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


Book Description

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.




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


Book Description

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.




Unique Eats and Eateries of Connecticut


Book Description

From hot dogs to haute cuisine, Connecticut boasts an impressive array of tempting delicacies for every taste and budget. Hot, buttered lobster rolls, steamed cheeseburgers, and coal-fired New Haven-style pizza are just a few of the delights that await adventurous foodies in the Nutmeg State. With Unique Eats and Eateries of Connecticut as your guide, you’ll find a new place to try on every page and get the stories behind the food too. Bask in the warmth of the Connecticut shore at Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, where three generations of the Mears family have slow-steamed and served lobsters on sunny picnic tables along the waterfront. Find out how O’Rourke’s Diner in Middletown was supported by its community and the Wesleyan students who love it after a devastating fire threatened to put them out of business in 2006. Get a taste of Yale life at the high-ceilinged Union League Café, where Chef JeanPierre Vuillermet wows diners with his ever-changing French brasserie menu. And if you love reading and eating, be sure to learn about the free book with your meal at Traveler Restaurant. Local writer Mike Urban takes you on a tour around this culinary wonderland to explore eats and eateries that are both familiar and exotic. Come along on this fascinating tour of Connecticut’s most unique, unusual, and enjoyable food spots where there’s a delightful culinary revelation around every corner.




Connecticut 169 Club:


Book Description




100 Things to Do in Rhode Island Before You Die


Book Description

From sunrise in the shadow of the Beavertail lighthouse to sunset on the deck of the Coast Guard House, 100 Things to Do in Rhode Island Before You Die will fill your days with experiences of a lifetime in the Ocean State. Fuel up for adventure with “only in Rhode Island” treats like Del’s lemonade, coffee “cabinets,” and New York System Wieners, then set course for a 12-meter yacht sail on Narragansett Bay, a day trip to Block Island to collect glass orbs and scale the Mohegan Bluffs, and a walk on the wild side of historic Newport’s Cliff Walk. You’ll meet polo ponies, harbor seals, and some leafy green animals by day, and fill your nights with the sounds of live music at the Ocean Mist beach bar and the Rhythm and Roots festival and take in the sights (and smells) of Providence’s Waterfire. Author Robert Curley has always lived within hailing distance of the sea, moving from his native Long Island to Rhode Island more than two decades ago and quickly falling in love with the quirky character and rich history of his adopted home. His carefully curated attractions and itineraries are your personal “Rhode Trip” for creating big memories in the littlest state.




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


Book Description

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 San Jose: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure


Book Description

Which scientific landmark moonlights as a mausoleum? Where can you find sacred street food? When was there nearly a Civil War battle in San Jose? What civil rights icon got started in San Jose? What’s the real story behind Sarah Winchester’s mysterious house? Find the answers to these and other questions you didn’t know you had. From player pianos to disappearing lakes, from ghost towns to buried limbs, this unconventional guidebook will take you through bizarre and fascinating stories that define San Jose’s history and shaped this one-of-a-kind city. Whether you are a life-long San Jose resident, a new transplant, or a first-time visitor, local writer Cassie Kifer will introduce you to quirky and beautiful places and share stories about the city that never get told. Part tour and part scavenger hunt, this guide will take you to some of the weirdest and most wonderful places in Northern California’s biggest and most misunderstood city.




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


Book Description

Where in Baltimore did the most decorated female spy in American history go to school? Why are Dorothy Parker’s ashes sitting in a memorial garden at the old NAACP headquarters? And which notorious gangster planted cherry trees in Charm City that are still in bloom today? You’ll find answers to the questions you didn’t even know you had in Secret Baltimore: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Learn about the connection between the Frank Zappa statue in front of the Enoch Pratt and free-thinkers in Lithuania or about the blind soccer team in Baltimore with a national championship title. From Lamar Jackson’s favorite dessert spot to where Edgar Allan Poe took his last steps and from the childhood home of the nation’s first African-American Supreme Court Justice to a burlesque bar that inspired a Paul Newman movie, you’ll find no shortage of weird, wonderful, and obscure in Maryland’s largest city. Local writer and professor Evan Balkan provides your expert introduction to the poets, gangsters, abolitionists, domestic terrorists, singers, assassins, athletes, and everyone in between who have called his city home. With his book as your guide, you’ll get to know an entirely new side of Charm City.




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


Book Description

At a glance, Mobile, Alabama, is a reserved Southern city, steeped in charm, heritage, and history. But look a little more closely and discover a winding tale of revivalist zeal, quirky contradictions, and delightfully ghastly scandals and scoundrels. In Secret Mobile: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, you’ll unearth secrets of the past. People will be quick to tell you that Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras in America, and they’ll be even quicker to tell you about Joe Cain, the rebellious firefighter credited with restoring the Mardi Gras tradition following the Civil War, but is that really the whole story? Not even close. As you’ll quickly learn, when it comes to Mobile, there’s always more to the story. Learn why the City of Mobile was twice burned to the ground, what famous presidential quote was uttered in the historic Battle House Hotel, and how a telltale oak grew out of the grave of an allegedly innocent convicted murderer. You’ll explore new terrain—like how to join the city’s most spirited kayaking group, where to find Hippie Beach, and the best way to see the iconic Middle Bay Lighthouse and the cow that lived there. Intrigued? Local author Amy Delcambre is just getting started. She’ll be your storytelling guide to explore all of the unseen threads that make up the fabric of Mobile and help you dive in to untangle the facts and the legends that make up the best of Mobile’s secrets.




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


Book Description

Some claim there’s nothing to see in flyover country. But take a closer look and you’ll discover that Iowa is home to more than just cornfields. In fact, across the Hawkeye State you’ll encounter hidden gems and secret spots abound. For instance, do you know where you can find the only remaining Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel in the world? What about how much the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball weighs? And why did the Los Angeles Lakers pay to build a basketball court in the small town of Carroll? Dive in and discover the state’s offbeat history and quirky places through Secret Iowa: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Set course for larger-than-life attractions like Albert the Bull, the World’s Largest Strawberry, and the Grotto of the Redemption. Learn more about Grant Wood’s connection to Iowa by visiting his former home and studio, or travel through time and space to the place where StarTrek’s Captain James T. Kirk will be born in 2233. Even at some of the state’s most well-known places, you’ll discover hidden histories and unique stories that are not often shared. Local author and travel writer Megan Bannister uncovered some of the state’s wackiest attractions to guide your adventure around Iowa. Buckle up, fill up your tank and get ready for an offbeat road trip full of the state’s best kept secrets.