I never thought I’d live to see this day. Then again, I never thought I’d be writing anything after dying in a hallway of questionable carpeting at the Shady Oak Bed and Breakfast. Here’s what I know: not much. One minute I was climbing the stairs, grumbling about the decor choices. The next, I was … Read more
Mystic Grove promises an “immersive paranormal experience” to anyone with a credit card and a high tolerance for candle wax and nonsense. So naturally, I booked the town’s most theatrical offering: a private evening ghost tour with Mariah St. James, self-proclaimed medium, ghost hunter, spiritual intuitive, and costume jewelry enthusiast. Mariah met me just after … Read more
Nestled at the edge of Mystic Grove — and I use “nestled” as loosely as possible — the Shady Oak Bed and Breakfast promises “historic charm with a touch of mystery.” What it delivers is the architectural equivalent of a shrug. The place looks like it was decorated entirely from estate sale leftovers. It offers … Read more
I’ve been to a lot of “spiritual centers” in my time — strip mall palm readers, candle-lit séance parlors, roadside UFO museums complete with homemade aluminum hats — but few have been quite so aggressively adorable as The Divination Station in Mystic Grove. For starters, it’s housed in a repurposed gas station. Somewhere around 1962, … Read more
If you’re wondering whether Mystic Grove’s obsession with “heritage” extends beyond its psychics, charm shops, and “energy cleansing workshops,” allow me to direct your attention to Trattoria Amorelli — the town’s self-proclaimed beacon of fine Italian dining. Spoiler: it’s less “La Dolce Vita” and more “Death by Béchamel.” The decor sets the tone immediately. The … Read more
At first glance, the city of Enchanted Springs seems like the kind of place where you’d expect every third resident to burst into song about the power of friendship, all while framed against a charming backdrop of restored brick storefronts and suspiciously cheerful flower baskets. It’s charming, sure — the first twenty minutes you’re there. … Read more
Cryptids are the imaginary friends of the adult world — creatures that allegedly exist but somehow manage to avoid every camera, drone, microscope, satellite, and scientific investigation ever launched. Bigfoot. The Chupacabra. Mothman. The Jersey Devil. You name it. If it sounds like something that would’ve been cut from an early draft of Pokémon, there’s … Read more