In honor of Veteran’s Day in 2020, the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs has announced that US Military veterans and Gold Star families will be granted free access to America’s National Parks, wildlife refuges and other Public Lands, starting on Wednesday, November 11, 2020 and continuing every day onward. 

“With the utmost respect and gratitude, we are granting Veterans and Gold Star Families free access to the iconic and treasured lands they fought to protect starting this Veterans Day and every single day thereafter,” said Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt.’

Entrance fees will be waived for all National Park Service sites, as well as recreation fees for the Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation sites. This gives veterans free access to 2,000 public sites and 400 million acres of land. 

As part of the program, veterans will need to present one of the following forms of ID: 

Gold Star Families are next of kin of a member of the United States Armed Forces who lost his or her life in a “qualifying situation,” such as a war, an international terrorist attack, or a military operation outside of the United States while serving with the United States Armed Forces.

Nearly 30 years after armistice was officially declared, formally ending World War I, a veteran named Raymond Weeks suggested turning the relatively new national holiday dedicated to world peace into Veterans Day to honor all US service members. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, himself a World War II veteran and five-star general, officially signed the observance of Veterans Day on November 11 into law in 1954.

Veterans Day joined Memorial Day, established in 1868, and Armed Forces Day, first observed in 1950, as opportunities for Americans to honor the men and women who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Guard. But you don’t have to wait for a national holiday to learn more about the contributions of veterans to US history – indeed, there are numerous museums, memorials, national parks, and national cemeteries around the country dedicated to telling the story of the country’s military.

Editor’s note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Honolulu, Hawaii

The US Navy has had a significant presence in Hawaii for 200 hundred years, particularly on the island of Oahu where Pearl Harbor naval base was developed in 1899. When the infamous Japanese attack on December 7, 1941 drew the United States into World War II, it cost 2,403 U.S. personnel their lives and another 1,000 were wounded.

Today you can learn more about the history of the US Navy in Hawaii, and honor the casualties and veterans of Pearl Harbor at several sites throughout Honolulu, including the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum Park, the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum, Battleship Missouri Memorial, and USS Oklahoma Memorial. There are also numerous tours you can take that combine several of these sites together with expertise from a local guide – and even offer line-hopping privileges so you can stay focused on the history at hand.

Window Rock, Arizona

Native Americans enlist in the military at five times the national average, with the highest per-capital participation of any other population group in the country and a history of service that dates back to the first days of the United States’ existence. Learn more about the contributions of Indigenous veterans at the Navajo Veterans Memorial Park, which honors the Dine code talkers who were the backbone of Marine Corps efforts to use Indigenous languages to create secret, uncrackable transmissions during World War I and World War II. 

Note: the Navajo Nation has currently closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City is home to the National World War I Museum, selected in 1921 in part because the city’s rail station had proved quite the crossroads for thousands of soldiers criss-crossing the country as they prepared for, shipped out to, and returned from the front.

Indeed, the  handsome art deco Liberty Memorial Tower sits right across from Union Station. But it’s the museum itself where you can really linger – rather than focusing only on the US troops, the museum’s collection includes items from every nation which participated in World War I and is one of the largest collections of WWI artifacts in the world.

Houston, Texas

In 1866, Congress passed the Army Organization Act, allowing for the formation of four regiments of Black calvary who initially served out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and soon spread across the western frontier. The men serving in these units soon came by the nickname “Buffalo Soldiers” when they encountered Native Americans across the plains, and the name stuck to the 10th Cavalry from the Civil War through numerous other conflicts, including the Spanish American War and Philippine-American War, and on through the Korean War.

Some of the most famous Buffalo Soldiers include boxing great Joe Louis and ground-breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson. Even after the traditional regiments were effectively disbanded and integrated with white troops, their legacy lived on in songs by musicians like Bob Marley, The Flamingos, and Quincy Jones. You can learn more about the proud and complex history of these tenacious troops at a museum dedicated to their achievements in Houston, Texas – the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum. 

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg remains an important touchstone for Americans even 157 years after one of the most crucial battles of the Civil War was fought here and President Abraham Lincoln’s famous address on national unity. At the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center, you can learn more about why it was such a significant – and bloody – campaign that cost 8,000 soldiers their lives.

Take a tour of the battlefield itself, whether self-led, with a park ranger, or on a guided bus tour, and pay a visit to Dobbin House, an important stop on the Under Ground Railroad in the region and the oldest surviving home in the area. Last but certainly not least, pay your respects to the 3,500 Union soldiers who are interred at the Getysburg at the National Cemetery.

While it’s just an hour and a half from Washington DC to Gettysburg, you can make a day trip or a weekend of it by booking a stay at the nearby. You can actually rent abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens’ log home – built in 1790 and beautifully restored as a vacation rental – which is close to numerous historic sites like the Shriver House Museum and Jennie Wade House.

Chicago, Illinois

Best known as the home of the Chicago Bears, it’s sometimes easy to forget that Soldier Field is a memorial to those service members who gave all in World War I. But that’s not all Chicago has to offer veterans or those who want to learn more about service members’ contributions.

Pay a visit to the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, founded by Colonel Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG as a non-partisan institution dedicated to increasing public awareness and understanding of military history and the many individuals who played a part.

You can also visit the National Veterans Art Museum, which for 35 years has collected over 2,500 artworks by those who have served in combat, not only in the US, but around the world. The powerful works in the collection range from paintings and sculptures to intermedia pieces and installations that reflect on themes from PTSD to portraiture, reentry to revolution. 

New Orleans, Louisiana

You might be surprised that the National World War II Museum is in New Orleans rather than, say, Washington DC. But it was Louisianan workers who designed and constructed the amphibious Higgins Boat landing craft that helped US soldiers succeed in campaigns like the famous storming of Normandy on D-Day.

Today, the World War II Museum has a slew of artifacts in their collection, from preserved documents and footage to a restored watercraft, aircraft, submarines and more. If you really want to immerse yourself in history, you can book a tour that includes a ride on the PT-305 torpedo boat on Lake Pontchertrain. 

Fort Lee, Virginia

While women weren’t officially allowed to join the military until the Army Nurse Corps was created in 1901, countless women served served their country since the American Revolution – and some like Cathay Williams even disguised themselves as men to get into active combat. You can learn more about the long history of women in the military at the the US Army Women’s Museum in Fort Lee, Virginia.

This unique institution first got its start in 1955 in For McClellan, Alabama, but has since lived a few different lives in a few different locations before settling down in Fort Lee Virginia in 1999 and expanding in 2018. Today, it’s home to over 1.5 million documents, as well as uniforms, photographs, and other artifacts that paint a vivid picture of the oft-overlooked heroines of the US military.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Go back to the beginning of US military history at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. It’s one of the most popular attractions in a city already packed with history, and goes beyond what you might have read in your elementary school textbooks to include the stories of women, African-Americans and Native Americans.

You can get a broad overview of the Revolution and how it unfolded, as well as more personal, in-depth look at figures like Richard St. George, who is the focus of a new exhibit called Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier. 

Washington DC

Last but certainly not least, the nation’s capitol is, naturally, full sites honoring veterans lives and contributions. From the National World War II Memorial to the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Women’s Memorial to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, many are well-known, thoughtfully designed tributes to those who lost their lives fighting for their country.

Others, like the American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial honor a different sort of sacrifice, while the United States’ oldest and best-known resting place for veterans endures at Arlington National Cemetery. There are also tours that combine some of the city’s most significant memorials and give you a chance to hear their stories in detail from a knowledgable guide. 

But there are numerous museums, too, where you can learn about US military history and the veterans who took part. The African American Civil War Museum tells the story about the men for whom military service was not just an act of patriotism, but also a path to freedom. For a particularly moving experience, opt for an African-American history city tour of DC that includes a stop at this unique museum.

The National Guard Memorial Museum encompasses nearly 400 years of this unique wing of the Department of Defense – and you can even take a virtual tour, too. American Sailors are honored with their own collection, too, at the National Museum of the US Navy, though as of October of 2020, the museum is closed while a new campus is constructed outside the current location in the Washington Navy Yard, allowing improved access. And, of course, the National Air & Space Museum and National Museum of American History have much to offer those interested in military history, too.

In the Midwest, you’ll find friendly small towns as well as urban sprawls. Roll call for the region’s cities starts with Chicago, which unfurls what is arguably the country’s mightiest skyline. In Cleveland, the best action is in its walkable neighborhoods. Detroit rocks, plain and simple. Day trips in this region have everything from parks and museums to architectural delights to breweries.

Editor’s note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

Best day trips from Chicago

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
At the southern tip of Lake Michigan, 15 miles of white-sand dunes and more than 50 miles of trails await outdoor adventurers. At Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, you can swim, bike, fish, ski or hike, depending on the season – or camp overnight from April to October. Beaches fill up fast in the summer, so arrive early to pick the best spot. 1hr 10min by car.

Lake Geneva Shore Path, Wisconsin 
You’ll find something fascinating along just about any stretch of this nearly 26-mile path, which was originally forged to link Native American villages. It winds past excellent lake views, wooded stretches and beautiful estates. Strike out in either direction from Lake Geneva Library for the easiest route. 2hr by car. 

Windmill Island Gardens, Holland, Michigan
Get a taste of Dutch life in delightfully kitschy Windmill Island Gardens. The top attraction in the aptly named town of Holland, this 36-acre park contains gardens, dykes, canals, picnic areas and, of course, a giant windmill imported from the Netherlands in 1964. In the spring, more than 100,000 blooming tulips draw admiring crowds to town. 2hr 20min by car.

Racine, Wisconsin
Architecture aficionados shouldn’t miss Racine, which is home to several notable Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Manufacturer SC Johnson is based here, and its third-generation CEO commissioned Wright to build not only his home, Wingspread, but also the administration building and research tower for SC Johnson itself. 2hr 20min by car.

See more day trips from Chicago.

Best day trips from Detroit

Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village, Dearborn
Plunge into American history. The indoor Henry Ford Museum contains a wealth of American culture, such as the chair Lincoln was sitting in when he was assassinated, the limo in which Kennedy was killed and the bus on which Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. The adjacent outdoor Greenfield Village features Thomas Edison’s laboratory and the Wright Brothers’ airplane workshop. 30min by car.

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids
The 158-acre gardens feature impressive blooms and hulking works by Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore and others. The sculpture park offers paths and lawns bejeweled with works by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Claes Oldenburg and Anish Kapoor. The five-story glass conservatory bursts with tropical plants. The children’s garden provides lots to smell, touch and dig into. The tranquil Japanese Garden is another highlight. 2hr 30min by car.

Breweries, Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo has an offbeat charm that will surprise first-time visitors. But it’s the local beer that has got people talking; over a dozen breweries produce a huge range of them. The leader is Bell’s Brewery, one of the top craft breweries in the country. 2hr 40min by train.

See more day trips from Detroit.

Best day trips from Cleveland

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Like a great, cold snake, the Cuyahoga River worms over a forested valley, earning its Native American name of “crooked river” (or possibly “place of the jawbone”). Either name is evocative, and hints at the mystical beauty that Cuhayoga Valley National Park engenders on a cool morning, when the mists thread the woods and all you hear is the honk of Canadian geese and the fwup-fwup-whoosh of a great blue heron flapping over its hunting grounds. 30min by car.

Cedar Point, Sandusky
Cedar Point on Lake Erie is one of the world’s top amusement parks, known for its 17 adrenaline-pumping roller coasters. Stomach-droppers include the Top Thrill Dragster, among the globe’s tallest and fastest rides. It climbs 420ft into the air before plunging and whipping around at 120mph. The Valravn is the world’s longest ‘dive’ coaster, dropping riders at a 90-degree angle for 214ft. Check the park’s opening times before planning a visit. 1hr by car.

Topiary Park, Columbus
If you’ve ever thought, “I wonder what Georges Seurat’s post-impressionist masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte would look like made out of yew trees,” this park is for you. A local sculptor and his green-thumb wife created the Topiary Park some 30 years ago to brighten a neglected patch of downtown. Today you can wander around seven acres and admire the 54 people, eight boats, three dogs, monkey and cat carved from shrubs to resemble Seurat’s famous painting. 2hr by car.

SOUTH and MID-ATLANTIC

Alabama

Close to Birmingham, Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham with 50 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, with prime fall foliage viewing spots at Peavine Overlook and Peavine Falls. The Cheaha State Park is jam packed with woodlands, thanks to being both surrounded by the Talladega National Forest and nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. 

Arkansas

In the northern Arkansas, the Ozark National Forest gets colorful usually from October through early November and links to the Scenic 7 Byway, while St. Francis National Forest is smaller in size but known for its finest bottom-land hardwood. The Talimena National Scenic Byway goes to Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Mena and contains Rich Mountain, Arkansas’ second highest peak. 

Georgia

Protecting more than 6,000 acres around Dukes Creek, Smithgall Woods State Park in Helen is perfect for fall fly fishing and picnicking near the creek. In Northwest Georgia, Cloudland Canyon State Park offers easy-to-reach rim overlooks and challenging hiking trails; the five-mile West Rim Loop is moderately difficult but offers great canyon views.  

Maryland

Western Maryland’s Deep Creek Lane has 69 miles of shoreline for viewing fall foliage. At Elk Neck State Park in North East, walk up inside the Turkey Point Lighthouse and gaze down at the 100-foot bluff at Elk Neck Peninsula’s southern tip. Or see trees up close via the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, a scenic byway paralleling the Potomac River.

New Jersey

High Point State Park in Sussex is where on a clear autumn day, visitors can see 80 miles of fall colors with a panorama of rich farmland and forest, soft hills, and lush valleys across three states. For scenic hikes through a shaded hemlock ravine, Hacklebarney State Park in Long Valley is one of the Garden State’s undiscovered treasures.  

North Carolina 

Southeast of Asheville, Chimney Rock State Park reportedly sees its lower elevations make this area one of the last to reach its peak colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In mid-October, the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest in Western N.C. hits its colorful prime.

South Carolina

Congaree National Park in Columbia has largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern U.S.; kayak or canoe along the Cedar Creek waterway. In Pickles, Table Rock State Park fits the bill for natural fall beauty, between October and November, with the opportunity to hike to its namesake mountain. 

Tennessee

In 2017, Tennessee developed the first scenic viewers to help those with red-green color deficiency take in the full beauty of the fall. There are currently 12 scenic viewers at overlooks and parks throughout the state, including the I-26 Westbound Scenic Overlook and Highway 111-Sequatchie Valley. View the full list at www.TNfallcolor.com.

Texas

Lost Maples State Natural Area takes its name from several isolated stands of Uvalde bigtooth maples, plus hold walnut, sycamore, and red and lacy oaks. The park’s website lists a foliage report, updated weekly October through November. East of El Paso, Guadalupe Mountains National Park’s McKittrick Canyon shelters stands of bigtooth maple, Texas madrones, walnut, ash, and grey and chinquapin oaks, plus desert sumac shrubs, for blasts of bright red, yellow, and orange. 

Virginia

Virginia Beach’s First Landing State Park provides canopies of color for strolling along, while Shenandoah National Park, which is 75 miles from Washington, D.C., entices with its 105-mile Skyline Drive and plentiful hiking trails. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson National Forests are a massive unit, with over 1.66 million acres and over 2,200 miles of trails plus 23 federally designated wildernesses within mountainous terrain ranging in elevation, topping at the 5,729-foot Mount Rogers.

 

Tennessee is full of history, country music, BBQ and some haunted tales.  For the history buffs, ghost hunters, and those seeking adventure this list is for you.  These are five haunted places in Tennessee, full of historical stories and eerie events that may knock your socks off.   

1.     The Drummond Bridge/Trestle, Briceville

Legend has it that Richard Drummond was hung in 1893 by a band of mercenaries.  Drummond was hanged from the bridge after killing a young soldier in a rivalry brawl during the Coal Creek War. In 2009, a study was conducted by paranormal experts naming this bridge one of the most haunted places in Tennessee.  The bridge is haunted by Drummond after he took his last breath on the train trestle. Some say you can still hear Drummond gasping for his last breath, some see his ghost pacing from one end of the bridge to another at the stroke of midnight, while other residents just see strange behaviors.  Including cattle who avoid grazing the field below the bridge and dogs that will never go near or across the bridge.  For those courageous enough to explore this bridge the advice given is to be cautious.  The land around the bridge is grown which may have hazards, there are no walls around the bridge and there is spacing between the trestle tracks, so it is possible to fall through, 30 feet to the ground when it is dark. The Drummond Bridge is a piece of Tennessee’s haunted history that many may not know of but will pique the interest of those looking for a historically ghostly experience.   

2.     Shiloh National Military Park, Shiloh

This national park was home to the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862.  This battle was during the American Civil War resulting in over 23,000 casualties. Among the many men that died in what is now a national park is also their spirits still lingering.   These soldiers who haunted the battlefield let their past come alive.  Visitors may hear drumming, voices, footsteps and gunshots.  On many accounts’ visitors have seen the pond at Shiloh National Park turn blood red on different occasions throughout the year.  Rumors have it that wounded soldiers and horses once cleaned their wounds in the pond, even though there is not solid evidence that this pond did exist in 1862. Shiloh National Park is open year-round from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  There are special programs held on Memorial Day weekend and the rangers led programs on the battlefield sites from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The park also has a visitor center including artifacts from the battlefield.  The visitors center also shows an award-winning interpretive film, “Shiloh: Fiery Trail” every hour from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Visitors will see a lot of history that intertwines in this beautiful park but only the lucky will encounter the souls from the past. 

3.     Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg 

The 5.5-mile drive through the Great Smoky Mountains is full of historic cabins and mills and maybe even a hitch-hiking ghost.  Lucy is a young enchanting woman who died in the early 1900’s when her family cabin burned down.  Legend says after Lucy died a man named Foster saw her walking barefoot on a cold winter’s night through the dark overgrown forest.  Foster offered Lucy a ride home on his horse, which she accepted, but he was enamored by her beauty and couldn’t stop thinking about her. Foster went back to the cabin and asked her parents if Lucy and him could be married.  Her parents informed Foster that Lucy had died quite a while ago, causing him to realize that he had encountered a ghost.  The fortunate catch sight of Lucy wandering the trail hitch hiking for a ride home.  Although, there are places to pull off and explore the forest surrounding the trail.  To visit the trail, use the Cherokee Orchard Entrance into the Smoky Mountains National Park, off main street in Gatlinburg, traffic light number eight or take Historic Nature Trail Road to the Cherokee Orchard Entrance.  After passing the Rainbow Falls trailhead, will the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail be found. 

4.     Sensabaugh Tunnel, Kingsport

The Sensabaugh Tunnel has a few different legends on how this tunnel became a haunted place. The tunnel was built in the 1920’s and was named after the man who owned the land, Edward Sensabaugh.  One rumor is that a homeless man entered the Sensaubaugh’s home to steal money and jewels.  Ed Sensabaugh went after the thief who used their baby as a shield to escape from the house.  Sensabaugh was unable to catch the thief and the thief drowned the baby in water next to the tunnel, now called Crybaby Pool.  Another story goes that Ed Sensabaugh became a mad man one evening and murdered his wife and children while they were in bed.  He took the bodies into the tunnel where he took his own life with a gun inside the tunnel’s walls.  The third story says a young woman’s car broke down inside the tunnel.  She left her car in the tunnel looking for help but it is unclear if she disappeared inside the tunnel itself or was murdered inside the Sensabaugh House.  Either way no one ever saw her again.  Legend has it if you turn off your car in the middle of the tunnel it won’t turn back on. Some say your car will turn back on when Ed Sensabaugh is seen heading to your car.  Others say you will have to manually push the vehicle out of the tunnel before your car starts up again.  There are warnings that a woman will be sitting in the backseat, a crying baby can be heard, Ed Sensabaugh will appear in the rear-view mirror, children’s handprints will be found on the car and the sound of footsteps can be heard as Ed is approaching your car.  To those daring enough to test this tunnel and the hauntings that may occur it can be found off Big Elm Road in Kingsport filled with graffiti and a creek nearby.  

5.     Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and Pigman Bridge, Millington 

Legend has it that an unknown man, now known as Pigman, haunts the Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park and the Pigman Bridge in Millington.  This unknown man used to work at an underground powder and explosives production plant also known as Chickasaw Ordnance Works during WWII.  There was an accident in the plant leaving him disfigured, including burning off the tip of his nose, which is how he received the name “Pigman.”  He was shunned by coworkers and local residents and took off to haunt the park and the bridge looking for his next victim.  The story goes when he finds his next victim, he lets out a blood curling pig scream.  Go to the Pigman Bridge on a full moon, park in the middle of the bridge, turn off your engine and lights, roll down your windows and shout “Pigman!” three times while simultaneously flashing the car lights and he will appear.  The Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park is open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7p.m. with a variety of camping opportunities. The park sits on almost 13,000 acres bordering the Mississippi River and includes 49 campsites with a table, grill electrical and water hookups for RVs, a bathhouse with hot showers and six two-bedroom cabins to rent. The Pigman Bridge is located on Shake Rag Road over Jakes Creek.  The coordinates to this location are 35.339742, -89.954757 this will bring you straight to the Pigman’s Bridge where the brave can call him and wait for him to arrive.  

 

6.     The Bell Witch Cave, Robertson County

The Bell Witch is, perhaps, Tennessee’s most famous ghost. The Bell Witch is rumored to be the spirit of a woman named Kate Batts. When the Bell family cheated her in a land purchase, she swore on her deathbed that she would haunt them. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. The first evidence of the Bell Witch haunting was in 1817, when she possessed several ghost dogs to chase people off the farm. The animals then turned into a nightmare house of spooky sounds and chains being drug through the house. Rumor has it that President Andrew Jackson spent the night at the Bell Farm, and was quoted as saying “I’d rather face the entire British Army than spend another night with the Bell Witch.” Over time, the story of the Bell Witch prompted many visitors, which led to the farmhouse being torn down for safety. Today, you can tour the property, for a small fee, of course. 

On October 20, 1928, newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde launched down the Colorado River in a homemade 20-foot scow, embarking on a journey that would take over a month and celebrate Bessie as the first woman to boat the river in its entirety.

On November 18, one month into their trip and mere weeks from making history, they were seen for the last time. 

Glen Hyde, an Idahoan farmer and avid outdoorsman, met his wife, Bessie Haley, an artist from West Virginia, on a passenger ship to Los Angeles. The two fell in love and married in Idaho on April 12, 1928.

For their honeymoon, they decided, they would embark on a boating adventure down the Colorado River. Were they to succeed in their endeavor, they would not only make Bessie the first woman to complete the trip, but also set a record for the fastest excursion down the river. 

The Colorado River, which runs through Grand Canyon, Arizona, is known for its brutal and difficult whitewater. Glen was experienced in river rafting. Bessie was new to this type of adventure.

About halfway through their long journey, the couple stopped at the Bright Angel Trail, one of the most popular trails that run through Grand Canyon National Park. At the time, Emery and Ellsworth Kolb owned a photography business at the trailhead. The two brothers met the Hydes, who came to the rim to restock their supplies before completing the rest of their trip.

The Kolbs said that Bessie seemed apprehensive.

“I wonder if I’ll ever wear pretty shoes again,” she said wistfully, admiring a well-dressed young girl before venturing the 10 miles back down the dusty trail to the scow. 

She never wore pretty shoes again.

The couple had intended on returning to Idaho by early December of 1928. When they didn’t arrive, Glen’s father helped launch a search that discovered their scow abandoned near river mile 237, just 40 miles from the end of their journey. 

The scow was upright, held in place by its tow line caught underwater, still toting their coats and boots, a gun and Bessie’s diary, with its final entry on November 30. The shore near the boat was undisturbed. Glen and Bessie were nowhere to be found. 

Ninety-two years later, the mystery of the couple’s disappearance remains unsolved and lends itself to spooky riverside tales and a wealth of elaborate conspiracy theories.

In the early 1970s, an elderly woman on a river trip down the Colorado River announced that she was Bessie Hyde. She was about the age Bessie would have been, claiming to have killed Glen in disagreement and hiked out of the canyon. She later recanted the story, which was proven untrue.

Another conspiracy theory emerged suspecting Georgie Clark, a respected river guide, of being Bessie Hyde. Following the death of Clark, whose real name was Bessie DeRoss, in May of 1992, Hyde’s marriage license and a pistol were found in Clark’s home. However, this theory was also debunked.

In 1976, the skeletal remains of a young male were found on the Kolb brothers’ property. The skull still had a bullet in it, and there was suspicion that Emery Kolb was somehow responsible for Glen Hyde’s death. However, a forensic investigation later deduced that the remains belonged to a man much younger than Glen who had likely committed suicide no earlier than 1972.

Legal investigations into the disappearance have ended and the couple was pronounced dead by drowning, but the mystery remains unsolved. While Glen and Bessie didn’t achieve fame in the way they had hoped, their names live on in books and eerie campfire ghost stories.

New Orleans, Louisiana

From above ground mausoleums and tombs to haunted hotels to voodoo culture, New Orleans has a distinct culture that involves elements of the macabre. Founded in 1718 before the United States was officially founded, it has a history full of urban legends, including werewolves prowling the bayou or vampires in the French Quarter. Popular landmarks include the tomb of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau in the St. Louis Cemetery, walking past the gruesome past of LaLaurie Mansion, or Blacksmith’s Shop Bar where the ghost of pirate Jean Lafitte resides. Walk the cobblestone streets past brightly colored houses with iron balconies on a ghost tour on a foggy night to experience the unusual.

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah may ooze more than southern charm. With more than 300 years of gruesome history, the entire historic district is reportedly haunted. There’s been rumors and sightings of paranormal activity at Hamilton-Turner Inn as well as Marshall House, a haunted hotel that was a hospital three times in the past. Madison Square was the site of a bloody Civil War battle and has many haunted mansions that line the streets. Wander through Bonaventure Cemetery or Colonial Park Cemetery if you dare. 

Sleepy Hollow, New York 

This village thrives in its folklore history due to the Headless Horsemen in the famous story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. You may experience a ghostly encounter when walking through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery or exploring the town by lantern and shining jack-o-lanterns. Wander through popular colonial era manors include Philipsburg Manor, Van Cortlandt Manor, or Lyndhurst Mansion to learn more about local Sleepy Hollow history and haunts. 

Salem, Massachusetts 

Founded in 1626 as a Puritan fishing community, Salem is the location of the famous 1692 Salem witch trials in which Colonial America’s mass hysteria led to 19 people being hanged with more dying from other causes. Much of the town’s cultural identity revolves around this event, and many of the sites from the witch trials over 300 years ago still stand. Many historic sites are reportedly haunted, including one of the oldest cemeteries in the country, Old Burying Point Cemetery, and home of a Witch Trial Judge, The Witch House. Explore the muted colors of the town and brick-paved streets yourself to learn more about the sinister history rooted here. 

Tombstone, Arizona

Riddled with a violent past, this historic mining ghost town is said to be home to lingering spirits of cowboys, grieving mothers, and citizens killed in large fires. OK Corral, the site of the famous Old West gunfight, is reportedly haunted by the cowboys. Boot Hill Graveyard and Bird Cage Theatre are popular destinations where unexplainable phenomena occur in Tombstone. 

St. Augustine, Florida

Presumably the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers and is home to centuries of history, beautiful houses, and supposedly, spirits.  The masonry fortress Castillo de San Marcos is the location of many battles and invasions. Dangerous criminals in grotesque conditions were held at The Old Jail and apparitions with tragic deaths have been described at St. Augustine Lighthouse. Stroll the cobblestone streets among the Spanish colonial architecture to immerse yourself in this ancient city.

San Francisco, California

Among the vibrant scenery and sloping hills, some locations around San Francisco may send you chills even amidst the warm weather. Alcatraz, or “The Rock,” is a famous maximum-security military prison and haunted landmark that housed inmates including Al Capone. See if you hear voices or footsteps behind you if you visit. Take your pick of the macabre from friendly ghosts at The Queen Anne Hotel, dead army men performing their daily routine at the National Park The Presidio, or ethereal beings at the Sutro Baths.

Charleston, South Carolina

Known as a port city with cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages, Charleston also has some dark history from the first shots of the Civil War fired at Fort Sumter to slave labor on plantations. Learn about the macabre with locations like the White Point Garden where 50 pirates were hanged in the 1700s, the Old City Jail which housed the state’s first female serial killer, or The Old Exchange Building & Provost Dungeon which held Revolutionary War soldiers. 

San Antonio, Texas

Bursting with rich culture and modern attractions, San Antonio also has a creepy past. The Menger Hotel is reputed to have strange occurrences but is decidedly the location of The Battle of the Alamo, Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders recruitment, and a devastating fire. The Southern Texas region also gives way to the Spanish urban legend of La Llorona, the weeping woman. Walk along the river or visit the Alamo

Williamsburg, Virginia

Existing as early as the 18th-century, Williamsburg has diverse Colonial America history, including part in the U.S. Civil War. Not all of its history is for the faint of heart though. Said to be cursed by the slave of the wife, the Peyton Randolph House was built in 1715 and the location of at least 30 deaths. The Public Hospital was the country’s first insane asylum Other haunted locations are the Wythe House, colonial prison Public Gaol, and Fort Magruder Hotel which was the site of the Battle of Williamsburg in 1862. 

In Carrollton, Alabama, west of Tuscaloosa, almost to the Mississippi line, sits the Pickens County Courthouse. This courthouse was built in 1877, after it was destroyed several different times during the unrest of the civil war and reconstruction. People who visit the courthouse today can still see a ghost of these times – the terrified face of a man, etched permanently in a window. 

Legend has it that the face belongs to a Black man named Henry Wells, a freedman who had previously been enslaved nearby. In 1878, Henry was arrested for allegedly burning down the previous courthouse. He was taken to the courthouse to await trial. 

After word of his arrest spread through the town, a mob of drunken white men gathered outside the courthouse. Henry, watching the mob gather outside, is rumored to have yelled “I am innocent! If you kill me, I will haunt you for the rest of your lives!” 

At just that moment, a bolt of lightening struck the courthouse. The flash illuminated the scared look of terror on Wells’ face. 

The mob eventually forced their way into the courthouse, where they took Henry Wells outside and lynched him. 

When the light of day arose the next day, people noticed that Henry’s face and the look of fear, that had been illuminated by the lightening, was somehow etched on the window of the courthouse. The face remains there to this very day. 

In the centuries since, people have tried to wash the face off the window to no avail. They even tried to replace the glass, but nothing has been able to remove the terrified face of Henry Wells from the window.