Dark Desert Highway

Not everyone can claim they’ve ever seen a UFO, much less a cigar-shaped craft of gleaming silver streaking across the sky, though throughout history in the villages of Arizona’s Navajo nation a great many people swear they have, and are eager to share their stories as well as ancient depictions; painted on handmade pottery and carved on the walls of caves. While generally attributed to the peculiar philosophies of those accustomed to seclusion, the stories continued and grew in such numbers as to eventually warrant a team of experts called the Navajo Nation Rangers to investigate such reports as multiple lights hovering low before jetting straight up and out of sight, followed by a sonic boom and power outages in the town of Chinle.

One retired Lt. described being followed by an orb for over 30 minutes on his way to investigate such accounts as that of a Skinwalker, posed as a human-sized rabbit in a distraught woman’s driveway, or coins falling out of thin air near the home of an elderly man. 

But in the four corners area, the dark desert highway; widely recognized as one of the most dangerous and downright haunted stretches of highway in America, known as The Devil’s Highway, was largely left to fend off its demons without assistance or scrutiny; leading to historically high numbers of accidents with fatalities. Some cases involved Satan’s Sedan; a sleek black car that bore down from behind until the driver drove off the road, or causing the same effect with a head-on approach. There are reported incidents of a possessed Semi-truck barreling down the center line; causing multiple-car crashes in a one-mile stretch. Hitch hikers were noted as well, though perhaps not the typical stranger one would expect, because they look like someone you know or have known – until they get into your car.

Oddly enough, fatalities and disturbing accounts in general declined dramatically in 2003 when the highway was, not quite by an act of congress, renamed (re-numbered) to Route 491, from its former moniker Route 666.

And speaking of state routes, I’ll be watching a Cavalcade of Cars parade down SR 260 for the 33^rd annual Run to the Pines car show this weekend as I embrace the first brisk days of fall! I hope your weekend is unusually fun too!

If you thought you saw a UFO, would you say so? If you could skin-walk, what would you choose to be? Do you believe the very name of a highway could affect events occurring on it?

Dauntless Departed

With 400 miles of coastline; dotted with captivating harbor towns infused with impeccable New England charm, it’s difficult to imagine Rhode Island as the smallest state in the nation. More so, the fact that sixty percent of the state is densely burgeoning forest land. It’s important to note that in this state, no one may bite off the leg of another, and the throwing of pickle juice on a trolley is prohibited. 

  

In 1907, when whiskey magnate Edson Bradley first built his 40 thousand Sq. Ft. home in Washington, DC, he called it Aladdin’s Palace. Covering nearly a full city block and, among many other impressive attributes, sporting a chapel big enough to seat 150 people. What caught the attention of “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” was when he moved it to Newport in 1923! Incorporating the massive home into an existing mega mansion called Seaview Terrace, he, along with wife Julia, lived out their lives in the idyllic “Cottage” by the sea. Mrs. Bradley, they say, loved the place so much her Esty organ can still be heard on quiet windswept nights, along with footsteps, jiggling door handles and soft voices. Though the sprawling mansion had fallen into sad disrepair by 1974, it was purchased by Milton and Millicent Carey; who began immediate restorations and renamed it Carey Mansion.

If the image brings to mind Dark Shadows, it’s because it was indeed the (exterior) setting used for the fictional Collinwood Mansion. 

Connecticut, Bridgeport

While traveling through the birthplace state of the Frisbee, and Noah Webster (Hartford) you might want to keep in mind that it’s illegal to cross a street while walking on your hands, you may not educate dogs and kissing your wife on Sunday is prohibited.

Decommissioned since 1986, the old Remington Arms Factory is far from abandoned. Aside from migrant homeless and passing fugitives, there are more than a few who haven’t left the building since they died there.  Dating back to WWI, this was the site of what the New York Times dubbed the “greatest small arms and ammunition plant in the world”, boasting well over 17,000 employees with an implicit emphasis on production rather than safety; which led to an extremely high mortality rate among workers. In 1905 three men were killed when an explosion blew one the 38 buildings to literal pieces. Lead dust from the accident filled the factory and resulted in the slow demise of many with prolonged contact. Demand for munitions was still high in 1914 when the workers staged an uprising in protest of the dire conditions, which was quickly and forcibly quelled by Remington Security in accordance with local Police forces. But it was yet another explosion and subsequent fire in a munitions building that blew bullets into adjacent buildings and nearby neighborhoods that signaled the inevitable end to one of the most dangerous industrial transgressions in history when 7 workers were killed and 80 more injured. These days; according to locals and those on security patrol, the building remains quite alive with the disgruntled spirits and disembodied screams and voices of those who are not.

Did you watch Dark Shadows? Is there a pie plate in your cupboard? Would you visit these places?

Thanks for coming along!

Mindful Presences

After a few work related detours, I’m back on the road again! To my delight, my first stop happens to contain more than a 100 covered bridges! Can you imagine my astonishment when I discovered there is (according to reports) at least one covered bridge still standing in at least 30 states, and I hadn’t ever seen – let alone been on – one?

It comes as no surprise that the legendary Von Trapp family chose to settle in the boreal forest ridges of Vermont where every season bursts in festive dress; as it reminded them of the Alpine setting of their homeland. Known for Dairies, lakes and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, Vermont is also the largest U.S. producer of Maple syrup and (at one time) Marble; the legacy of which still remains in the form of sidewalks. Wow. 

At one time, it was illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole, though other changes are slower to come about. For example, the Police Academy in the town of Pittsford has a unique recruit in the form of Nurse Mary; who’s been there since the building served as the State (mostly tuberculosis) Sanatorium.  Though Mary eventually succumbed to the disease herself, she was and evidently remains compassionate, as she reportedly continues to respond to late night buzzes on the antiquated call system installed in every room.

Moving on to Massachusetts, there are a few special laws to be aware of, such as no Gorilla shall ride in the back seat of any car, snoring is prohibited unless windows are shut and locked, and mourners may eat no more than three sandwiches at a single wake. They may have had my next stop in mind on that last one.

Secluded in the verdant fern and grassy woodlands of Leicester is a cemetery called Spider Gates. This atmospherically pleasant place might well be a public park; if not for the dear departed resting there. The name describes entrance gates of iron that do resemble spider webs (some say sunrays), though the official name is Friends Cemetery; owned and maintained by the Quakers. There’s a well-worn path in the earth around the grave of Marmaduke Earl, where walking ten times around at midnight is said to bring good favor and sometimes whispers from the spirit himself! Beyond the majestic hanging tree and alter, the low stone wall which surrounds the cemetery is often dotted with assorted coins for the ferryman; as it and stands before the path to Kettle brook, rumored to actually be the River Styx. 

Is there a covered bridge in your state? Have you been or would you visit either of these places? What would you say or write about them?

On a stone and marble bench at Spider Gates, sweet Mary nibbles a sandwich near the headstone of her only love and fondly recalls the last kiss they shared in the shelter of Emily’s Bridge before she’d hurried off to her duties at the Sanatorium and he never made it out.