Secret Cincinnati: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Cincinnati: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: Kathryn Witt

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2018-10-01

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1681061872

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Is it safe to photograph bobolinks at a once-contaminated nuclear weapons plant? Is it possible to channel a medium from whatever realm she inhabits in the afterlife? Is that really a bathtub hanging from the ceiling? Did you know you can watch an unscripted star show with an audience of only eighteen? Find pieces of an exquisite old castle-like building all over the city? Hear a free concert outdoors in the dead of winter? Conduct your own paranormal investigation at a honky-tonk? See the world’s largest steam engines? Browse and buy animal skulls? Told with wonder, humor, and a big dose of sentimentality, here is a travel guide that lauds those little (and little-known) treasures all over town. From a tower missing its church and a maze you can meditate your way through to a book relating to a real-life beheading and a memorial to the last passenger pigeon, Secret Cincinnati is an exuberant shout-out to all that makes Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky the sometimes weird and always wonderful place it is.


Secret Indianapolis: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Indianapolis: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: Ashley Petry

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2019-09-15

Total Pages: 331

ISBN-13: 1681062402

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Where in Indianapolis can you find a disappearing painting, a towering “ice tree,” or a giant pink elephant holding a martini? What caused the Great Squirrel Invasion of 1822, and why did Hollywood celebrities once flock to an Indianapolis cottage called Tuckaway? Where can you find a hidden museum dedicated to antique fire extinguishers? And what, exactly, is a Recordface? You’ll find the answers to these questions, and many others, in this guide to Indy’s overlooked, offbeat, and unknown. Secret Indianapolis profiles the city’s best-kept restaurant secrets, strangest parks and museums, creepiest urban legends, and weirdest works of art. It also tells the stories of forgotten local heroes, and it reveals the secrets behind beloved Indy landmarks. You’ll discover the only place in the world where it’s still possible to order Choc-Ola, explore the most haunted house in Indiana, and hear about the very dirty prank Hoosiers once pulled on a former president. Written by lifelong Hoosier and local author Ashley Petry, Secret Indianapolis offers a new way to explore the Circle City—from the quirks of local history to bizarre activities you can try today.


Secret America: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret America: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: David Baugher

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2017-08-15

Total Pages: 327

ISBN-13: 1681061236

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Did you know ...that a hidden room exists behind Abraham Lincoln s head on Mt. Rushmore? ...that North Carolina was almost accidentally destroyed in a nuclear holocaust? ...that the Mason-Dixon Line had nothing to do with dividing north from south? ...that Major League Baseball once hosted a single game between three different teams? ...that there is a designated state highway in Michigan where cars are not allowed? ...that 21 people were once killed by a 15-foot wave of molasses that devasted a Boston neighborhood? ...that the National Security Agency has a gift shop with logoed merchandise? Whether you want to visit the New York grave where Uncle Sam is buried, stop by the future hometown of Star Trek's Captain Kirk in Iowa or see the room in California where the Internet was created, Secret America: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure is your ticket to some of the nation's least-known but most interesting spots. It is here where you can explore a historical marker dedicated to Barack and Michelle Obama's first kiss, find out how to acquire logoed merchandise at the National Security Agency's gift shop or examine why Case Western Reserve University has such an unusual name. Secret America is a look at the United States as you've never seen it before a tourist guide that gives you answers to the questions no tourist ever never knew they were supposed to ask. If you are tired of trying to enliven dull family roadtrips searching backroads for the World's Largest Ball of Twine, this is a handbook for truly interesting sites that can transform any cross-country adventure into a tour of the unique spots that make America the odd but fascinating nation that it is.


Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: Roxie Yonkey

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2023-04-01

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 1681064375

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Among Kansas’s many wheat fields lie secrets and hidden stories of heroes and villains that even a fiction author could never devise. It wasn’t just Dorothy Gale of the Wizard of Oz who roamed The Wheat State. Secret Kansas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure will introduce you to a true cast of characters along with the little-known history of their inventions, deeds, and fame. Learn about the first indigenous woman to argue before the Supreme Court to save her ancestors’ graves from greedy developers. Discover how Frank Bellamy from Cherryvale wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, only to lose his claim to its authorship. Inventions abound in Kansas history such as Mentholatum which had a small role in ending World War II. From Capt. Emil Kapaun who is headed for sainthood to the fraudulent Goat Gland Doctor whose tonics started many entertainers’ careers, there’s no shortage of fascinating anecdotes to choose from. Add to that the countless examples of courageous captains, game-changing women, along with a few ne'er-do-wells whose biographies are chronicled here. Longtime Kansan Roxie Yonkey will unearth the hidden roads and secret passages to unearth the state’s buried treasures. Visitors and lifelong residents alike will find a surprise on every page.


Walking Cincinnati

Walking Cincinnati

Author: Danny Korman

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2019-06-11

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13: 0899979041

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Get to Know the Vibrant and Historic Neighborhoods of Cincinnati, Ohio! Grab your walking shoes, and become an urban adventurer. Danny Korman and Katie Meyer guide you through 35 unique walking tours in this comprehensive guidebook. From historic railroad suburbs to quaint river towns, go beyond the obvious with tours that showcase hidden streets, architectural masterpieces, and diverse cultures. Enjoy the fountains, gardens, and sounds of sports at Smale Riverfront Park. Cross from Ohio to Kentucky and back again along the wondrous Purple People Bridge. Experience colorful neighborhoods such as Over-the-Rhine and Mount Adams. Each self-guided tour includes full-color photographs, a detailed map, and need-to-know details like distance, difficulty, and more. Route summaries make each walk easy to follow, and a “Points of Interest” section lists the highlights of every tour. The walks’ commentaries include such topics as neighborhood history, local culture, and architecture, plus tips on where to dine, have a drink, and shop. The 35 self-guided tours lead you through one of the country’s best walking cities. So whether you’re looking for a short stroll or a full day of entertainment, you’ll get it by Walking Cincinnat.


Oldest Cincinnati

Oldest Cincinnati

Author: Rick Pender

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2021-04-15

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 1681063042

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Late in the 18th-century, people began to head west in America in search of new frontiers and new lives. Many of them, including immigrants, found their way down the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Ohio, the “Queen City of the West.” In Oldest Cincinnati, follow their journey and learn the story of the city as you’ve never heard it before. Read about a ferry that helped early settlers cross the Ohio River to Augusta, Kentucky, began in 1798 and that’s still in business today. Likewise, a stagecoach inn that began providing shelter for early travelers opened in Lebanon, Ohio, in 1803 continues welcoming guests to this day. As one of the first settlements in the Northwest Territory, called “Losantiville” before it was dubbed Cincinnati, there are still many “firsts” and “oldests” to be found locally. The first museum—focused on natural history and science—was launched in 1818. It’s now located in Cincinnati’s oldest train station. In 1866 the oldest bridge across the Ohio River connected downtown Cincinnati to Covington, Kentucky. The oldest art museum west of the Allegheny Mountains opened in 1881. While the character of Cincinnati dramatically changed in the mid-19th century as German immigrants came in waves, the city would continue to boom culturally. They brewed beer, of course, but they also loved music, launching the oldest choral music festival in the Western Hemisphere. Local historian and author Rick Pender goes to great lengths to research and pay homage to more than two centuries of Cincinnati’s oldests, firsts, and finests. Read about all of these and more in this informative book that brings history and people to life.


Walking Cincinnati

Walking Cincinnati

Author: Danny Korman

Publisher: Wilderness Press

Published: 2015-04-28

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 0899977227

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Walking Cincinnati by Danny Korman and Katie Meyer is the first book in decades for local history fanatics and adventurers wanting a more hands-on approach to Cincinnati history and culture. This guide literally walks readers through the city's renowned historical, architectural, and culinary sites. The unique character comes alive through Walking Cincinnati's focus on human-interest, and gives the readers surprise after surprise in its 32 walks. Never before has such an extensive book been written that highlights not only the architecture, art, and food, but also touches upon Greater Cincinnati’s darker side. Tales and locations of crimes, hauntings, illegal casinos, mob bosses, and brothels will astonish readers and unveil secrets of the city that have long been overlooked by traditional local history books.


Secret Charlotte: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Charlotte: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: Sarah Crosland

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2017-03-15

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1681060698

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Where in Charlotte can you… - get up-close with the “Miracle on the Hudson” plane? - indulge in conspiracy theories about occult symbols in public murals? - see a giant head sculpture by a notorious Czech artist? - eat something called burgushi? - hear a parking garage that sings? - watch a giant dragon blow smoke? - visit the grave of cojoined twin sisters who were the inspiration for a Broadway musical? Whether you’re riding at top speeds around the 24-degree bank of a NASCAR track turn, exploring the history of Charlotte’s gold rush and the 17-pound nugget that started it all, or eating ice cream at a Dairy Queen that’s a designated historic site, it’s impossible to be bored in the Queen City with a copy of Secret Charlotte: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. From delightful surprises to hair-raising theories, in these pages you’ll find answers to the questions around town you didn’t even know you had. Filled with fascinating—and often bizarre—stories about the locales that define Charlotte’s culture and history, this is the city’s ultimate scavenger hunt.


Secret Atlanta: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Atlanta: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: Jonah McDonald

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2020-03-15

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1681062585

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What’s really inside Atlanta’s sealed Crypt of Civilization? Where can you experience a midnight costume party or get your hair cut at a museum? And is there really an elephant graveyard in the city? Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, and Secret Atlanta is the right book to prove this over and over again. Beyond the standard Atlanta tourist attractions, visitors and natives will find a city full of secrets—in the history, art, culture, nature, and places that are just plain weird. Tour the most hidden spots in the metro area, or see the famous sites through a new lens. You’ll find the answers to common questions, like why there are so many streets named “Peachtree.” Don’t miss Atlanta’s more uncommon quirks too, such as the story behind the clergy parking spaces at one local bar. Whether you’re a lifelong Atlantan or a first-time visitor, local writer Jonah McDonald will help you marvel at Atlanta’s most obscure oddities. His adventures through the city might sound too interesting to be true—but you couldn’t even make this stuff up if you tried.


Secret Houston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Secret Houston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

Author: William Dylan Powell

Publisher: Reedy Press LLC

Published: 2019-10-15

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1681062097

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What's the best place in Houston to watch ostrich racing? Is there really buried treasure in Hermann Park? Do you know where to catch live jazz on the site of the original Republic of Texas capitol, or enjoy world class Cajun food in a church cloister from the 1800s? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in Secret Houston, your guide to H-Town's offbeat, overlooked and unknown. This book will take native Houstonians and fresh-off-the-freeway Newstonians alike on a behind-the-scenes look at the funkiest bits of the nation's fourth-largest city. Did you know Memorial Park was once a World War I training camp? Or the original use of the Last Concert Café and why its front door was always kept locked? And what's up with that old, mysterious crypt built into the bank of the bayou or that weird golden dome out on the west side? Local writer and longtime Houstonian William Dylan Powell helps you unlock Bayou City's most intriguing, entertaining and arcane secrets in this guidebook to the obscure. Some of these secrets you can enjoy today, while others are merely ghosts, legends or shadows of our city's past. But they're all waiting for you to explore right now in Secret Houston.