Apollo Pizza Berea Kentucky

Apollo Pizza in Berea!  Make sure you give them a try!

Vancouver International Airport British Columbia

In general, airports can be tough.  Everyone is in a hurry, and you can't wait to leave them, and get on with your adventure.

I will say that I have found one that I enjoy.  The Vancouver International Airport is generally calm, and I like the way they have things set up.  Nice art, friendly staff, etc.

Incognito Coffee Vancouver British Columbia

One of the best cups of coffee I have had in a while was at Incognito Coffee in Vancouver.  

Banff Springs Hotel and Sulphur Mountain, Banff, Canadian Rockies

The sender of this postcard tells a friend in Kentucky about the snow in the Banff area!

JJ Bean Coffee Vancouver British Columbia

JJ Bean was one of our favorite coffee shops we found in Vancouver BC.  They had really good drinks and friendly staff.

I was personally impressed with the fact that they had oat milk out right next to their cream and sugar.....  no upcharge or anything like that.

There was plenty of seating too, which is not common in big cities like this.

You know me, I have a lot of favorite coffee shops....  But JJ Bean is definitely one of the nicest I have had been to ever.

JJ Bean gets my highest possible recommendation.

Walking Around Vancouver British Columbia

Well, I am wrapping things up with our Alaska Cruise/Vancouver BC visit....  We had a really good time.  Vancouver is a big, beautiful major city, but it is very unique.  We enjoyed walking around and seeing the sites, but we also took note of some of their other issues- crime and drug use.

Look around, you will see that Vancouver is dealing with those issues in ways that only this city can.

CPR Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Canadian Rockies Postcard

This cool postcard was sent from Alberta in 1936.

Canada Place Vancouver British Columbia

While we were in Vancouver, we walked around Canada Place.

Robson Street Vancouver British Columbia 2022

We spent some time exploring the very happening Robson Street in Vancouver British Columbia!

Ontario Canada Mounties Old Postcards

I found a couple of great postcards showing Canadian Mounties!  I am guessing these unused cards are from the 60s.  The top one says it is from Lake Dore, Ontario, and the bottom one says "Greetings from Eganville, Ont."

Vancouver Police Museum and Archives- British Columbia

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to visit the Vancouver Police Museum and Archives.  For a lot of roadtrippers, this is a place high up on their list.  It is very strange and informative, and they have a lot of info on crimes in the area!

"Vermont's Creepy Classics: Book One" by Joseph A. Citro

 I have mentioned Joeseph A. Citro here before....  this is one of my favorite "weird" authors.  His work, "Passing Strange" is an absolute classic, if you are into books about ghosts, and strange history.  He has written some fun, crazy fiction too.

Well, he is putting out a series of books, based on previous research.  I ordered the first one and wanted to mention it here.

If you have read his books, or read other stories about strangeness in Vermont, you will recognize some of these tales.

BUT, he has updated them.  He has traced the origins of some of these stories.  One of the most legendary stories literally came from a champion at "yarnin".  A story printed, mostly as a joke took on a life of its own, and became a locally accepted true story.  Citro sets the record straight.

You can't cover any part of New England without bringing up witches, and the author has you covered.  One witch story even involves a character (a real person) that has an indirect connection to the author, which causes some personal stress to him, as he finds out more details after the original publication of the story.

There are stories about frogs in an impossibly long hibernation.  There is a "Petrified Indian".  There is more.

This would be a really nice book to get for a young reader interested in folklore, but any adult who love New England legends will love it too.

Driving around the Hastings Street Area Vancouver British Columbia.

 

Vancouver British Columbia is a great town, and we enjoyed our stay there very much.  They do have some issues mostly centered around Hastings Street and the area is very controversial.

"True Tales of Terror in the Caves of the World" by Paul Jay Stewart

I luckily found "True Tales of Terror in the Caves of the World" by Paul Jay Steward for a couple of bucks at a used book sale!  This is the reason I scavenge used book stores often.  This is a book that I had never heard of, but I knew I wanted it after flipping through it.

This one came out in 2005, and I will admit there were several stories that I had to google around about to see if there were any developments to some of these stories.  For example, Steward talks about a tale involving a wealthy businessman in Japan who is found to be a serial rapist.  The case was kind of developing at the time of the book being written.

All of the stories (and he keeps them informative but short) involve a cave and death.

I took notes as I was reading this one.  I am always fascinated by caves and weird stories that happen at them.

One cave in West Virginia involved a strange double murder, or murder suicide, most are still unsure about the events.  Another story covers the time that legendary Carlsbad Caverns was taken hostage!  More than one story involved entire groups of people meeting their end in caves.  There are more caves with American Civil War connections.  Native American legends are covered.  There is more.

This is just a very interesting book that any fan of caves will want to track down.
 

Midway Kentucky Museum April 2023

AND, while we were in Midway, we stopped by their great little museum!

Concert Memories: John and Mary, Pittsburgh, PA

I recently saw an add.  For $50, you could BUY A RAFFLE TICKET to win two tickets and a hotel stay for one night to see one of the biggest arena concert acts going right now.

To each their own....  but seeing something like this really makes me appreciate all of the concert experiences I had back when I was going to a lot of shows.

Let me tell you what I got in the early 2000s for $50.

In a small, classy bar (Club Cafe) in Pittsburgh PA, it was winter I THINK 2002.  Room capacity 150.  The "Winter Solstice Acoustic Cabaret" was held.

We went because of John & Mary.  If you don't know John & Mary, look them up.  This is one of my all time favorite musical duos.  Folk rock at its best.  They're most known for being members of 10,000 Maniacs, but they have released a few incredible albums on their own.

I've mentioned it here before, but 10,000 Maniacs is one of my all time favorite bands, and John and Mary's first couple of albums are still frequently played in my house.  

Anyway, it was $7 a ticket.  I remember buying 2 CDs at the show and having the artists sign them.  I had a nice long chat with each of the performers that night.  The show started at 10 and I think ended at 2.  Oh, and we bought cake and coffee at the Club Cafe.

I don't remember the exact details, but I remember thinking that we had an incredible evening of seeing live music and poetry and we did it all for under $50.  We saw 2 musicians that I greatly admire.  We discovered the great folk rock of Mark Dignam (another musician I still love and listen to often).  We got two CDs directly from the artists, autographed.  We had cake and coffee.  ALL for less than $50.

Oh, AND the staff let me take one of the show promo posters home.  The other acts that night were great too, and worth seeing in their own right.

I am amazed these days at the ticket prices for concerts...  and those artists aren't going to stick around and talk to their fans, or sign CDs after the show.

Making Moonshine in Kentucky Postcard

Back in the hills, off the beaten highway, the mountaineers have their own distilleries making powerful moonshine called "Mountain Dew."

This old Kentucky Moonshine postcard does not mention a specific town.

Weisenberger Mill Midway Kentucky 2023

While in Midway, we drove by the scenic and historic Weisenberger Mill!

Midway Kentucky April 2023

We spent a nice day in Midway Kentucky recently!