colors and life everywhere.
Ted tells us a story.
Apparently, there had been a halogen light in this function room that had burst into flames at a very odd hour. Also in the room, hung on a wall, was a painting of Mother Mary in a very heavy frame. The fire fighters were shocked when they came in as they saw that the huge, heavy painting, frame and all, had flung itself onto the fire, which was quite a distance away from it (which is crazy as the frame has no legs, life, will!), falling on to the blaze thus snuffing out a good bit of it and ensuring the safety of the house until the fire engines arrived.
Amazing story of magic – Ted even showed us underneath the carpet where you can still see the blackness from the damage.
Anita walking above the said carpet.
The rooms and suites are fascinating, the event halls are very interesting and the corridors that connect all of the above are a full of little treasures, pieces of art, signed memorabilia and sculptures. So much to take in.
Here, look!
Pretty much everything is for sale except the signed memorabilia.
Almost everything is donated by the generous artists that made them – sweet!
Many of the suites are dressed up in different themes. The prices range from 350 USD to up and up and up.
One of the rooms.
Yes, everything is for sale in these too.
The kitchen in one of the suites, Betty and all.
We found it! One of the secret doors disguised as a big mirror. We step through to the other side.
The other side is creepy with a creepy statue on top waiting to kill us…
Loved it of course!
This is the log cabin suite.
This lottery business takes a lot of practice. Anyhow, we will be prepared when I win and me and my loved ones live the spiritual-but-comfortable version of ‘Entourage’.
I asked the ranger if I could borrow his flag for the pose and he said I could as long as he was in the photo too. So here we are 🙂
Funky bathroom of another suite.
Catch your dreams and make them come alive.
What better way to pass time than to make out with myself on the toilet.
Ahhh, so much romance in my life *sigh*
Secret stalker.
Another part of the Mansion.
This bit is cheery.
Except for the poor butler in the corner. He looks defeated and depressed.
Ted takes us to the dungeon (or ‘cellar’ as it is commonly known everywhere else except my head).
These masks were left over after a drag party here.
Now, that’s a party I would have liked to have been in.
Tip: do remember to make your way down here as most people think it’s off-limits when it’s not.
Look – even the kitchen floor is swimming to safety.
On our way out.
Have I bragged about meeting Mick Jagger and getting his autograph lately? Never a bad time for that, eh?
She doesn’t date much, bless her.
She’s forgotten how and it took a few tries to get the target right 😀
Another dining/function room.
What a great place for anything, so much character.
A great place for couples too who have run out of things to talk about. Just saying 🙂
