MT. VERNON, INDIANA IS A RIVER TOWN. Set on the Ohio river near the place where it is fed by the Big Wabash River, its past and present depends heavily on river traffic. It’s a warm autumn night, but the breeze from the river puts a chill in the air as I get out of the pickup […]
America’s Haunted Inns: Bardstown Kentucky’s chilling Old Talbott Tavern lives up to its reputation
It was late in the evening, the manager of Talbott Tavern and a cook were making their way up the stairs towards the safe, when they saw the figure of a man in a long coat walking across the landing. Hurrying up, they reached the top of the stairs just in time to see the […]
Hiking Rockefeller State Park Preserve: Looking for Spook Rock, Hulda the witch and the non-headless horseman origins of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
At last she came to a little house, and an old woman was peeping out of it, but she had such great teeth that the girl was terrified and about to run away, only the old woman called her back. “What are you afraid of, my dear child? Come and live with me, and if you do […]
A brief history of St. Patrick: Who was Patrick and what does he have to do with green beer?
St. Patrick’s day throughout the world has reduced the role of St. Patrick, and some would argue Ireland itself to a breakfast cereal character. Who was he? And why should we care?
A Traditional Halloween: If it’s Samhain you’re looking for, ditch October 31
Pagans and Christians don’t agree on a lot. Pagans complain that Christianity is all show and no substance. One point of contention often leveled at Christians is that their holidays are frequently, if not always chosen in order to Christianize existing pagan celebrations. Let’s face it, that’s absolutely true. But when it comes to Christian […]
Urban Legends: Mysteries as dark as the night from a Sleepy Hollow Road in Kentucky
Since teenagers started driving, one of the rites of passages, at least for those who live near real country dark, are nocturnal drives down creepy old roads. It’s my personal theory that the golden age of haunted country roads was the early to mid 1970s, when it became pretty common for teens to have their […]
