Chase Your Own Scooby Doo Adventure!

 Post by Sharon

Julie and I are queens of finding adventures and they don't have to be big ones like riding a zip line in the jungles of the Amazon. 

It's those little mysteries that can end up being the most unique experiences.

Here's how we go about finding worthy mysteries in a wide variety of ways - 

museums

A simple search for museums in the city we were headed to and we discovered a train museum. It was a huge yard filled with dozens of trains of all eras. We were able to climb around in them, learn more about trains and their uses in America, and imagine taking fancy rides back in the day. 

Many towns have museums you didn't even know were there and sometimes ones with hilarious themes like ventriloquist dolls or 18th Century surgical equipment.

small town antique shops

It never fails that Julie and I are plotting a road trip in Arizona and we enter nearly-abandoned mining towns and out of the way small places where the local antique or rock shop has the most unusual finds. 

It is amazing what you can find in small town antique shops and thrift stores. People come and go in the town and leave behind their items and they are almost always very unique. One town shop we like to visit carries lots of old books out of print about archaeology and rocks. It's a dream bunch of finds for me! And another town has old rusted mining equipment from their heyday of industry. 

historic towns

Historic towns have tons of quirky shops, loads of tours. Sometimes they have ghost tours and stagecoach rides, as well as period costume photography if you want to remember the occasion. 

Historic districts often have old-time craftspeople, pubs, and community events like outdoor art fairs. Look for the events calendar of the city you plan to visit and plot out the best time to go!

ghost tours and haunted bed and breakfast inns

As Julie and I have been long-time ghost investigators, this is one of our favorites. Our team, Arizona Paranormal Research has performed many investigations and experiments. 

Lots of cities now have ghost tours and take you to infamous sites. As well, the haunted bed and breakfast inn has become a popular destination. There are even airbnb's that tout resident ghosts.

Historic tours like to interject ghost stories into their storytelling, as well. 

nighttime forests

Whether you opt to go search for bigfoot, chase infamous spooklights, or go camping, nighttime forests hold ancient secrets. 

There is something about not knowing what is beyond your fire's circle that fills your mind with imaginings. Do you hear voices giggling? Was that a rock being thrown? What kind of creature just made that snorting sound?

ufo watching

Where are the UFOs? Well, they are reported just about everywhere, but your best chances are to head outside the city to the countryside where the stars are bright and it's a clear night. 

Lay back on the hood of your car or comfy folding chairs. Bring binoculars or infrared spyglass. Don't forget music and some snacks and drinks. 

Remember satellites move east and west or south and north and track slowly across the sky. Bring a pad and pen and if you have a camera with you, mount it on a tripod because when you zoom on an object, even the slightest hand movement will cause the object to bounce and blur. Be a good witness. Take notes of time, degree of angle in the sky, other witness's names, and any unusual color or maneuver to the object. There are star apps for cell phones too, so consider getting one on your phone as you can point at an object and find out if it's a plane, planet, or star.

treasure hunting

Whether it's gold panning or rockhounding, there are tons of videos to inspire you and tell you how to do it and where to go in your area. 

There are loads of hidden treasure books too that tell of old stagecoach payrolls and Revolutionary War stashes and more. Sites like treasurenet make it possible for treasure hunters to pass info back and forth.

In these odd COVID times, you might get inventive with Zoom or Skype to gather a group together to play a murder mystery game or tell scary stories in the dark with candles aglow. 

If all else fails, build a blanket fort, insert lots of pillows, and curl up and watch adventure-oriented movies or cartoons like Jonny Quest and Scooby Doo!