I take a notebook on trips and take notes.

Katie told me about a supposed cannibal case in Missouri. Lebanon MO. serial killer. Windyville "Spookyville". 30 years of missing women. The Dark Web.

saw a skeleton on a toilet in Macon. rain. lunch at The Grill in Mt. Vernon. I was wearing my blue bear sweatshirt and our waitress kindly asked if I'd been attacked by a bear. (see picture.) I looked at her blankly. she said, "your shirt?" oh, yeah. right-o.

we did have an Illinois black bear sighting. sure, he looks adorable here. but we were scared.

drove along the Ohio Scenic River Byway. hiked at Rim Rock Recreation Trail at Shawnee National Forest in Illinois. then the Garden of the Gods trail. we found Sassy the Sasquatch. there were whoops and wood knocks. working on my fear of heights.

6 Sasquatch sightings. gray squirrels. I always say any potty in a storm but DAMN! sketchy road alert. drove through what might of been a secret government research facilty complete with MIB and guard deer. we arrived in Paducah, KY at the 1857 Hotel. walked through Market Place Square. found the C.C. Cohen building, said to be haunted. ate at the Bully Gorilla and had a slushie mango margarita. at the hotel I scryed in the mirror and saw a candle flame, used the Ghost Box, and videoed orbs. Brayden was watching his phone. got up to go to the bathroom. one eye was blurry. black blob. he blinked a few times and it went away. super quiet. couldn't sleep. then slept like a log.

day 2: "Let me tell you a tidbit about the hotel," says our desk clerk. I lean in close, ready for the ghost story of the century. (sigh). the hotel was top 10 in the country for small hotels last year. which is fabulous. it is quite a place. charming. beautiful. she shared that this was her retirement job and she loved it, she met people from everywhere and her boss never told her to shut up. did my first very akward angel picture, which was exciting. did the river walk and looked at murals. Kevin has always wanted to spend time in Paducah, not just drive through at night to and fro. watched barges. every time I see the Gracey Newstead exit I think it sounds like the name of a character in a historical novel. gas $3.09 KY. 1 roadkill armadillo. but I will admit to an extreme amount of road trip napping. not much actual hotel sleep. we made it to Tennessee. stopped at a Marathon gas station for emergency snack and potty break...we're already missing rehearsal, so why not. there are vultures in the tree in vacant overgrown lot next door and something smells VERY dead. and I swear I see something flopping in the tall grass, brown like a deer butt. I did. we were 31 minutes late and totally missed rehearsal, so jumped right into helping set up. Melissa is very detail orientated. lots of variations on her theme. and personal touches. pepperoni pizza and orange gatoraide for lunch. rain. rain. rain. left 5:43. Aliza & Liam make me miss my grands. checked into hotel. changed out of wet clothes. supper at The Big Bad Wolf. drinks at hotel bar. Bray bought supper. Kate bought drinks at gas station and ice cream shop. Kate rented their room again for tomorrow night, we moved ours into hotel block for after party. there is a neon light up ghost I can see from our hotel window. our rooms are side by side. I took an orb video at Courtyard Marriott.

Day 3: the reason we came. the wedding. helped with final set up in the rain. the cold rain. I looked like Ma Barker. and I'm ok with that. I made a last minute fur stole from one of the coats from Marie's and silk lining from a long ago Katie/Emily project. insomnia is good for something. I didn't think I could pull off glam going to the speak easy Flapper, so went with 1920s matron. Katie wore the white actual vintage 1920 garden tea dress I found on eBay for Koren's senior pics. she had her hair in a bun and looked so elegant and classy. she thought she looked like Daisy from The Great Gatsby. (she wore the red flapper dress when her and Bray went to Nashville bars for Halloween.) he was a Peaky Blinder. he looked sharp. Kevin looked very handsome. and he did cut up some at the photo booth, where Katie manned the camera and I tried not to fall down in my high heels that I wore for the first time to the wedding. we helped break down after the wedding. Kevin told me to go ahead and go to Bell Witch Cave before it got dark. I knew it was closed but just wanted pics by the gate. so Kate & I went and got back just as they finished breaking everything down. back to hotel. EXHAUSTION. 1 Bigfoot sighting. supper at Burger Republic by the hotel. we walked over. we ate there our last trip through when we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott. the kids went to Nashville and we went to the after party.

Day 4: vacation and life on the road causes tummy issues. Let's just say I feel MUCH better now. Katie put gas in car. hit a road gator on interstate not far from Barkley Lake where Kevin jumped the curb our last trip through. Brayden saw The General Lee rolling down the interstate. we had funnel cake fries at Hucks. lunch at The Good Ol' Days in New Baden, Illinois. food was good. I was freezing and thought it felt haunted, especially the bathroom. googled and didn't find anything. saw a juggling gorilla in Macon...Next. To. The. Skeleton. On. Toilet. it is Halloween, after all. now we're home. they're good travel companions. Katie did a lot of driving.

memes that need posted.

I saw a monkey side profile here.

Kevin saw a monkey or gorilla face in this rock. I saw a swan swimming.

I know a few mountain goats....and did a wee bit of climbing meself.

I always say any potty in a storm....but. But.

Bigfoot was everywhere. except her name was Sassy the Sasquatch. and. she. is. real.

my first dead body in a hotel bed....

It was pointed out to me that the telephone cord was the final touch...

Bell Witch Cave...maybe next time I come it'll be open?

channeling my inner Ma Barker.

Photo booth 📷

drinks at the hotel bar 🍸🍻

groomsmen wear a lot of hats....

Someday we'll stop at Hopkinsville...👽

Kevin loves rivers....

look at me awkwardly doing an angel picture! I was so excited!

of course there was ghost hunting at The 1857 Hotel....scrying in the mirror. Spirit Box. orb videos.

a walk by of the supposedly haunted C.C. Cohen building....

it's easier to find Bigfoot and Ghosts and Aliens when you pack them in your bag. I thought this rock looked like a UFO. so did my small green companion. and was that a WHOOP?????