The Hills of Gatlinburg Tennessee

There are some very high and hilly roads around Gatlinburg!

Embassy Suites by Hilton Gatlinburg Resort March 2024

I wanted to bring up our great stay at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Gatlinburg Resort recently!  This place just opened!

There are a lot of nice places to stay in Gatlinburg...  I have mentioned several here, and I am sure I'll bring more up in the future....  but this place is great.

They have a very cozy coffee shop, nice new rooms, a room that does tours and offers advice on things to do in the park, etc.  AND, they have about the best breakfast offered at a hotel ever.  Seriously, they made omelets right there, and the omelets alone are worth a visit to the resort.

"A Walk for Sunshine" by Jeff Alt

On our last visit to the Great Smoky Mountains I found a nice signed copy of Jeff Alt's "A Walk for Sunshine."  If you are looking for a signed copy, I saw a lot of them at multiple visitor centers.

in the late 90s, Jeff decides (after wanting to for a while) to hike the Appalachian Trail going the whole way from Georgia to Maine.  He works it into a fundraiser for the home where his brother lives.

If you enjoy a nice, pleasant story of someone having a great adventure this is a really fun read.  It is easy and has a good pace.  He meets some characters on the way, and even confronts some bad guys (vegetarians, obviously).  He encounters lots of critters (most annoyingly, small flies) and he stays at some iffy spots.

It was interesting learning about the norms and how things work on the trail.  I learned about "trail magic" and how you can "know" a hiker, without actually meeting them.

Again, this was a really enjoyable volume.

 

2016 Wildfires and Memorial Tribute Plaza Gatlinburg Tennessee

We found this very nicely done "2016 Wildfires and Memorial Tribute Plaza" while in Gatlinburg recently.

Lexington Cemetery Cherry Blossoms March 2024

CSX Train from B&B Window at night Park City KY Feb 2024

ANd one last CSX train from in front of the Grand Victorian Inn in Park City Kentucky....  This one was late at night and watched from the window of our room!

Bells Tavern Park City Kentucky 2024

Right next to the very nice Grand Victorian Inn is the Bell's Tavern....  or the ruins of Bell's Tavern.

Southern Cup Coffee and Cafe Glasgow Kentucky 2024

Check out Southern Cup Coffee and Cafe in Glasgow....  not too far from Mammoth Cave!

"The Caves Beyond: The Story of the Floyd Collins Crystal Cave Exploration" by Joe Lawrence Jr & Roger W. Brucker

 

I found a great old copy of "The Caves Beyond" at an antique shop not long ago, and, being a fan of caves, this was a great find!  I REALLY enjoyed reading this one.

The book came out in 1955, a short 30 years after the death of the legendary caver, Floyd Collins.  If you don't know about Floyd look him up.  I have mentioned him here many times....  VERY BRIEFLY, he was exploring a cave and got his foot stuck.  He would not make it out of the cave alive.

When this book came out, he was still buried/on display inside of this books subject, Crystal Cave.  Again, an entirely different story, but Floyd would not find his hopefully final resting place until 1989.

Anyway, the purpose of this book was to cover a very large scale exploration/mapping/research expedition into Crystal Cave.  The authors cover the logistics of the week long project.  Food, medicine, equipment, and a PHONE LINE would need to go in to the cave!

Having read up on Floyd Collins and this area before, I was excited to read this one.  I had read some of Bruckers other books on exploring caves in this area, and glad to find this volume, that I had somehow over looked before.  In all fairness though, a whole lot of people contributed to this one.  There are even reports in the back from different contributors to the mission.

The adventures of the cavers, their successes in finding new areas of the cave, and even their short comings make this simply a fun read.  Again, as someone fascinated with the Floyd Collins story, I felt a little excitement when it was revealed that Skeets Miller was on the scene!  Skeets was probably the most notable player in the whole Floyd Collins story in 1925 (other than Floyd himself).  His appearance in the book was comparable to bringing in a surprise big name guest star to an exciting movie.  AND, I am sure anyone interested in caves would feel some excitement with Russ Gurnee who is noted as being one of the explorers too!

This is just a fun book for anyone interested in caves or the Mammoth Cave area.  I was especially happy to have a nice old copy to read.

CSX Train from B&B Window in Park City KY 02 25 2024

Here is a brief video from our February 25th, 2024 stay at the Grand Victorian Inn- A CSX train goes by our B&B window!

Grand Victorian Inn and Train in Park City Kentucky 2024

It is always a treat staying at the Grand Victorian Inn in Park City....  especially if you love trains!

Hops and Berry Taproom Loveland Ohio 2024

And we stopped by Hops and Berry Taproom in Loveland Ohio!

"Freaky Florida" by Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz

While at the Frogman Festival, I picked up ANOTHER great book from Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz.  "Freaky Florida" is another book, covering Florida from the two.

It really is a sibling book to their "Eerie Florida" volume, it covers new ground....  so you should pick up all of their books.

There is a lot going on with this one.....

A couple of cities have uncovered ruins in the state that kinda change everything.  Legends relating to older civilizations are covered.  

As a fan of history, I got a lot from this book too...  it is far from a book just covering folklore.  I found that there was a fort in Florida that, during the Civil War, did not get taken by the CSA.  Another Civil War battle I did not know about is brought up too!  Geronimo's forced adventures in Florida are covered.  The authors write about the tragic deaths involving the Apollo 1 crew too.

Some stories link the establishment of parks to very strange stories and crimes.  One involves a hollow earth cult, and another involves a serial killer.

Like I said about their other books, the stories are quick reads and to the point.  These would be great books to pick up before your next trip to Florida!

 

Narrow Path Brewing Company Loveland Ohio

Check out Narrow Path Brewing Company in Loveland Ohio!

"Eerie Appalachia" by Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz

I wanted to also mention "Eerie Appalachia" by Mark Muncy and Kari Schultz....  I have brought them up before...  and you definitely can't go wrong with their books!

This one covers Appalachia, and gets into the legends you would expect (Mothman, Jersey Devil, Skunk Ape, etc) and a lot of other strange stories are included.  There were a couple from my home state that I was totally unaware of (the Mushroom Mines, for example).  The chapters are thorough, but efficient, and actual research has gone into this book.  They don't go on and on about orbs, or feelings they got in an area.  They talk to locals.  In fact, this feels like a very complete book on cryptids and legends in Appalachia.  The book is around 140 pages, but there are a lot of stories, as the authors are efficient with their words.  There is no fluff and the frequent sketches by Schultz are well done and add to the stories.  You WILL easily recognize the Flatwoods monster, but it is done in Kari's unique style.

I got a signed copy at the recent Frogman Festival, and Kari included a nice little sketch of the Jersey Devil in mine!
 

Loveland Ohio and the Loveland Frogman March 2024

While we were in town for the Frogman Festival, we took some time to run around the town, and see what is there!  AND, we found out that Loveland is a great place to spend a day!  

"Unnatural Ohio: A History of Buckeye Cryptids, Legends & Other Mysteries" by M. Kristina Smith and Kevin Moore

I picked a nice signed copy of "Unnatural Ohio" up from the two authors at the recent Frogman Festival in Loveland.
 

I was excited about this one after reading about it before the festival.  I spent nearly a decade living in Cleveland, and I still enjoy the strange history books that keep coming out about the Buckeye state.  Plus, the authors work at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museum in Fremont (it's between Toledo and Cleveland)...  so I was able to talk a little history with them in addition to chatting about the cryptids and the paranormal.

This is really my favorite type of book when it comes to legends, ghosts, cryptids, etc.  The authors tell the story that is well known.  They give details about sightings and reports.  They try to see how valid some of the claims are (some local legends about hauntings are pretty thoroughly debunked by them).  Some are somewhat debunked as the authors find a small bit of truth to a legend- the famous Gore Orphanage story is a good example.  But the authors did a lot of research and site their sources.

I thought Unnatural Ohio covered some of the classics (The Loveland Frogman is covered about as thoroughly as it can be, as are the Melon Heads, and Mothman)...  But I read about some other legends that were new to me.

I love it when you find out a strange fact relating to a story that you had never heard before too, and this volume has a lot of those.  The authors mention an old Bigfoot report from Gallipolis (a town mostly known for it's link to the Mothman).  I enjoyed reading about how the spot where the "Wow! signal" was discovered is now part of a golf course.  I also was interested to hear about a stranded boat with a link to a Madonna video.

This book packs a punch, and the chapters are short but thorough and very easy to read.  You will learn something new about the classic Ohio legends you already know, and you will also discover some new legends you had never heard of.

Mile 42 Coffee Loveland Ohio

Mile 42 Coffee in Loveland embraces the local Frogman legend!

ANOTHER CSX Train in Park City Kentucky 2 24 2024

I caught a few trains going by on this trip, so here is another video from in front of the Grand Victorian Inn in Park City Kentucky!

"Nine Miles To Mammoth Cave" by Colleen O'Connor Olson

 I picked up a copy of the late Mammoth Cave guide/author Colleen O'Connor Olson's "Nine Miles to Mammoth Cave".  I realized it was the only book of hers I did not have in my collection.  AND, it is a book that is pricey online (I assume thanks to bots).

This is a nice, small book that gives some quality info on the development (and end) of the railroad to Mammoth Cave.  It is under 70 pages, and is written in a way that it can be appreciated and understood by young readers, or mature readers wanting to know the basics about the railroads at Mammoth Cave.  It is a quick read, but you will get a lot out of it.

I thought it was interesting reading about how Glasgow Junction (now Park City) had a train that stopped by.  Tourists wanting to see Mammoth Cave could get off there, but they still had a ways to go (9 miles) to get to Mammoth Cave.  A bumpy stage coach was available to make the three hour trip...  but a group finally put in a train system to make the ride better- and it would make the 9 mile trip to the cave only an hour.  Of course the automobile would eventually put an end to all of that....  but the steps to get there were fascinating.

There are some other great nuggets of info scattered in the book, and the author brings up trivia connecting Bette Midler and even Mussolini to the area!

If you care about Mammoth Cave, you need to make sure you pick up all of the books that Colleen O'Connor Olson put out.

CSX Train in Park City KY 2 24 2024

Here is the first of a few train videos I made while staying at the Grand Victorian Inn in Park City Kentucky recently!

Bransford Family Cemetery Tour Mammoth Cave Kentucky February 2024

I really enjoy every visit to Mammoth Cave, and I am always discovering new things in and around the park.  Here is a video of our recent visit to the Bransford Family Cemetery....  a very short drive from the visitor center.

This family has been associated with the cave since it's very early mapping.  Mammoth Cave National Park offered free ranger guided tours to and of the cemetery for February.  I was thrilled to take advantage of the offer!

"The Vice President's Black Wife: The Untold Life of Julia Chinn" by Amrita Chakrabarti Myers

"The Vice President's Black Wife" is one of the more interesting books I have found in some time relating to presidential (or vice presidential) history.  This one starts out with a bang and keeps going.  Author Amrita Chakrabarti Myers goes down a rabbit hole that gets more interesting with each chapter...  and at the end, more rabbit holes are revealed.

Kentucky has only had a few sons that have gone on to be VP (Richard Johnson, Alben Barkley, and John Breckenridge).  Well, Richard Johnson was (and still is) very controversial.

During a time when interracial relationships were very much frowned upon in society (think 1830s and the next few decades) this politician had a black wife....  who was also owned by him as a slave.  Let that sink in for a while.

At first one might view Johnson as a progressive individual, way ahead of his time... but proceed with cation.  The author of this book uncovers some letters and possible evidence that several of his young female slaves were partners/wives at various times, and he had children with them.  Some close to the situation reported that one wife (and children she had with Johnson) were sold by him.

I know, I know, you probably have many questions right now.  Amrita goes after the answers in this one.  Had he REALLY married his slaves?  What happened to the descendants?  How had a Kentuckian, living openly with a Black wife (and their daughters) advanced to the office of VP?

The author covers this area, while also (and mainly) trying to investigate who Julia Chinn was and why she is important.  Why is it that the wife of a United State Vice President is in an unknown burial spot?

Get cozy for this one, and read slow.  There is a lot going on in this volume.
 

Frogman Festival Loveland Ohio March 2nd 2024

Check out my video....  man did we have fun at the 2nd annual Frogman Festival in Loveland Ohio!

There were lots of authors, artists, costumes, etc.....  I really like this town, and this event!

Upland Brewing Company December 2023

Check out Upland Brewing Company in Indianapolis!