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
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
St. Augustine, Florida, bills itself as America’s oldest city — a charming mix of Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, overpriced taffy, and relentless humidity. It also bills itself as one of America’s most haunted cities, which is tourist-speak for “bring your wallet and your willingness to believe anything after dark.” Naturally, I signed up for … Read more
Sedona, Arizona is famous for three things: red rocks, overpriced smoothies, and people who think standing between two juniper trees will unlock the secrets of the universe. I was lured here by the promise of “powerful energy vortexes,” sites where the Earth’s energy supposedly swirls upward, charging your chakras, refreshing your soul, and—according to one … Read more
Ashwell, Massachusetts is the kind of town that smells like autumn year-round and has never quite gotten over the fact that the witch trials happened somewhere else. It’s beautiful, brooding, and deeply committed to the idea that every creaky staircase is a portal to another dimension. Which brings us to the Ashwell Museum of Paranormal … Read more