John K. King Used and Rare Books- Detroit MI

rarebooklink.com

Check out John K. King Used and Rare Books in Detroit!

Some book stores are perfect. I mean, I love every book store, but some are just so unique.

This place is a used book fan's dream. FOUR floors of books. Each floor has tons of books, and a staff person to help if you need it!

If I had not been on vacation, I would have spent more time than the couple of hours I had. I did find a couple of real obscure sci-fi titles for a couple bucks each, and a great old Cleveland postcard for a dollar!

When we walked in, the guy at the front asked if we had been there before. After telling him that we had not, he gave us a map of the building! The same guy did a super-human job of fielding questions from shoppers and phone calls. He seemed to enjoy sharing his endless knowledge of the store.

The building is a great old factory and on each of the floors an attendant asks if you need help finding something. I asked about books on Stargate and then had a fun chat with one of the employees about the monument in downtown Detroit that looks just like a Stargate! We both agreed that if given the opportunity, we would step through it.

There were entire sections of books I did not have time to check out. I itched to flip through boxes of old postcards but I could not.

This should be a pilgrimage for all book fans. Sometimes, on a road trip, you see something or go somewhere and feel happy. You have been there and done that. No reason to do it again.

That way of thinking does not apply at John K. King. I will need to make it back at some point soon.

Random Thoughts On Friday

Well, I guess we are heading to the Christmas Season. I am looking forward to visiting some of the nice local festivals going on around the state. I would love to hear from anyone about their towns celebrations or parades. I remember going to the Owensboro parade every year as a kid. That was great fun.

I have my own seasonal traditions too. more on those later I'm sure.

I think I am going to try to do something a bit different with my blog. I think I am going to go with a monthly Kentucky theme, and a monthly national theme. This month, I am going with Michigan at my national theme, and Bourbon as the local theme. We will see how it goes!

Halloween and Local Ghost Walks

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. I hope you don't wait until February to take down your Halloween Tree.

I hope you got out and did something festive. I made it to several "Ghost Walks" this year. Some were good, some were bad.

I took one tour this year (the area and tour will not be mentioned) that was disappointing. There were four stops on the short, maybe one block tour, and the story telling was dull. The tour guide, I felt, had not done their research. There were few historical facts, and the tour involved very vague legends of ghost sitings and psychic impressions.

I like hearing good scary stories, and learning about strange moments in history that have occurred in the area.

Telling me that someone once saw a ghost in a spot is barely fascinating at best. Telling me that a crime that affected history occurred in a location on a tour- well... THAT GETS MY ATTENTION!

Let me give a HUGE endorsement to the American Legacy Tour guys up in Newport and Cincinnati who do their ghost walks and gangster tours.

http://americanlegacytours.com/

Kevin Steele also gets the same thumbs up for his Lexington tour. There are several stops, he is a great story teller, and he has been doing this for 11 years now! I took his tour again this year, and enjoyed it just as much as before. Mr. Steele gets a lot of repeat business for a reason. Oh, if you missed his tour this October, he has extended it through this Friday and Saturday!!!

http://lexingtonghostwalk.com/default.aspx

I haven't mentioned the Miamitown guys in a while, but they do a great job with their tour just a little north of Kentucky. Touring a bigger city is fun, but a ghost walk in a smaller, more rural and secluded area is VERY CREEPY. I haven't been on their tour in a couple of years, and I might have to do it again soon.

http://www.miamitownghosttours.com/

These tours all get Kentucky Travels approval.

Grand Rapids, MI

Moonlight on the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge, LA

Sent through the mail in 1942, the back of this postcard says

The Mississippi River, "Father of Waters," 2459 miles long, and the longest river in the world, 4200 miles, when taking the Missouri as the trunk stream, 250 tributaries drain 41% of the US Width 1400 to 7000 feet. Bordered here and there by rugged bluffs of sandstone and limestone, which, in the St. Louis region, from veritable palisades. Its lower course winds between flat shores forming bayous and lakes. It pours 2,300,000 cubic feet of water per second into the Gulf of Mexico during high water.

Kentucky Explorer Magazine

I haven't mentioned Kentucky Explorer Magazine in some time. This month's issue is another great one.

Some stories appropriate for this holiday include an article from 1911 about the first legal electrocution in the state, which happened in Eddyville. 18 year old Jim Buckner was executed for murder. The article talks about his crime, and his final moments.

An article by Robert Wilhelm covers the legend of Pearl Bryan- one of the more notable and most mysterious crime victims in the state.

There are articles about Jesse James robbing a bank in Adair County, Big Bone Lick State Park, and others.

I personally subscribe to Kentucky Explorer but it is only $2.50 an issue!
http://kentuckyexplorer.com/

New Orleans at Night

The top postcard was sent in the 1930s. On the back, it reads-

One of the most attractive courtyards in the romantic Vieux Catre is located at 520 Royal Street. It was formerly the town home of the Brulatour family. Many artists have sketched this famous courtyard.

The bottom card reads-

Canal Street, so named because in olden days a big drainage canal ran down its center, recently rebuilt at a cost of $3,500,000, is 170 feet wide, one of the widest central business thoroughfares in the world, has sidewalks of terrazzo marble and neutral grounds. It marks the upper limits of the old city.

Random Thoughts On Friday

I hope you all have some plans for the Halloween weekend!

I do. Halloween is my favorite, and I am always up to something a bit mischievous. I might take a ghost walk or two.

I talked to an acquaintance the other day that I have known for a while. We were talking about all of the great state parks in Kentucky. Natural Bridge came up, and as we talked, we realized that we each asked our future significant others to marry us on Natural Bridge, AND at about the same time! Any body else out there proposing marriage at a state park, or anywhere else interesting in Kentucky? I would love to hear the story!


I know this has nothing to do with Kentucky, but I am a huge fan of Penn and Teller. They have a great new show called Penn & Teller Tell A Lie on the Discovery Channel. The show is similar to MythBusters, but it has the flat out weirdness of Penn and Teller.

Pirates Alley, New Orleans, La.

"Pirate's Alley extends for one block from Royal Street to Chartres Street. Through this alleyway pirates were taken to the Cabildo Jail. It is also known as Old Orleans Alley and separates the Cabildo from Old St. Louis Cathedral."

Mokka and the Sunset Bar and Grill- Newport

Newport is becoming my hang out area of choice these days! I am really enjoying the Levee and the few blocks around it!

So, we stopped at Mokka recently on a Saturday. For $12 they had a steak, crab, green beans, and potato deal! Check out the picture! This included a VERY nice salad and bread (not pictured). The restaurant was clean, and everyone in my party enjoyed what we had. Two of us had the steak deal, and two had chicken fingers and fries.

The location is convenient, the place itself is cozy, and I love the local art on the walls!

Seriously, I am conservative with my restaurant endorsements on this site, but this place deserves a plug. We thought the $12 deal was a GREAT value.

mokasunset.com

Newport Gangster Tour

Recently, I took yet another tour offered by the American Legacy tours people.

I took their Gangsters tour and again had a great time! You really get your money's worth on these tours. This one clocked in at over 2 hours! There was about a 30 minute presentation in the piano bar, and then a very nice walk around town.

Unlike some ghost tours I have been on, this tour has a very authentic creepiness to it. Having sites pointed out where hits took place is much more disturbing than seeing a spot where a "psychic" felt something.

Some of the stories involved members of the Rat Pack, Gangsters, and an adult entertainment establishment that employed girls... and some girly men.

The trip included a stop at the Northern Kentucky Gambling Museum too, which was pretty cool.

Our tour guides (dressed in gangster gear and telling gangster related jokes the entire time) did their researched and shot of puns at every opportunity. They knew their facts and mentioned researching financial records, interviewing people who had been at the establishments mentioned, etc.

I know these tours are seasonal, and I think their season is coming to an end, but make sure you take this tour next year.

americanlegacytours.com

St. Roch's Cemetery, New Orleans

"Entrance to St. Roch's Cemetery showing St. Roch's Chapel. One of the most visited places in the city. Erected in 1871 by Father Thevis with his own hands. Above ground burial vaults surround this ancient cemetery"

This is simply a beautiful postcard!

Lily Dale, New York

Pictured on this postcard sent in 1980 is the Healing Temple Building in Lily Dale.

A community of spiritualists live in this noted town. I am not too familiar with it myself, though a book about it came out recently, and one of my all time favorite bands, 10,000 Maniacs, put a song about it on their first album.

Wild Animals in Zanesville Ohio

I just wanted to take a moment to mention that my thoughts are with my friends in Zanesville Ohio today. I have driven by and stopped in this great little town several times.

NPR mentioned that exotic animals at an animal preserve in Zanesville have escaped. The owner of the facility was found dead, and the doors to several animal cages were found open.

Police in the area have already killed many of the animals on site. They are still concerned about cats and bears loose in the area.

I am glad that the great Columbus Zoo is near by, and it seems that they are trying to help with the situation.

The Tin Woodman, Lexington

Some artsy person placed this fellow in the front area of one of my favorite bookstores in Lexington! I absolutely love this sort of art!

Fairyland Caverns, Rock City Gardens, Lookout Mountain

And another cool old postcard from Rock City!

Vault's of Old St. Louis Cemetery on All Saints' Day- New Orleans

"Vaults in St. Louis Cemetery, nearly all more than one hundred years old, decorated lavishly with flowers on All Saints' Day, November 1st, according to a colorful custom characteristic of New Orleans."

Lexington Ghost Walk

I got some info on this years Ghost Walk with Kevin Steele. This is a very good one, packed with info and good story telling!

WEB SITE: lexwalk.com
KEVIN STEELE'S GHOST WALK+CREEPY CRAWL - 11th annual downtown Lexington 1 1/2 hour guided walk recalling tales of history, haunts, duels and disasters.

$10 adults. $5 12&under. No reservations needed.

Tours depart from Sawyer's Grille 325 W. Main St. 859-825-8702
Friday Oct. 14 NO TOURS - (Big Blue Madness night)
Saturday Oct. 15, 7pm & 9pm.
Thursday Oct. 20 7pm & 9pm
Friday Oct. 21 7pm & 9pm.
Saturday Oct. 22 7pm & 9pm.
Tuesday Oct. 25 7pm
Wednesday Oct. 26 7pm
Thursday Oct. 27 7pm & 9pm
Friday Oct. 28 7pm & 9pm.
Saturday Oct. 29 7pm & 9pm.
Sunday Oct. 30 8pm.
Monday Oct. 31 8pm

Rock City Gardens- Lookout Mountain Georgia

Clown Act at Cypress Gardens in Florida

I found these postcards recently and had to pick them up. I sort of don't know what to say about them. This blogger is NOT a clown fan.

These postcards are begging for a new life on the cover of a punk album.

Cypress Gardens in near Winter Haven Florida was around from 1936 until 2009. I am curious about how long the clown act lasted.

Hawthorne's Wayside, Concord, Mass.

Postmarked 1938

Queen City Underground Tour

Here are some photos from our underground tour of Cincinnati!

I wouldn't call this one a ghost tour, or anything like that, but it was a strange tour, for sure.

We got to hear some great stories about Annie Oakley, illegal alcohol, and the first World Series!

You are "underground" for parts of the tour too.

These are the same guys doing various ghost and gangster tours in Cincy and northern Kentucky. They are developing a good reputation, and doing a great job telling about the areas, and taking you to the places where strange things have happened!

I have been on 2 of their tours, and I have tickets for another one coming up soon. I am sure I will be mentioning this group more in the future!

americanlegacytours.com

Hell, MI

I know I have mentioned Hell Michigan before, but I made another stop there recently. So, I am going to mention it again!

There are just a couple of shops in town, and they both play on the town's name. Both are well stocked with postcards and other novelty items.

You can eat ice cream at the ice cream bar in Hell. I guess people in Hell want... and enjoy... ice cream.

Hell is a bit out of the way, but thats OK. it is worth the drive off the beaten path just to say that you have gone there.

Oh, and one of the cool things to do in Hell is get something postmarked. I love odd postmarks, and I have had things postmarked from Hell on both trips. The guys working at the small store/restaurant/post office are great and friendly. Also, they WILL burn your mail a little, so that your postcard from Hell looks a little more authentic.

Ohio River and Bridges connecting Kentucky and Ohio