Neat places I have been

I love traveling to anywhere and everywhere. From across the pond to my home state of Kentucky, I am lucky enough to have been to some great places. Here just a few of my favorites and some that stand out.

Topsail Island, North Carolina

I used to visit this tiny island off the Atlantic Coast with my dad when I was around 11-13 years old. This is not my favorite beach but it always stuck out to me because of it's history. In the 1700's, pirates used to hide on this island and attack merchant ships coming to the American Colonies. It is believed that Blackbeard's Treasure is buried somewhere along the North Carolina Coast. The name Topsail came from the merchants who could see the top of the sails of the pirate ships. The island was not fully settled until the 1940s. It is still scarcely populated and honestly not the most exciting place on the planet but it is very pretty. I have not been to Topsail Island since I was 13. I would love to go back and see how it has changed.

The Winchester Mystery House
San Jose, California


I love this place! Every time it is mentioned on one of those haunted shows I am glued to the TV. I went there with my grandmother and some cousins when I was 12. This place is just too weird not to love. As a fan of all things weird and creepy I am so there! It was built by Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune.There are many different versions of the Winchester Mystery House story but this is the one I remember. After her husband and daughter died, Sarah contacted a medium who told her that the Winchester family was cursed because the guns had killed so many people and that their spirits wanted revenge and that she should to build a house and if she was to stop building it then she too would die. She had round the clock building on the house from 1884 to 1922. The house contains doors that go nowhere, blank windows, and many more oddities. It is supposedly haunted and is a great piece of Victorian architecture.

Blarney Castle outside of Cork, Ireland

(I actually took this picture!)
I kissed the Blarney Stone in 2006. The legend goes if you kiss the stone then you will be blessed with the gift of gab and flattery. I already had it so I am double blessed! It is a little unsanitary so germophobes beware. The act of kissing the stone is pretty scary, someone holds and leans you across a gap upside down but it is so worth it!


Mammoth Cave National Park
Edmonson County, Kentucky

I have been to Mammoth Cave many times in my life. Whenever someone visits Kentucky for the first time it is mandatory to take them this cave. Mammoth Cave is well, freakin' mammoth! It is the longest cave system in the world. It is over 367 miles long with new parts discovered every year. There are several famous features of the cave system including the Grand Avenue and Fat Man's Misery. A part of the Green River also runs through the cave. The cave is also home to the endangered Albino Kentucky Cave Shrimp. This cave is huge so I am just going to stop. If you want to know more just read the wiki page. (I did to brush up on my cave facts!)


London, England

Not only is the home of some of the world's most famous landmarks, London is my favorite city. I didn't get to spend as much time there as I would have liked to which is why I want to go back so bad. Luckily from where I live you can get there in about 9-10 hours. I could go on and on. I guess you just have to go to experience the awesome that is London.

(I took this picture too!)

Disney World
Orlando, Florida

I love Disney World. I have been 5 times and have many found memories of Mickey and the gang.

Werewolves of Summer

According to my recent movie choices I have discovered something new about myself. Apparently I like werewolves. I know my last blog was about the nonexistence of vampires and a brief rant about a certain "toy". I have a fascination with the mystical, paranormal, and spooky things (I was born on Halloween so I can't exactly help it!) and as a result I like to talk/write about them. I have never been as enthusiastic about werewolves as I have other monsters until now. I always thought that they were a little lame. I guess growing up with a wolfish looking dog who I have seen kill smaller animals multiple times makes you immune to things like that. Enough with the chit chat, let's talk about some silver screen lycanthropy!

The first werewolf movie I saw this summer was Ginger Snaps. Made in 2000 in Canada this movie is now a cult classic. I remember it being on the shelves of the Blockbuster were I worked for 3 years and I am sorry that I never watched it until now. The movie follows two death obsessed teenage sisters (Ginger and Bridgette) who take mock crime scene photos and are outcasts at school. On the night of her first period Ginger gets bitten by a werewolf and slowly starts transforming into a bloodthirsty werewolf. While Bridgette tries to control her, Ginger mistakenly thinks her new primal urges are for sex but instead discovers she only wants to tear things to pieces. This film is funny, gory, hip, part horror movie, part chick flick and cleverly uses transforming into a werewolf as a metaphor for teenage hell.

The second werewolf movie I watched was The Wolfman. Usually I stay away from remakes of any kind but this one was different. And by different I mean actually good. This version takes the 1941 Universal classic and gives it a modern day twist with some great gore effects. You can't beat the classic Universal monsters but this movie did it's best and honestly did entertain me. For starters I love Emily Blunt. Not because we share the same first name, I love her because she is talented and that girl is in line for an Oscar someday! Plus she can play both dramatic and comedic roles and be equally as good in either of them which is very rare. Emily Blunt reminds me of Vivien Leigh which is another reason why I like her so much. Who doesn't love Anthony Hopkins? It's Hannibal, for cryin' out loud!! Benicio Del Torro also did a great job. This version was not entirely true to the original script but keeps some of the same elements such as the character names. I loved this movie because I have a thing for movies set in 19th century London. With the dreary weather, fog, foreboding architecture, and buzz of Jack the Ripper 19th century London is the perfect location for a horror film. I know this movie is not destined to be a classic but I think that it will be a good one to watch at Halloween.