Mark Twain House, Hartford, CT.

We had a great time at the Mark Twain House in Hartford CT. This is an amazing and big house that Clemens lived in for about 20 years. He wrote the Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn stuff here, which I thought was pretty cool.

In a nut shell, he and his family were having financial problems in 1891 so they left the country. He did eventually move back to the area, but he lived in a smaller house.

Our tour was great, we had a fun, knowledgeable tour guide too, which is a plus. The staff was very friendly and they all seemed excited about contributing to the Mark Twain legacy (the staff at the House of the Seven Gables should come here and take notes).

We took the servants entrance tour, which was a shorter tour of the working areas of the servants.

We then toured the entire house. Check out my pictures.

I do know that the house has had some financial concerns, which is sad. I think they will pull through, the Mark Twain House seems to really be a part of the area.

Portland Head Light, Maine

We did visit the Portland Head Light. Very nice light house. I can't say a lot about it, but there is plenty of info around the net. Here are some pictures.

The Scare Fest

The Scare Fest is happening in Lexington this weekend. Went last year and had a great time! I am really glad the area is getting an event like this. This is a horror/paranormal convention and they have some interesting guests. It is always great seeing personal favorites-and very friendly guys Kane Hodder (Jason), Doug Bradley (Pinhead) and Gunnar Hansen (the original Leather Face). There are many others.
Check out their great site:

http://thescarefest.com/

Gloucester, MA. Seven Seas Whale Watch

To be honest, I really had no major interest in whale watching. I assumed whale watching involved going out on a boat for a few hours, feeling a little sea sick, and maybe seeing a very brief glimpse of a whale from a distance.

I was wrong.

We made our plans to go whale watching early on. It was pretty much on our way, and Jenn had a coworker from the town of Gloucester who suggested specifically using Seven Seas Whale watch.

I guess, in all fairness, the first 45 minutes of the boat ride were uneventful. Staff on the boat made some announcements, and did a little presentation on whales, the city, etc.

I believe the crew said that the trip was pretty much a 17 mile ride out to where the whales feed. It took a little less than an hour to get to that area.

The ride was relaxing. Many people took a nap. The hum of the boat, and the endless views of water were pleasant.

I really didn't know what to expect. For the most part, I was just along for the ride.

Then, there was an announcement that 2 whales had been spotted ahead. The boat turned just a little and went up a bit. Th entire group on the boat went from relaxed and calm to excited and anxious. Everyone jumped up.

The boat was very spacious and had 2 decks, so there wasn't as much crowding as I had anticipated. There was a pretty good view for everyone.

So, before we even arrived at the feeding ground area, we had a sighting. It was cool. You could see a tail, and the side of a whale. "That was very nice" I thought to myself." I immediately felt that I had gotten my money's worth on the trip.

The crew was bold. Instead of sticking around to watch this one whale, they announced that they wanted to get to the feeding area. I think most whale watchers would have tried to milk this sighting for all it was worth. Not the Seven Seas guys. They knew their stuff. They knew that more and better sighting opportunities were up ahead.

Well, shortly after that sighting, we saw more. Three whales were around the boat at one time! You could literally be anywhere on the boat and see a whale!

A couple of personal highlights for me included just seeing their tails hang in the air, just out of the water. Another exciting moment was when one slowly swam under the boat, and we could see him under the surface of the water. I was even able to get a great picture of Jenn with a whale in the background twice!

The crew detoured a bit a couple of times to make sure we saw all we could. Even on the way back, they mentioned a sighting on the side, and they went over so everyone could check it out.

More than once crew came over to ask us about our experience and to answer questions. The informative (but by no means intrusive) crew told us about their research. At the end of our trip, they even informed all on the boat about how many whales we saw, what they did, etc. They keep stats on this. They were even able to identify some of the whales by name!

They told an amazing story from the 70s. A little older fisherman came to their research facility. He said that he had pictures of whales he had taken going back to the 30s! He asked if they would like them. They were able to identify one of the whales they had been observing in one of his photos!

I really enjoyed spending about 5 hours with the Seven Seas crew. The boat was very comfortable and uncrowded. On the first level, there were several tables and a snack bar in an inside area. In no way did the crew or the boat feel restrictive. I almost felt like I was out with some very knowledgeable friends watching whales more than being out with a professional company.

After we got back, we stopped in the gift shop. Even the nice people running the Seven Seas gift shop enthusiastically asked about our sitings!

After watching for whales, we were advised by our local informant to check out Sugar Magnolias. Any restaurant named after a Grateful Dead song is a must stop!

This place was slammed, even though the lunch rush should have been over by the time we arrived. We were able to get a table. I had a great tuna melt and some broccoli slaw. I could have eaten a gallon of the slaw. It was easy to see why the locals love this place.

We had coffee at the Lone Gull coffee house which was very pleasant too. If I lived in Gloucester, Sugar Mags and Lone Gull would be my hang outs.

The shops around town were perfect. Lots of touristy stuff, nice shirts, postcards, etc. I really hope to make it back to this town soon.

http://www.7seas-whalewatch.com/

Haunted Footsteps Ghost Walk, Salem Mass.

I can't stress enough just how strange of a city Salem is, and I mean that in a very good way. Sure, it has the distinction of the whole witch trial thing in 1692. It has the very defined dark, rainy New England feel. It is bursting with oddness.

I love historical strangeness too. I love documented, official, authentic weird places.
I also appreciate odd urban legend type locations. Sure, I want to know the facts, but often legends without any proof start somewhere, and I want to hear about those too.

Salem has both. We know about the documented witch trials, ships, pirates, etc. associated with the area. This is fascinating stuff in its own right to research. Out of that, you get the other legends too.

I was told when going through the Witch Dungeon that the original jail where the "witches" were was, for some time, lost. They weren't sure where the jail was located. Well, in 1955, when digging was done in the area where the bank was being built, they stumbled on to it. Instead of trying to preserve the area or do anything historical with it, they went ahead and built the bank.

That is an often heard story in the area, and it seems to be pretty true. There are other legends in the area too. It seems that most agree that Gallows Hill is the area where the actual executions occurred, but I have heard people debate this. I have also heard other rumors about Salem and mysteries in the area. Like most any town, if you talk to locals you will hear various haunted house stories and urban legends.

We went on the "Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour" and we got a big old dose of all of the above. Tara was our guide, and she was amazing! This was the kind of tour where you have to set and think for a few hours afterwards- there is a lot of bizarre information! We were told the tour would be about 90 minutes long. Well, Tara was very talkative. The tour went over 2 and a half hours and everyone on the tour listened to every work (I was going to make a joke about hanging on every word but then I changed my mind). It was such a great tour, I don't think anyone wanted it to end.

Our guide covered the local legends and some of the basics, but most of her knowledge was "little known" stuff. Her story telling was animated and creepy (the perfect combo). She told some truly disturbing tales. There are a number of things I am going to have to research further myself. I did not know anything about catacombs or about the local modern jail.

The Haunted Footsteps people sell a combo ticket with the Spirits Trolley Tours. The trolley can be used all day and it goes on about a 1 hour loop around the city. It is also very informative, with a bit more of a historic emphasis. With your ticket, you can get on and off of the trolley as often as you need. We ended up getting on two different trolleys through the day, and, just like with the ghost tour, our guides were informative and fun. They pointed out all of the significant sights.

Salem is just such a strange fun town. Like other cool areas with a touch of strangeness, the balance here is just a little off. It is a nice city on its own. It is comfortable and pleasant. Then, there is that knowledge in the back of your mind about its past.

Salem Mass- Henry Derby House

I think a lot of people aren't aware of just how easy and affordable staying at a bed and breakfast can be when they travel. Staying at a B&B can be a great way to get a better feel of an area, and there are many benefits over a hotel.

We stayed at the Henry Derby House on our recent trip to Salem. As travelers on a budget and on a strict schedule, we really needed to make the most of our time and expenses. Staying at this cozy B&B was a good idea on many levels.

The price to stay here was similar to many hotels in the area. There was also the added benefit having a place to stay very close to all of the attractions. Many traditional hotels are a little out of town. With the Henry Derby House, we were right in the middle of everything. There was the added bonus of parking our car when we arrived in Salem, and not worrying about it again until leaving town.

Not having to worry about your car (paying to park, remembering to feed the meter, etc.) is nice. Also, being right in the middle of all of the sites and shops was very convenient. After visiting a museum we were tired, but still had a little over an hour until our next tour. Well, we were able to go to our room at the Derby House and relax.

One of the many benefits to staying at a bed and breakfast that I love the most is the local feel you get to experience. You can go to sleep with the windows open and listen to the sounds of the area. You can take a walk around the block in the morning. You can mingle with the locals. You really are a part of that area while you are there. When staying at a hotel, you mingle with other travelers from wherever. You wake up in a generic room in a generic bed, just like the one you were in the night before, and the night before that. Sometimes that generic room is all that you need. But, if you are going to hang around a historic or interesting town for a few days, a bed and breakfast is perfect.

We had a very nice time at the Henry Derby House on this trip. The rates were comparable to some chain hotels a little bit out of the area (which again would have required more travel time and car hassle).

Peg at the Derby House seemed excited about having us and appreciative of our business. When we arrived, she was great about making sure our room was ready (even though we were significantly early). She took the time to draw out a map for us, to make suggestions, and to let us know about some other areas of interest in town. She encouraged us to call her while we were out and about if we needed anything.We did leave early in the morning, and we weren't able to take advantage of the breakfast (which would have been nicer than a continental breakfast at a chain hotel I am sure) but that was OK. I have a feeling we will be back to see Peg at the Derby House again.
http://www.henryderby.com/

Salem Massachusetts Museums and other attractions

We have been through Salem four times. I love this town. It is actually pretty small, but jam packed with history. Anyone who appreciates history and especially weird history will love this place!

I will try not to rehash what most people already know. There are many books covering the events of the 1692 Salem witch trials. It is still a fascinating and mysterious point in American history.

The town has capitalized on it in a big way too. There are several museums, gift shops and other attractions relating to the trials and the general historical strangeness of the area.

As we have been through this area, as travelers several times, I will try to give a brief review of some of the attractions we have enjoyed the most.

I should take a moment to say that the town is very touristy with many novel tourist stops. Expect to pay $8-$15 at each museum or attraction on admission, even the smaller ones. Take a few extra dollars to each stop for post cards and gifts.

One thing that surprised me on our first visit was the use of the word "museum." I expected to see many artifacts and actual items from the witch trials. That is not the case. Few actual relics still exist, and the best ones are the obvious ones in the cemetery and the "Witch House" (the only building still standing directly linked to the trials).

The New England Pirate Museum, The Witch Dungeon Museum, and The Witch History Museum are three separate museums that offer a deal when you buy passes to all 3. They are within walking distance of each other and the other main attractions.

All three pretty much involve period dressed actors leading tours through life sized scenes of historical figures and events. The actors do a great job, and the scenes are pretty fun too. The Witch Dungeon Museum did have a piece of wood from the actual witch jail. The pirate one was just a lot of fun too. Our pirate guide really got into the part.

There are other cool museums in the area too, including the most noticeable one, the Salem Witch Museum. There is the newer Lizzie Borden Museum too. I can't get enough Lizzie Borden (more on her later). There is a traditional haunted house attraction there too, I can't think of the name at the moment, but we had fun taking their tour.

I love Nathaniel Hawthorne. The part in the House of the Seven Gables where Judge Pyncheon is setting in the house dead is about some of the creepiest writing ever. Hawthorne was born in Salem and spent a lot of time here. There are several references to him in Salem. Obviously, one of the big attractions in Salem, especially relating to Hawthorne is the actual House of Seven Gables. As much as I love Hawthorne and the preservation of historical houses, I must say that the house tour is disappointing, in my opinion. I would suggest going only if you are a huge fan of the novel, and really feel the need. It is the House of the Seven Gables though, and many people will see it just because of the name. Unfortunately, I get the impression that it is being managed with that same kind of attitude.

The Peabody Essex Museum is huge, and can take up a day or so on your travel schedule by itself. It is the oldest continuously operating museum in the US and has impressive collections of Asian and maritime art. The museum is also in control of many historically significant buildings in Salem.

Depending on your time and budget, I would pretty much suggest seeing all of the museums and attractions. Even if you think the period dressed actors and the life size scene museums are cheesy, they are fun.

Charleston WV.

OK. I haven't spent a lot of time here, but I have been through a few times lately. I don't have a lot to say about Charleston, but I am interested in getting back soon. It did take a second visit for me to realize it, as the area seems to not have a lot going on at first.

First off, this is a bit of a neglected area for day trips from the Eastern Kentucky area. Sure, I think most of us might pass on Charleston West Virginia opting instead for a day in Louisville or a bigger town with more going on in general.

Charleston does have a really cool SAL minor league baseball park that I have mentioned on my other blog. They have a Quaker Steak and Lube. If you are a buffalo wing fan, this is a great chain that I would love to see hit Kentucky.

Charleston has a nice mall too. I know many people hate malls, but, as they become more scarce by the moment, I am really developing an appreciation for them. The Charleston Town Center Mall seems is nice and spacious, and it is maintained well. They have a nice food court on the third story where you can look out over the other stories on the mall. This is very relaxing.

Huntington and Marshall University are also close by. We stopped briefly in Huntington and hit their mall too. They have a nice one. I don't know why, but I love those big mall book stores with a Seattle's Best Coffee in them. I would like to see more of these too. Also, on the same exit at the Huntington Mall we went to, there is the Billy Bob's Pizza place that I mentioned before.

The area does have a bit of a X-Files vibe going on, and I love areas with that kind of feel. Flatwoods (birthplace of the "Flatwoods Monster") and Point Pleasant which is associated with Mothman are close by. Also, and I plan on talking about this later, the Weston State Hospital (aka the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) is not too far off either. That is a cool place I will need to talk about more!

New England

I originally wanted to write mostly about the great state of Kentucky and other areas close by. I still want to keep the theme here pretty much related to Kentucky or areas outside of Kentucky that can easily be visited in a day or weekend trip. For the moment, I hope my reader(s) won't mind my writing about my travels through New England and the states between there and Kentucky.

I know, this is a pretty big stretch for a Kentucky Travel blog, but, for what it is worth, I did the entire trip, there and back, in my car within about 1 week. We left Friday evening around 5 and got back the following Saturday pretty late. We made it a little north of Portland Maine. We made notable stops in several cities.

I will write over the next few weeks about some of our favorite stops. This was our 4th time making this specific trip, so a few areas are becoming pretty familiar to me as a traveller. We did visit 10 minor league baseball parks, seeing games at 5 of them. Feel free to check out my mentions of them on my other blog, kentuckybaseball.blogspot.com.

I love Kentucky and I love the entire country. Getting in my car and just going somewhere is such a treat and a privilege. Not many decades ago, it was an event for someone to travel just a few miles. A trip for my grandfather in to town was somewhat of an event. Now, it is no big deal for me to make a 2500 mile trip in a week just for the fun of it!

Louisville Mega Cavern

roadsideamerica.com (one of my favorite web sites) recently linked to an article about the Louisville Mega Cavern.

Wow! I had the opportunity to check this place out this weekend. I am a little speechless.

Frankly, while on my tour, I did try to listen to the stats, numbers, and figures, but I was so amazed looking around that I missed out on a lot. I am going to have to take this tour again VERY soon.

In a nut shell, the Louisville Mega Cavern is a bit of a work in progress. It has been around for about 50 years if I remember correctly. It is 17 miles long. It is very secure, and the temperature, like in a cave, stays a constant 58 degrees. It is now being used as a very secure place for companies to store candy, wine, vehicles, etc. According to our guide, MGM stores some of their original films there, including the Wizard of Oz. Tell me that isn't cool!

Also, there is a large scale life size diorama showing what life might be like if the Cavern took on residents during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The diorama is very big, and very strange. On the tour, they note that 50,000 people had been invited to come in and live there, if needed. It was a very secret situation. They actually show a short film, in the Cavern during the tour on this.

The tour seemed to last nearly an hour and a half, and it was all on a train car. There is no walking involved at all, which is good and bad. I do like walking on a tour, but the riding has a lot of benefits too. I know of some relatives that have trouble walking even short distances. I think this would be a great adventure for them. It was actually relaxing and fascinating.

There are signs as you ride around noting that you are exactly under K-Mart, Wendy's and the Zoo. We had lunch at the Wendy's after our tour, thinking about the tours going on underneath us.

Maybe I should warn you, the end of the tour is a bit creepy. Our tour guide, Woody, ate a worm from the worm farm in the Cavern. Seriously. I am not kidding. Let me say it again. He ate a worm. I asked him if it is OK to assure others who come to the Mega Cavern that they will also get to see this. He told me that it is part of EVERY tour. That alone is worth the price of admission.

So, the Louisville Mega Cavern is just cool. I could see taking any school group there. Also, it has the very creepy life size diorama displays (the way they are posed, and the way the light moves around them as you ride around them, they reminded me of slow moving zombies from old 70's horror films). I could also see taking any fan of caves or of history there.

The only disappointment about Mega Cavern is the gift shop. They have lots of rocks, and pretty generic "cavern" stuff. They need to get to work on their exclusive items. I always pick up patches and postcards when we travel somewhere unique. The gift shop had neither. Also, after the tour, I was craving MORE info on this place. The generic "factoids" posted on the walls, and the bits of information in the pamphlets weren't enough for me. This place is begging for a 300 page book to be written about it. The gift shop is in need of such a book too.

Also, as far as a tourist stop goes, Louisville Mega Cavern is VERY young. They do have some things to iron out. The tour is still a bit raw. Get down to Mega Cavern and enjoy that rawness while you can. Over the next few years they will without a doubt shape the tour up, and give it a glossy coat. There has to be a legal issue with making your tour guides eat worms. I can see myself bragging to my friends in 20 years, "I took the Mega Cavern tour back when they made the tour guides eat worms!" Surely that can't continue!

I hope they exploit the Caverns to their fullest potential. It would be a great place to have a Halloween party or haunted house. Camp outs would be cool. 17 mile multi day hikes would be something to brag about too. Check out their web site.

http://www.louisvillemegacavern.com/

Hocking Hills in Ohio

I have been out and about lately. I have had a bit more time at home though, and I have stayed local, which has been nice, but I don't want to write about something I have written about before.

I did spend some time at Hocking Hills in Ohio. We met some friends from up north and got together at a cabin in this area. Frankly, we mostly just hung out at our cabin and enjoyed being way out in the middle of the woods.

I guess I don't have a ton to say about this place, but it is a very relaxing area with the remoteness that is hard to find these days. This is the perfect area for getting away from everything.

Check out their web site
http://www.hockinghills.com/

Rain

I have had most of my recent travel and game plans cancelled because of the weather. I just haven't done a lot lately. I am making plans though! I did hit a rain delayed Lexington Legends game Friday, and the next night I went to a Florence Freedom game, also rain delayed.

Florence is such an underrated area. There is a lot going on right there that I have talked about before. Their walking tacos and sliders for $1 are about the best ballpark deal around.I've noticed at the last few Freedom games they ask all former and active military guys to stand for a moment of recognition. Pure class. Every team around should be doing that.

The Horsemen did well too. I love this Arena football team. It does seem like they are getting more support. Their on field host Steve is funny as heck.

Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville, WV.

I recently had the chance to go somewhere I have wanted to go for several months now... That's right, Barboursville, WV. My main goal was to catch a performance by the once common, now very rare Rock afire Explosion.

When I was a very young kid, we would go to Evansville, and they had a Showbiz Pizza Place. The place was amazing! It was so unreal and so modern. Now it seems so 80 and early 90s.

Owensboro got one too, and we loved it. My family went there all the time. I have a ton of good memories of that place.

Showbiz had all of the old arcade games, air hockey, ski ball, and the Rock afire Explosion band.

I am not totally sure I have this straight but, if I recall, Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese were very similar and competed. They both had the arcade games, the animatronic band, and pizza. Both were fun.

Eventually they merged, one took over the other and then Chuck E. Cheese was everywhere. All of the Showbiz restaurants were converted. The Rock afire Explosion band faded away.

I had heard rumors and read on the internet that a few were still around. The most mentioned one at Billy Bob's Wonderland in Barboursville.

I was there recently. The rumors are true.

I read several reviews on the internet about this place. Many people felt disappointed by the band and the facility. Frankly, I went there expecting to be a little let down. Well, that was not the case.

Billy Bob's was very similar to the way I remember Showbiz, but the lay out was different from the one's in my memory. A lot of the old arcade games, and some of the other more interactive games were there. They had ski ball, tokens, and a ticket redemption area.

The dining area was very similar. Several long rows of tables near the stage. We had a great pizza. Frankly, I can't really remember Showbiz pizza, so this was actually probably better than I remember.

I had heard some pretty critical reviews of the Rock afire Explosion here. They looked and sounded great to me. ANY functioning Rock afire band is a total treat to see, in any condition. It must take a ton of work to maintain one. Sure, there was some lag. Some of the movements, if you look close, are off. These guys are nearing antique status.

I guess, if someone bragged about having an old Model T, I would not expect it to go as fast or smoothly as a modern sports car. I would not look for a CD player or Ipod jack on the inside. If it had been lovingly restored and functioning in a similar way to the way it would have functioned in 1910s and 1920s, I would be very impressed. That's how I feel about this Rock afire Explosion.

Billy Bob's is the kind of place that is just so retro. I LOVE any restaurant where, if you leave your cell phone in the car and if no one is carrying a lop top, you can trick yourself in to thinking you are in a different time. With all of the great arcade sounds and lights, and with the Rock afire band, you could get that late 80s feeling going with no problem! I hope Billy Bob's sticks around for many decades to come.

Ipods

I love record shops, and looking for obscure tunes. I remember back in college, it was a real treat scavenging the Recordsmith in Richmond, the places on Limestone in Lexington, or the Money Tree in Owensboro. There is something about hearing a song, and hunting the album/CD down.

Every time I pass an Apple store in a mall, I think, "that's the last nail in the coffin for the record shop." Actually, the last nail may have been hammered in long before.

I love CDs. I love holding a CD, I love owning the relic. I like vinyl too, but it is bulky, and it can distort. Setting and listening to an old album is a treat, but my favorite way to listen to music is loudly, in a car, as I drive down the road.

I have a ton of mix CDs. Seriously, I probably have a hundred. Before I take a trip, I like to put a CD together of songs about a place. Or, maybe not even songs specifically about the place, but songs that make me think of the location.

No doubt, John Prine was thinking about Kentucky when he wrote one of the greatest songs ever. There are a lot of other songs that were not written about Kentucky that I personally associate with the state though, mostly for personal reasons.

I will always associate Bob Seger's song, "Night Moves" with Berea, because I woke up there one night during a thunderstorm, with my radio on, almost during the "sound of thunder" part of the song.

Texas songwriter Darden Smith makes me think of Owensboro. My buddy Brent introduced me to Darden's music, and we would drive around listening to him.

Jackson Browne's, "That Girl Could Sing" seemed to always come on late at night on the classic rock station when I was working in fast food in Owensboro. That association will always be there in my mind too.

Most students that went to Berea in the 90s remember Curnutte and Maher playing there a few times. We loved them. The first time I ever went out with my future wife we saw that great duo.

I have a lot of CDs I have bought from indy folk performers at coffee shops. When I listen to those CDs I think about the song, the artist, and the venue.

I could go on and on.

This Christmas, I started getting interested in the whole Ipod thing. Reluctantly, I bought one. I must say now that I am converted.

A recent road trip around the state proved a great time to give mine a good "on the road" work out.

There were some songs I had been hunting down for years. Sometimes I find myself driving through a small town, listening to the local college station. I catch a catchy unfamiliar song on one of these stations. I quickly try to jot down a few lyrics, so I can google them later.

Before, I may have gone to the record store to find the CD containing that song, plus others. I might have to pay $5 or more for a used CD, or $15 plus for a new one.

Now, I can download a song, pretty much any song, for a dollar and some change. A buck.

I spent about $30 downloading songs the other night. I had a list of about 35 songs I had jotted down here or there. About 3 of them just didn't sound as good when I went back to listen to them again. Only a very obscure 2 were unavailable.

I will have to research some of the artists more thoroughly later, since I am judging them on 1 song so far, but I am judging them favorably.

I think about how exciting it was finding the Sundays CD in the CD shop. I bought it for their hit, "Here's Where the Story Ends". By golly, every song on that CD is a winner! I experienced similar excitement with the Innocence Mission, John Hiatt, and others.

Recently, I have experienced that same excitement with Amy Macdonald. I bought her CD while driving through Jackson TN. I listened to the album as I drove around the second greatest state, and now I will associate them together.

It would have been wrong if I had just downloaded the hit songs from the artists I just mentioned.

I think about the more common flip side of this too though. I have bought many more coasters with barely 1 good song on them.

Natural Bridge

When I was going to school at Berea, several of us would drive up to Natural Bridge. I love the park, the area, and the gift shops. It has actually been some time since I was there last. We have tried to get up there and finally made the trip recently.

The drive from Lexington is less than an hour, and as with most of Kentucky, its an enjoyable drive.

We parked at Hemlock Lodge early in the morning, and made our way up. I think the signs said that the actual Natural Bridge was a half mile hike. The hike is almost straight up. It is exhausting! There are several benches on the way up so you can rest.

I had some friends go up recently who did not take my warning. You almost get fooled in to think its not that far, so its no big deal.

The walk is very tiring, especially if you haven't done a lot of walking lately. We easily took out the 2 bottled waters we took up with us too.

The actual "Bridge" is a real treat. I remember the 1st time I ever went, making the hike, and then suddenly realizing that I was next to it! There are so many trees and just so much park area. The bridge is huge, but you don't see it until you get to it.

You do have to go up some steps to get on top of the bridge, and you have to squeeze through a section that makes you think of "Fat Man's Misery" at Mammoth cave. I had to walk sideways to get through.

Once on top, you do get a view that is remarkable. No tall buildings. No hotels. Its just sky blue and green forest. That is all you can see. It is great that this sort of situation has been preserved so perfectly.

Hiking back away from the Bridge to your car is no problem. Its all down hill. Your legs might be a bit shaky from the trip up though.

There is a skylift that takes you up to the bridge too. I have only taken the lift a couple of times. The skylift is a great alternative for someone not used to hiking. It also offers a great view on the way up and down. Its $9 per adult round trip.

The gift shop at the bottom of the lift is small, but it has all of the great touristy items. Cool mugs, t-shirts, etc. My co-worker insisted that I get some fudge there this time. It was incredible. Buy some fudge and undo all of the calorie burning you did on the hike up to the bridge! Seriously, the skylift gift shop may have found a way to make the perfect fudge.

A stop at Rosie's restaurant for burgers is a must in my opinion too. In fact, I don't think I have ever been to Natural Bridge without stopping there. The cool decorations alone are worth checking out. This is a not so typical burger and ice cream place that is ran in typical Kentucky fashion. The people running the place have authentic Kentucky charm. This is one of those great stops for perfect burgers that you can't find in a bigger city.

There is another shop to the right of Rosie's that sells Christmas and holiday stuff that we like a lot too. Check it out. They also have fudge, but I was fudged out after my visit to the skylift gift shop.

I did learn a few things during this visit to the area:

There are falls and other accidents at the Bridge. One local said he thought there was an accident about weekly.

The Hemlock Lodge seems secluded and dated, but in a good way. If you keep all cell phones and lap tops hidden, you might almost feel like you were back in the 70s! Think about that for a little bit. I love going places that make me truly feel I have gone back in time. They have a cool gift shop there, and their restaurant looked very nice. All reports are this is a great place to eat. We would have given it a try if we didn't have our hearts set on Rosie's.

I heard SEVERAL different languages spoken on this trip. The area gets visitors from different parts. Still, I think it could get more attention. It always seemed more like a word of mouth kind of place than a place you heard about through advertising. I don't know if I would rather tell the rest of the world about it, or keep it a great Kentucky secret!

Steve & Barry's and old stores

3-4 years ago, Jenn and I were at a mall near Detroit. I really love going to malls and just seeing what is there. Anyway, we stumbled on to a cool store called Steve & Barry's.

We could not believe how great this store was. They had a fun selection of cool novelty shirts, college team shirts and jackets, and other great clothes items. Everything was about $7! The jackets may have been $13 or so, but everything was very affordable. Christmas was months away, but we did all of our Christmas shopping right there on the spot. We carried out huge bags of future Christmas presents and spent well under $100.

Holy Carp! Was this Detroit's well kept secret? A lot of regional areas have great shops. Maybe it had been around Detroit for a long time, but we just found out about it.

We both agreed that a trip to Steve and Barry's would be justification for future road trips to the Motor City.

We realized that would not be necessary. Steve and Barry's seemed to pop up on all of our road trips. We shopped at Steve and Barry's in Buffalo, Erie, Florence, and many other familiar towns. A mall a few miles from our home in Cleveland at the time got one. Steve and Barry's was becoming an exciting chain of stores-thank goodness!

I love novelty t-shirts, and I found a bunch of great ones at Steve and Barry's. My favorites include the orange prison number shirt. "Rehab is for quitters" is a classic too. Fictitious sports team shirts are always good. I will not discuss the rude innuendo type stuff, but my dad and cousin always got one on the holidays.

Maybe 6 months to a year ago I realized a couple of Steve and Barry's shops were folding. I didn't think much about it at first. No big deal. That happens.

Then I slowly realized, they were all closing. Who could supply me with my novelty t-shirts now?

I guess I just now noticed that they are all gone. All of them.

This is, in a very urban way of thinking, sad. I know in Florence, there is the vacant Steve and Barry's. The sign is still up. It might be for some time.

I know in Owensboro, at least last time I was there, the old Keuster's store still had their signs up, though it has been closed for several years.

There are a lot of traces of former chains and old stores from the past. Every city I have been to recently has an abandoned, almost spooky looking former Circuit City. There are 2 within a few miles from my home.

I walked past one in Memphis recently, it was at night. Peeking in to their big windows and seeing nothing was sad. People were once employed there. Just a few years ago, in some cases, just a few months, these were lively, busy businesses in the community.

"This American Life" recently did a great show about Circuit City closing, and they played short interviews with people after losing their jobs at Circuit City stores. Former employees talked about jacking prices back up before they started their "going out of business" sales. They talked about the last item sold in a store, and even how everything was for sale, including bathroom items. It was a great show, I am sure you can download it somewhere on the internet.

A web site I like to check ever so often is deadmalls.com. It talks about, well, dead malls. If you travel, or if you move around a lot, malls often become very familiar. For professional reasons I spent a lot of time in malls around Cleveland. I noticed that some of those malls have, after struggling, closed for good. Turfland Mall in Lexington JUST closed up for good. I spent a lot of time there in college.

Don't get me wrong, I will take a nice wooded park any day of the week over a mall. But, as many others in my generation, I have grown up in malls. I have spent a lot of time in big box stores. I feel some nostalgia connected to malls and stores.

I know Steve & Barry's is gone now. A lot of malls and other places are no more. Even though I was probably in a Steve and Barry's in the last year, walking in to one again now would be pleasant. It just seems like the chain hit the scene a few years ago, and already it is no more.

Miamitown Ghost Tours

I really enjoy each season. I love the anticipation each of the four. I love drinking hot chocolate in winter, road trips with the windows down in summer.

In my own mind, I like to break the year down to two simpler seasons too. Around January I start to look forward to baseball season. In August I look forward to Halloween.

Autumn and Halloween are the best. Flannel shirts are appropriate. I don't want to sound like a cliche, but I could look at colorful leaves on trees all day long. I love scary movies, and I love a little bit of a chill in the air.

I love spookiness. I enjoy hearing scary stories, and feeling a connection to things that are a little scary.

Jenn and I like to travel a lot, obviously. We enjoy making "haunted" stops on our trips.

I will probably write about some of our previous trips later, probably closer to Halloween, but we have visited Salem Massachusetts several times. We've been to the Lizzie Borden House. We have spent time in several supposedly haunted B&Bs. I have lost count of how many "ghost walks" we have taken. Alcatraz, Seattle Underground, The Winchester Mystery Mansion... we've been there. I could go on and on.

I thought now would be a great time to mention our favorite ghost walk again, Miamitown Ghost Tours, since their new book (their SECOND book) is coming out in early June.

The Morris brothers have been doing their ghost walk in Miamitown since 2006. Jeff and Michael are friendly, and excited about their tour. They also seem a little odd themselves. They are eerily casual and calm. Think Lurch from the Adams Family, or the Tall Man from Phantasm. It truly adds to the experience. These guys are all ghost hunting.

They charge $10 a person, BUT there is a $2 off coupon on their website! A group of 4 of us took their tour before Halloween last year, and used the coupon. The Morris brothers spent a solid 2 hours with us on a full and fascinating tour. Not only that, but we asked if they could change the start time a bit because of travel issues, and they were accommodating. It was an off night too, so no one else joined our tour. Our tour was very personal.

I'm not going to do the math here (you can do it in your head if you want) but Jeff and Michael obviously didn't make a ton of money off of my group that night. They stuck around to answer our questions too, and to discuss ghost hunting. This was a very affordable adventure for us (we each used a coupon!) but I am certain Jeff and Michael did not compromise on the quality of our tour.

I am sure that the town where the brothers do their tour is charming during the day, but at night it is a little creepy. I say that in a nice way, it is a cool little town but it just feels strange anyway. I think, even without a ghost tour, this town would feel a bit odd.

I would not want to give anything away about the tour, but there is a bridge and a school (among other stops). The stories told about each were strange, spooky, and dark. Many of their tales involved sad and creepy true crime events.

Of all the tours I have been on, this was the one that felt the most real. As our guide told us about the school (his back was to the school) I was certain I saw something go past a window inside of the building. Our group started to walk to the next stop on the tour. I was about to say something when my friend Fako said that she had seen something go by the same window! Our stories matched.

And the bridge is not your usual "crybaby bridge." There story was researched and frightening. You have to hear them tell about the red truck.

I enjoy every "haunted" tour I take. I can honestly say that I have never been on a bad one. I really enjoy the more bizarre stories that you will not get on the regular bus tour of an area.

Theirs has a very authentically dark feel. 2 guys talking about the town they have researched. No hocus-pocus strings attached gimmicks here. They don't get too excited about specks of dust caught on film.

The thing I appreciate most about Miamitown Ghost Tours, and what separates them from other tours, is that it is a couple of guys running the show. It is not a franchised tour. They are keeping it going year round, not just in September and October. These guys enjoy doing this. Sure, you can take a ghost tour any night of the week in Gatlinburg, New York, or San Francisco. Many towns have one ran around Halloween. This one is ran in a small town all year long!

Check out their website. They have a lot going on right now, with Halloween still many months away. I can't wait to see what they have planned in October!

http://miamitownghosttours.com/

Hell Michigan

It just hit me that I still have a few things to write about concerning my last trip to Michigan!

After many suggestions to do so, we did make it to Hell. Its a bit of a novelty, and there isn't much going on in Hell, but they sure know how to have a fun time with a cool name.

There are 3 business buildings in Hell, all right next to each other. They are small. One is a post office/grocery store/lunch place. It is a very understocked grocery store. They do have Hell postmarks though. Also, I was told that it is the only post office in the US that can actually print "Hell" on their postmark! Another thing, they can singe your mail!

Next to the post office is the novelty shop/ice cream place. Most novelties that you might want from Hell (t-shirts, post cards, patches, etc.) are here. They have one of my favorites, a smashed penny machine. They have ice cream, and you can actually use their topping bar which is inside of a real (and USED) coffin. The lady running the shop had a great time using the name of the town every chance she could. Each use was witty.

Next door is a bar. We didn't make it there though.

Hell is out of the way. We had to drive about 10 miles there and back off of the main road. It's worth it though for the novelties, the one of a kind postmark, or just to say you've been to Hell.

Dinosaurs Alive at Union Terminal Museum Center Cincinnati, OH

I was talking to some friends in the Akron area recently. We were talking about how, as we have gotten older, we have developed a love of traveling, and taking road trips. We love doing this sort of thing. We love finding a fun place to go and explore, researching it, mostly on the internet, and then getting in our cars to go!

My friend Tim and I talked about how often, you hear about a place. It sounds great. You do some research. You find the web site for the place, and it just doesn't do the actual place justice. One of my favorite places not linked to Kentucky at all is Sedona Arizona. I have yet to see a web site that translates how fantastic that place is.

Tim brought up the Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati. I had checked on the place before. I had always heard good stuff about it in the past. I thought that I had googled it before, but I didn't really find anything out about it that made me want to go there immediately.

Tim said he recently went down there and the place was amazing.

Actually, places like Union Terminal are exactly why I wanted to start blogging. Over the last several years I seem to keep discovering places that are great, but there is just not enough information about them out there. Great places should have at least a colorful official web site!

I am surely not going to knock the museum web sites associated with Cincinnati. They are fine, slick, and professional. Most people will get all of the information they need from the sites. You can find hours, gift shop and exhibit info, etc.

The actual physical locations are so spectacular though. Their official web representations don't do them justice!

We recently travelled to the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal to check out their "Dinosaurs Alive" exhibit. After 2 recent trips I have already mentioned (involving museums in Indianapolis and Ann Arbor) I am on a dinosaur kick!

Cincinnati is such an interesting city. It has endless history. My buddy Nate who lives there is always bringing up something cool and historical that I didn't know. Its like the area guards its history. I almost feel like the area doesn't want the rest of the world to share in its fascinating past.

I have passed by the Terminal building many times. It almost seems strange now that I've never stopped there. The building reminds me of the Hall of Justice form the old Super Friends cartoon- actually, I just looked up the Hall of Justice on Wikipedia and it says that the Hall WAS based on the Terminal! If I would have known that I would have stopped by long ago.

So, we get to Union Terminal and buy a pass for the "Dinosaurs Alive!" movie and "Dinosaurs Unearthed" exhibit.

The Terminal is huge and spectacular. There are several other museums here, including a history museum, a children's museum, and a museum of natural history and science. I think that, at the moment, you can buy a day pass for those museums.

The movie was good. The theater has a planetarium feel to it. It is projected on the 5 story screen, and takes up your entire field of vision.

The movie and exhibit both talk a lot about new discoveries concerning dinosaurs. Feathers are the big thing at the moment. Also, most in science now feel that dinosaurs are technically not extinct, classifying birds as dinosaurs.

The movie talked a lot about dig sites, research, etc. I must admit, I was hoping the 5 story screen would be utilized to showcase some 5 story CGI dinos. There was some of that, but not as much as I had hoped for. The movie was fun and informative, but it would have been just as enjoyable on a smaller screen, or even on a TV screen.

The animatronic dinosaurs in the exhibit were like life sized toys. In fact, most had control pads where you could push a button to hear and see them roar. They looked scary, and surely will give many children nightmares.

There were many skulls, skeletons and other fossils on display. There were some very cool fossils showing feathers.