Pomeroy Ohio July 2021

 And we drove through Pomeroy Ohio as we drove along the Ohio River recently!

Portsmouth Ohio July 2021

 We drove through Portmouth Ohio on a recent road trip!

Ravenswood West Virginia July 2021

 Another great town we drove through while driving along the Ohio River was Ravenswood West Virginia!

I Scream Sundae and Hallowbeans Coffee House Ripley West Virginia July 2021

 While exploring some of the great little towns along the Ohio River, we found Ripley Ohio....  While in that town, we found the very cool and unique businesses "I Scream Sundae" and "Hallowbeans Coffee House".  They are conveniently in the same building (so my wife could get ice cream and I could have coffee).

This could satisfy your need visit a "haunted house" when its not October.  There are a couple of very unsettling rooms in the coffee shop.  I have to admit too, that some of of the creations at the ice cream place would be hard to eat...  from a visual standpoint.

I cannot think of any other place similar to this, and we loved it.  If  you are doing a cryptid/paranormal West Virginia road trip (it is kinda between Flatwoods and Point Pleasant) you should fit this in for a nice treat!

Ripley West Virginia July 2021

 While exploring the roads along the Ohio River, we drove through the cute little town of Ripley West Virginia!

River Roasters Coffee Pomeroy Ohio July 2021

 We took a great trip along the Ohio River Recently, and we stumbled upon this great coffee shop in Pomeroy Ohio!  Here is a video I posted to youtube about River Roasters Coffee!

Carlisle Inn Walnut Creek Ohio July 2021

 I thought I would post a video about one of my favorite hotels- Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek Ohio!  Its in the perfect location for visiting Amish Country in Ohio...  and, its just a very relaxing place to stay!

Amish Buggy Ride Walnut Creek Ohio July 2021

 In front of the Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek Ohio, you can take an Amish buggy ride!

Park Street Pizza Sugarcreek Ohio July 2021

 I found a PERFECT pizza place in the great town of Sugarcreek Ohio! 

Sugarcreek Ohio July 2021

 I have brought up Sugarcreek Ohio here many times....  Its one of my all-time favorite towns.  We stopped by recently and I stumbled across a couple new shops.

Wallhouse Coffee Company Sugarcreek Ohio July 2021

 I have mentioned Wallhouse Coffee in Sugarcreek Ohio many times.  This is easily one of my favorite places to have coffee, ice cream, or a nice lunch.  Here is a video I posted to youtube about it.

Walnut Creek Cheese Walnut Ohio July 2021

 We visited one of my favorite grocery stores- Walnut Creek Cheese in July 2021!  Here is the video!

Wendell August Forge Berlin Ohio July 2021

 I posted a video I made about Wendell August Forge near Berlin Ohio in July 2021!

July 29th 2021 Eastern Kentucky Storm

 On July 29th, we were driving around the Eastern Kentucky area we were caught in a bit of a storm!  I made about a one and a half minute video as we pulled over.

Kentucky Castle- Lexington KY June 2021

 AND, here is a video from our recent tour of the Kentucky Castle!

Native Bagel, Berea Kentucky

I wanted to take a quick moment to give a thumbs up to Native Bagel in Berea Kentucky.  Owned and operated by fellow Berea alum Michael Startzman, this cozy little bagel/lunch/coffee place is right across the street from my favorite antique mall in the state, and its a very brief walk from campus.

 

Nancy Kentucky Battlefield June 2021

 Oh man, the citizens of the small town of Nancy Kentucky have several cool things that many bigger areas don't have.  They have a Civil War Battlefield that is now managed by the National Park Service AND they have a super cool coffee shop!

I have brought this area up before, and I am sure I will again because I really enjoy this area.

Also, in this video, I cover some ground I missed in my first youtube video on the area.....

"Ghosts of the Grand Canyon" by Judy and Brian-James Martinez

 You know, with COVID and all happening....  I went back and reread some books about some of my favorite places to visit (Niagara Falls, Gettysburg, The Grand Canyon).  I kind took some imaginary trips in my mind...  And, as I thought about these places I love, but know I won't be able to get to anytime soon, I discovered some books I hadn't read on these great places!

One GREAT book I stumbled upon was "Ghosts of the Grand Canyon" by Judy and Brian-James Martinez.  First off, I would have totally bought this book for the cover!  Check that out!

The book is written by former employees at the Canyon who know the trails, buildings, shops, and places to stay well.  They have spent a lot of time there.  And they have a lot of ghost stories to tell!

One really spooky one involved people hearing a voice telling them to "Jump!".  Other stories involve ghosts, skinwalkers, Native American folklore, and deaths.

Links to the Battle of Shiloh and the Rough Riders figure in to the stories....  as does Paul McCartney.

There is a lot of fascinating history here too....  I enjoyed the author's stories about Fred Harvey and the Harvey girls.

I could go on and on.  I have read a ton of ghost books, and some are very hit or miss.  This is one of the more interesting AND more original ones.  It gets my highest possible recommendation.

Opry Mills Mall Nashville Tennessee June 2021

 I have mentioned it before on this blog, but I recently posted a short video on Opry Mills Mall in Nashville to youtube.  I have been visiting here since it opened.

I do remember a time when you would go to Nashville just to visit all of their malls....  Then, you would go to Nashville just to go to Opry Mills.

"The Murder of Geneva Hardman and Lexington's Mob Riot of 1920" by Peter Brackney

 I mentioned another book by Peter Brackney some time ago........  He put out a great one called "Lost Lexington Kentucky" that I really loved.

So, he recently released another great book, "The Murder of Geneva Hardman and Lexington's Mob Riot of 1920".  I read this one the other day....

You know, I love Lexington, and love hearing about odd stories coming out of the area....  But I DID NOT KNOW about this one!

AND....  I don't want to give it all away (you should pick up a copy) but there is a murder of a young child.  Of course that is tragic, but the craziness of the situation afterwards really makes this a fascinating and bizarre read.  Let me tease you with this thought....  there were tanks in the streets of Lexington!

Brackney is a lawyer from the area, and he is the perfect guy to obsessively hunt down the facts of this case and put them into an easy to read volume.  He is telling the story, and anyone will be able to follow along....  BUT he also adds a lot of detail, almost giving you side stories about some of the characters (one person involved in the events would later die in a plane crash).

I appreciated seeing 100 year old photos of downtown Lexington.....  I recognize the buildings and areas......but the mobs and guns looked very much out of place.

This is easily one of my favorite newer books on Lexington and it gets my highest possible recommendation.

AMC in Lexington KY- Closed

And, I hate to see another old movie theater close....  I used to go to this one all the time.  I remember seeing movies here back in the 90s..

But, yeah, I saw that the AMC (it used to be a Carmike) theater in Lexington closed.

 

Riverwalk San Antonio Texas May 2021

 You can't go to San Antonio without seeing the Riverwalk!

Alamo Related Toy Soldiers

 And, just for the heck of it, while I am still on an Alamo kick........  Here are a couple of photos of Alamo collectibles I like a lot.....

The top photo shows some roughly 1/32nd scale soldiers I have painted.  Most are made by the great toy soldier companies Conte, TSSD, and Expeditionary Forces.  The top shelf is mostly well known Alamo defenders.  The bottom shelf is made up of Santa Anna's Army, with a couple of defenders misplaced beside them.

The lower photo shows a couple of action figures I remember from my childhood.

The Little Legends/Legends of the West line was out in the late 70s and early 80s.  They were the same scale as Star Wars, so you could have Davy Crockett shooting down aliens at your creature cantina playset.

I loved these small figures when I was little and I remember my mom buying them for me at some of the stores in Owensboro.

On the right is a very traditional looking Davy Crockett.  On the left is Santa Anna figure who really doesn't look that much like the famous Alamo general.

 

Briscoe Western Art Museum San Antonio Texas May 2021

I tip my hat to Davy Crockett's Cabin located inside of the Menger Hotel in San Antonio for telling us about the wonderful Briscoe Western Art Museum.

Menger Hotel San Antonio Texas May 2021

 There are some hotels around that are straight up legendary.  The Menger is at the top of that list.  In the massive state of Texas, it might be the MOST legendary.  

On our recent trip to town, we were able to spend some quality time there over a few nights.

We had a very cozy room and we had several meals at the restaurant.

The Menger is famously haunted- though we did not experience anything ourselves on this visit.  I DID hear a weird voice there on a previous visit, and I did bring that up briefly in the video.

I am fascinated with this hotel for several reasons myself as it is built right beside the Alamo.  No doubt, men fell on this ground at that time.  Also, Teddy Roosevelt and Gutzon Borglum spent time here.  AND, its just a beautiful old hotel.