“DO you have hairy feet?” asks Steve Michaels, proprietor of the Hobbit House, when a reporter calls about his pet project. “Bilbo Baggins gets off on hairy feet. Hobbits have hairy feet. They also have hairy bellies. They eat about six times a day.”

If you are a J. R. R. Tolkien fan, this information is old news. But if your reaction is closer to “Hobbit? Short, some kind of elf, annoying. Bilbo? Bilious? Rocky Balboa?” it is a new world.

And thanks to Mr. Michaels, you can spend the night in it. No need to bring slippers: a big hairy pair await you. Also a wizard’s hat, belonging to someone named Gandalf. How to get there? It’s a long, long journey, because wherever you live, it is not close. More..