Category: United States of America

  • The Christmas Vacation RV

    Castle Noel in Medina, Ohio is where Cousin Eddie’s RV from the 1989 holiday classic Christmas Vacation currently resides. Having watched the movie a dozen times, I was a little giddy to see the prop in person. Castle Noel is home to a myriad of movie props from Christmas films. I wouldn’t really recommend a…

  • Fort Johnson: The Start of the Civil War

    Ask anyone where the American Civil War started, and they’ll tell you Fort Sumter, South Carolina. This isn’t untrue, but it’s not the complete answer, and if we’re being pedantic, it’s not really where the very beginning of the Civil War started. The first shots of the Civil War were fired from Fort Johnson, by…

  • West Virginia Penitentiary

    Moundsville, West Virginia is a worthwhile destination for day trippers who live close by, or those passing through this area of Appalachia while on their way to a primary destination. Situated along the Ohio River, Moundsville is tucked between the rolling hills of West Virginia on one side and Ohio on the other. A decidedly…

  • Palace of Gold, West Virginia

    The Palace of Gold is an ornate shrine built in the 1970s with traditional Hindu architecture. It feels so uncanny to be in the middle of West Virginia’s mountains and stumble upon something you’d only expect to see in India. And I think that’s what makes this place particularly alluring for visitors. You’ll likely hear…