We joined about 20 other paranormal enthusiasts recently to investigate the hauntings of the 101-year old Essex Police Fire Station, now a museum run by the Essex Historical Society documenting the history of the Essex Middle River area, during an event sponsored by Ghosts N’At. Built in 1920, the building was intended to house both […]
The Scariest Place I’ve Ever Been: Ghost Hunting in the Old Mid-Orange Boy Reformatory
The Warwick State Training School for Boys, near Chester NY, opened in 1914 as the New York City Farm, a rehabilitation center for alcohol and drug dependent men. It then became the State Training School for Boys in 1933, focused on the rehabilitation of young men, and then transformed again into the Mid-Orange Correctional Facility […]
What Haunts the Widow Jane Cement Rock Mine?
Quirky daytrip destinations are fascinating and one of the quirkiest — and most interesting — is the haunted Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale, NY. Rosendale once was famous for being the source of “natural cement,” i.e., cement made from rock without the addition of a slew of chemicals. Natural cement is produced in a process […]
Martinsburg’s Spooky Roundhouse Keeps the Spirits of Its Past
The railroad came to Martinsburg in 1842; the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company established engine and machine shops in the town in 1849. Martinsburg became a major regional transportation node and one of the major employers of the region. The railroad and railroad yards provided jobs, prosperity and military strategic importance during the Civil War. […]
The Best Kept Secrets of Laurel Hill State Park
Like its sister park, Linn Run State Park, one county to the west, Laurel Hill State Park area was a desolate mess a hundred years ago. The lumber boom that swept through the hills and forests of Pennsylvania missed Laurel Hill Valley until 1886. But the lumber industry came for the old-growth forests of hemlock and […]
Doing Time at the Old Fauquier Jail
Over two centuries ago, a four-cell brick jail was constructed in Warrenton VA, in 1808 to house the county’s indigent and criminal residents. The four cells were multi-person cells, not an uncommon for that time. Also not uncommon, children often accompanied their mothers into the jail. The stairs in the kitchen up to the jailer’s […]
Could There Be a Qainter Town Than Shepherdstown WV?
Shepherdstown dates back to 1762; Thomas Shepherd founded Mecklenburg, as it was known then, was a bustling little town of 100 by 1775, filled with millers, tanners, potters, smiths and other artisans who appreciated the six natural springs which feed Town Run as it enters the south of town. This small stream meanders through backyards, under […]
Yuengling Brewery Pilgrimage to Pottsville PA
As a home brewer for more than 30 years, my husband Michael’s bucket list includes some unique destinations. This one is in Pottsville, a town in Pennsylvania coal country, along the banks of the Schuylkill River. Carol Palla is guest blogging this week about a recent visit to America’s oldest brewery: Yuengling. The brewery offers free […]
13 Great Ghost Tours: A Spooky Tour Through the Mid-Atlantic States
August, September and October are the season most folks check out ghost walks and ghost tours — one of my favorite activities! Ghost tours are always intriguing — they’re a little bit of sight-seeing, a little bit of ghost story, and usually a lot of history. Ghost tours are a good way to get to […]
Remembering American Heroes at the Flight 93 National Memorial
The Flight 93 National Memorial commemorates the crash of United Airlines Flight 93, which was one of four aircraft hijacked in the September 11 attacks. The Memorial is the nation’s permanent memorial to the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93. It’s their final resting place and their remains are still present — this is […]
The Hidden Catskills Waterfalls Along the Vernooy Falls Hike
The Vernooy Kill Falls Hike is a short, out-and-back hike — either 2 miles or 3.6 miles, depending where you pick up the trailhead — to a very pretty waterfall. The falls is a series of picturesque little waterfalls with pools, dropping about 30 feet in 4 stages. During the warmer months, this would be […]
Exploring West Virginia’s Best State Park: Watoga State Park
There is so much to see and do in and around Watoga State Park, that it seems like the ideal location to set up a home base for your exploration of the area. The park covers more than 10 thousand acres, and began as a state forest designated as a wildlife and timber preserve. Franklin […]
Two More Delicious Creameries Along Maryland’s Best Ice Cream Trail
A sunny August afternoon lured us out again for some more ice cream — this time we decided to drive out to northern Baltimore County and Harford County MD, to Broom’s Bloom Dairy and Prigel Family Creamery respectively. About a decade ago, Maryland dairy farmers came up with a creative – and delicious – plan […]
Cool Ruins and a Waterfall Along the Madam Brett White and Red Trail
Madam Brett Park is a tranquil little park on Fishkill Creek in Beacon NY, alongside the Hudson River in Dutchess County, not far away from the Hudson Highlands Park. We were there to hike the “Madam Brett White and Red Trail, an out-and-back trail to a waterfall and marsh overlook. This area is noteworthy because […]
Larger than Life Sculpture Garden at Grounds for Sculpture
Seward Johnson, “Daydream” Grounds for Sculpture (GFS) is an outdoor art museum in Hamilton NJ, where you can walk around the beautifully landscaped grounds and experience the art from all angles. During a visit to GFS, you can stroll among the more than 500 works, nearly 300 of which are exhibited on the grounds year […]