Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium Atlantic City, New Jersey

Strolling along the boardwalk in Atlantic City is like being in an giant adult funhouse. Flashing bright lights, strange motifs, and kitschy decor is found everywhere. It's very easy to get caught up in the glitz and instant gratification. Casinos designed to make you conjure up images of being in an exotic location. And just as quickly as you become immersed in all this action, you realize its all an illusion.

As my dreams of instant millions flutter by with every pull on the slot handle, every card that passes my hand, or every spin on the red and black wheel. The mirage is unveiling itself. I'm not in the wild west, a Mississippi delta showboat, a palace built by Caesar, and no where near the actual Taj Mahal. It's all a fantasy. I'm being bamboozled, the only ones making millions are those collecting my change from the machines. Dazed and hazed I follow the psychedelic carpet searching for light from a natural source and not a neon bulb. Back out onto the boardwalk I become refreshed with clean air and sunshine. The salty ocean air breathes life back into me, opens my senses, reality begins to come back.

As the wooden 2x4s pass below my toes, I recognize a building with the Earth crashed in on it. Seems fitting in a town where so many peoples own world's came crashing in on them. Loss of homes, jobs, and life savings all for the dream of the big jackpot. But I also see a shark hanging out front, and a Statue of Liberty replica. I need a reality check, I head inside the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium.

Entering the doorway, I see the world's largest tire conveniently placed next to the world's smallest car. There's even a Michael Jordan sculpture, made of Michael Jordans. I even find myself next to a life like statue of the tallest man to ever live. My 6'2" stature pales in comparison to the man who stood over 8 feet tall. Moving along I become greeted by other strange characters. The "crocodile man" flashes a horrific smile, and a man dubbed the "unicorn man" vacantly stares into the ether. Around the corner a bevy of creatures awaits me. Animals with extra limbs are quite prevalent, while other rare oddities are spotted about. The furry fish hangs proudly like a trophy trout, a Fiji mermaid glares at you behind glass, and the Garden States most notorious creature, the Jersey Devil, is even featured. Surprises are hidden around corner of this place. Optical illusions are placed all around, keeping your brain on edge so you realize not all is what it seems.

Along the way I find numerous strange items, such as a vampire killing kit (I totally want one) a shrunken head, as well as  numerous medieval weapons and torture devices. Tribal pieces from rituals and rites of passage are predominantly placed throughout the obscure museum. Displayed proudly about are also several pieces of varied artwork. Clothing made from bottle caps, art designed using jellybeans as a medium, sculptures made of nails, and structures built from matchsticks. There's even wax figures of unfortunate people who survived seemingly impossible mishaps.

Exclusive to the Odditorium in Atlantic City is a masterwork of craftsmanship, dedication, and obsession. New Jersey native George Tamasco dedicated 30 years of his life hand carving a french chateau replica, complete with 21 rooms. Including a cathedral, a parlor room, a kitchen, and even a billiards room. The attention to detail is painstaking. Experts from around the world have been marveled by the meticulous handwork and artwork of this relatively unknown artist. It's truly something that needs to be seen to completely appreciate the complexity of the piece.



What I found to be the strangest thing about the Odditorium, is that in a town like Atlantic City where everything seems to be an illusion. A false dream dangled right before your eyes, I had to come here to find a piece of reality.

Dreibelbis Station Bridge Spirits Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania

You don't have to take a road trip to Sleepy Hollow to get spooked by headless ghosts. Hidden away on the roads of rural Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania rests a covered bridge believed to be haunted by such a spirit.

On a blistery winter night in the mid 19th century a man was traveling home in his horse drawn sleigh. A fresh snow had just fallen and covered the hilly roadways. He cautiously traversed his carriage through the slick, white powder. As the man made the turn to cross over the covered bridge he realized the bridge was devoid of snow. Unfortunately he was too late to come to a halt. When his snowbound vehicle touched the dry wooden timbers of the bridge, the man's horse became frightened and careened the sled out of control. The horse rose to his feet, tossing the owner from the sleigh. During the commotion the man found himself entangled within the reins of the horse. The reins had forced a grasp around the gentlemen's neck, the force of the horse cleanly swiped the man's head from his neck.

Several local paranormal groups have investigated the area and acquired some interesting EVP's as well as photographs. It's believed that on later winter nights a headless being can be spotted bumbling his way around the bridge. Perhaps he's looking for his lost severed head, or maybe he's still trying to find his way home.

Other nearby spots you may enjoy.  Witchcraft Road   Crystal Cave   Dragons Cave

Red Caboose Motel Strasburg, Pennsylvania

The Red Caboose Motel is appropriately located near the famed Strasburg railroad, and is home to a number of retired railroad cabooses. In 1969, Donald Denlinger a museum president, attended an auction with a friend in nearby Mill bridge. On a whim he threw in a lowball bid on some railroad cabooses. Well, needless to say he ended up the proud owner of 19 N-5 cabooses, each weighing in at 475 tons.  As winter approached he needed to move these behemoths. Not wanting to spend the additional dollars that would be needed to move these mammoth machines, he got the brilliant idea to transform them into motels. An idea so crazy it may work.

Through tireless efforts and an immeasureable amount of work, he made all of the cabooses livable. After wiring electric and adding other amenities such as potbellied stoves and bunk beds, his project was finally completed.

While he was the owner, Mr. Denlinger was known to wear a conductor's outfit while he greeted and assisted guests. He also did extensive research on each caboose and placed historical information on each caboose to enlighten visitors even more.

Today the Red Caboose is under new management but still carries the same flair, all of which is topped off by the victorian decorated dining caboose that still serves three meals a day.

Witchcraft Road & Witches Hill

Traveling along Witchcraft road, small farmhouses dot the area while the trees give way to magnificent views of the rural farmlands. But why does a pastoral farming area in northeast Berks county have such a sinister name?

The early settlers in the area were mainly of German descent, they often referred to the nearby mountain as Hexe Dans or Witches Hill. They believed the area was cursed by witches, demons, and poltergeists. This was mainly attributed to the fact that there was a spot on the crest of the hill where no agriculture would grow. The early settlers believed these rampant supernatural spirits were trampling the fields, making it impossible for any crops to grow. Rousing the locals suspicions even more was the way their horses would refuse to even cross the ridge of the hill.

Annually the locals would gather on the hill and hold festivities and ceremonies to rid the area of any evil spirits. Walpurgisnacht tradition was carried over mainly by eastern European settlers and was deemed as a way to scare away unwanted evils. Today this tradition is still celebrated in most parts of Europe and Scandinavia. But are the evils still on Witchcraft road? No one may know for certain! Are you brave enough to find out?

Nellie Tallman's Haunted Portrait

No love stems deeper than the love a parent shares with their children. We watch them grow and change from infancy to adolescence to adulthood. Hoping to forever capture the innocent moments of their lives in our memories. Many years past capturing these moments didn't mean pressing a button on a camera and instantly uploading your photo, instead it meant countless hours and some artistic abilities. The process of having your portrait painted was often tedious and time consuming, but not often deadly.

On a chilling somber day Mr. Tallman was working on his own personal masterpiece. His precious 3 year old daughter Nellie, sat patiently while her father painted her portrait. As the world seemed peaceful and serene to the father and daughter bonding, tragedy was soon to strike. Young Nellie Tallman tumbled out of the chair she was resting on and immediately broke her neck. Her young life was abruptly cut short. To forever commemorate his daughter her father continued on with her painting. After completion the artwork was hung for all to admire. But a strange occurrence kept happening. The framed piece of artwork was constantly falling from the walls. Eventually the piece of art was donated to the Thomas Taber museum in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The museum proudly hung the artwork until the same strange incidents began to happen again. Initially the painting fell and was damaged, after being restored it was placed back up and fell several more times. Eventually the museum moved the painting only to have the same fate as before, leaving many to believe that even though Nellie Tallman is no longer with us on Earth, her spirit may be roaming forever.