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.

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.

You could call Jacksonville the secret city of Florida because even many natives have a tough time pinning down its defining features and best spots. But for anyone willing to dig beneath the surface, there’s no shortage of incredible sights, hidden histories and unusual relics just waiting to be discovered. Want to see the world’s largest Native American woodcarving, chart the roots of Southern rock, or eat curly fries at the barbecue joint that claims to have invented them? Secret Jacksonville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is dedicated to telling the stories behind forgotten, mysterious and just plain interesting spots across Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, and the surrounding communities. Here you’ll find out where you can see a long forgotten Florida waterfall with connections to Jacksonville’s founder, and learn why there’s a tombstone in the middle of a neighborhood sidewalk. You’ll hear the stories behind local delicacies like Jacksonville-style garlic crabs, datil peppers, Mayport shrimp, and camel rider sandwiches. And of course, you’ll learn what exactly is up with that orange roadside dinosaur everyone’s always talking about. Jacksonville writer Bill Delaney has a deep passion for his hometown and a keen interest in underrepresented stories. From folklore to history and everything in between, join him to explore a side of the Bold City you can only find by leaving the welltrodden path.

Charlottesville, Virginia is best known for its role in history, current affairs, and its connection to Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, and the University of Virginia. Secret Charlottesville: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure takes readers on a magical tour of lesser-known haunts, pulls back the curtain on the region’s historical sites, and whispers of treasures found around many corners. This beautiful city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains has so much to offer, from secret swimming holes like Snake Hole, to unfrequented hiking trails like those at Foxhaven Farm, gorgeous hidden gardens like New Dominion Bookshop’s secret rose garden, and historic church graveyards, like Grace Episcopal Church in Keswick. Learn where to find hidden restaurants, like Vu Noodles or Lampo, to delight your palate. Climb a keelboat at Darden Towe Park or a giant salamander sculpture at Wildrock. Explore art from far-flung regions and experience the joy of sports teams with unique challenges. Do you know about Charlottesville’s connection to the Grand Duchess of Russia? Or Edgar Allen Poe? How about the time a famous painter got unstuck from her creative block at the University of Virginia? Local author Marijean Oldham finds inspiration in hidden attractions, outstanding architecture, extra-special restaurants, fun activities, and fascinating backstories. This guide provides behind-the-scenes detail and answers to Charlottesville questions you didn’t even know you had and unlocks local secrets just waiting to be told.

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.

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 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.

Did you know that there’s a Connecticut hotel room with a real helicopter inside? Can you guess who inspired the character of Indiana Jones, who was president before George Washington, and who flew before the Wright Brothers? Find the state’s most interesting and offbeat stories in Secret Connecticut: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Are you interested in taking a safari or racing a chariot? Had you ever heard that Martin Luther King Jr. spent two summers in Connecticut? Included are more than eighty engaging stories that provide insight into one of America’s oldest states. Inside are tales of pirates, an underground prison, and a possessed doll. Aren’t you curious about the spectacular stained glass church that was unknowingly built in the shape of a fish by a famous architect? From the world’s smallest Native American reservation to professionally coiffed cows and a replica of Marie Antoinette’s palace, you’ll find intrigue around every corner of this small but surprising state. Author Anastasia Mills Healy brings to life the long history of intriguing people, places, and events that will fascinate even life long residents of Connecticut.

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.

This book purports to be a manuscript dictated by a strange being named I-Am-The-Man to a man named Llewyllyn Drury. Drury's adventure culminates in a trek through a cave in Kentucky into the core of the earth. It blends passages on the nature of physical phenomena, such as gravity and volcanoes, with spiritualist speculation and adventure-story elements (like traversing a landscape of giant mushrooms).