Hello, Would You Like to Sleep in a Potato?
As you look around for your next vacation, have you considered the potato? An Airbnb in Idaho offers hungry spud-seekers the chance to sleep inside of a potato. But don’t bring the butter just yet, it’s not an actual potato, but a darn-good replica of one.
Originally built for the Idaho Potato Commission, the six-ton tuber toured the country for seven years, starting in 2012, for the 75th anniversary of the commission. But now the almost 12-foot-tall, 28-foot-long potato is past its original purpose, and ready to start its second life: as a hotel.
It was supposed to be retired to a museum when the commission began planning their second version of the potato, but one of the people who had helped build the potato was also a tiny home builder, and so she transformed it into an inviting new way for people to have a real Idaho potato experience.
Despite the rather ordinary outside (it truly looks like the most basic Idaho potato), the inside is pretty standard-issue Airbnb, with an antler chandelier, lots of hanging houseplants, and stylish details like the fancy kettle. There are, however, no real windows (but it does have a skylight), no kitchen, no wifi, and no television. It does have heat, air conditioning, a whirlpool in the bathroom, a queen bed, and a fireplace. The potato is parked on a 400-acre lot outside Boise, Idaho, so you’d have to go into town or bring a camping cook set for food. Perhaps you could cook some campfire potatoes to eat inside your own potato.
That said, the lack of amenities and the cool setting would make the perfect overnight escape if you’re driving through, or perhaps a silent retreat and digital detox. Because the potato is new, there are no reviews on it yet, but it has plenty of openings starting in June if you’re craving a night inside and have $200 a night to spare.