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

Secret Houston: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: William Dylan Powell
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2019-10-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1681062097

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What's the best place in Houston to watch ostrich racing? Is there really buried treasure in Hermann Park? Do you know where to catch live jazz on the site of the original Republic of Texas capitol, or enjoy world class Cajun food in a church cloister from the 1800s? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in Secret Houston, your guide to H-Town's offbeat, overlooked and unknown. This book will take native Houstonians and fresh-off-the-freeway Newstonians alike on a behind-the-scenes look at the funkiest bits of the nation's fourth-largest city. Did you know Memorial Park was once a World War I training camp? Or the original use of the Last Concert Café and why its front door was always kept locked? And what's up with that old, mysterious crypt built into the bank of the bayou or that weird golden dome out on the west side? Local writer and longtime Houstonian William Dylan Powell helps you unlock Bayou City's most intriguing, entertaining and arcane secrets in this guidebook to the obscure. Some of these secrets you can enjoy today, while others are merely ghosts, legends or shadows of our city's past. But they're all waiting for you to explore right now in Secret Houston.

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

Secret Austin: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Cheryl Thomas
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2020-10-01
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 168106281X

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Where can you see a spider as big as a school bus? How did the world’s largest flying dinosaur land in Austin? Where is the college dorm room where a struggling student started Dell computers? And why are there thousands and thousands of bats in Austin? Find the answers to these questions and many more in Secret Austin: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. Learn about the lost-cause oil rig that became a gusher and funded higher education for generations. Follow in the footsteps of famous Austinites like Janis Joplin, Farrah Fawcett, and Matthew McConaughey. With life long journalists and Austin fans Cheryl and Les Thomas as your guides, you’re bound to find more than a few surprises about Austin—even if you’ve lived there forever. Whether you’re a slacker, an entrepreneur, a poet, or just a bluebonnet admirer, you’ll find Austin’s most fascinating hidden gems, strange history, and obscure trivia in this guide to the “City of the Violet Crown.”

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

Secret Savannah: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Chris Berinato
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 332
Release: 2019-10-01
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1681062291

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Who is buried under the runway at Savannah Airport? Was “Jingle Bells” really written in Savannah, despite a distinct lack of snow to dash through? And what is the source of that peculiar echo on River Street? Find the answers to these and many more questions in Secret Savannah: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. While it may be renowned for its majestic moss-draped oaks and historic architecture, there are many more things to discover in this beguiling coastal city. Did you know that Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath once tried to turn one of Savannah’s most remarkable homes into a nightclub? Or that Martin Luther King Jr. gave an early version of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Savannah before he delivered it at the Lincoln Memorial? Local author Christopher Berinato has scoured the fringes of greater Savannah to dig up some deep cuts of history, legends, and maybe even a few ghosts. Let his eye-opening guide astound you with fascinating tales of the most charming city in the South.

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

Secret Monterey: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: David Laws
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2022-04-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1681063654

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Did Sir Francis Drake really claim Monterey for Queen Elizabeth? What does it take to win the world’s worst car show? Why did the new nation of Argentina attack the port of Monterey? Monterey County is known nationwide for its agricultural bounty, a bay bursting with marine life, world-famous golf courses, annual displays of automobile extravagance, and Big Sur, one of the top ten scenic road trips in the nation, but what about the stories and places that don’t appear in traditional travel guides? Secret Monterey: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure reveals the unexpected and little-known stories behind major attractions, as well as numerous other spots replete with mystery and intrigue. Did General Sherman really jilt the beautiful Senorita Bonifacio? Why did activists decapitate a Catholic saint canonized in the US? When will the next “big one” strike along one of the world’s most closely observed earthquake faults? Local author, travel writer, and historian David Laws answers these questions and introduces you to the other side of Monterey County, a trove of unexpected and unique places just waiting to be explored.

Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks

Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks
Author: Keith Houston
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2013-09-24
Genre: Design
ISBN: 0393064425

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Revealing the secret history of punctuation, this tour of two thousand years of the written word, from ancient Greece to the Internet, explores the parallel histories of language and typography throughout the world and across time.

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

Secret America: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: David Baugher
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 327
Release: 2017-08-15
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1681061236

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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.

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

Secret Dallas: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Mark Stuertz
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 345
Release: 2018-04-15
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 168106104X

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Take an excursion through the weird, the wry, and the wonderful idiosyncrasies that comprise the Big D. From the Playboy Marfa bunny-with-a-muscle-car sculpture, to the ceaseless failed attempts to navigate the Trinity River, to the invention of the computer chip and German chocolate cake, Dallas is the birthplace of the whimsical, the wistful, and the profound. Secret Dallas answers questions about Big D you never knew you had, catapulting you through a portfolio of little-known but fascinating people, places, episodes, and artifacts. Think of it as a scavenger hunt travelogue, providing insights into hidden rhinestones and diamonds in the caliche. Secret Dallas is a riveting excursion into the city's odds and ends, where the rare and the phenomenal express the big, the bold, and the brash in everyone.

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

Secret Mobile: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Amy Delcambre
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2022-10-15
Genre: Travel
ISBN: 1681064049

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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

Secret Iowa: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Megan Bannister
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2023-09-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1681064898

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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.

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

Secret Seattle: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
Author: Mary Jo Manzanares
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2021-09-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1681063085

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Where in Seattle can you get married in a shipping container? What about playing vintage pinball games, visiting a mummy, or renting an elephant? Is the Fremont neighborhood really the center of the Universe? Where can you research the occult, conspiracy theories, and other topics people don’t want to talk about? With Secret Seattle: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure in hand, you’ll discover the unique destinations, colorful history, and wacky legends that make the greater Seattle area such a popular destination in which to live and to visit. You’ll find out if the Seahawks really did cause an earthquake and what happened to the Bubbleator. Researched and written by travel writer Mary Jo Manzanares, this book serves as a guide to places you might never discover on your own. Whether you’re a local looking for something new or a visitor wanting to feel like a local, Secret Seattle lets you in on dozens of secrets around the Emerald City.