The Tell-Tale Heart of Richmond is a virtual tour of the historic town where Edgar Allan Poe grew up, fell in love, socialized, and worked. It will be a 45-minute virtual, live-streamed event directly from Richmond and allow viewers to interact with the guide and others. The tours are tip-supported. “Tip-Supported” means that they are offered free of charge to make them more accessible to everyone, but tipping the guides is a welcome way to “support” them and enable them to offer more tours. These events are made possible through a partnership with the Poe Museum and Heygo/Virtualtrips. Click here for more details and to reserve a spot. Upcoming tour dates: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 @ 4:00 PM ESTThursday, April 29, 2021 @ 3:00 PM EST About the tour One of America’s most famous writers grew up in the historic heart of Richmond–and we will explore it on this tour!…
As part of my birthday this year, we traveled to an amazing VRBO home in Sky Valley, Georgia. Big fans and frequent visitors of the north Georgia mountains we hadn’t been to this particular corner. Sky Valley is the highest city in the state and borders North Carolina. I took pictures of the scenic overlook on the way to the house and the overlook was 3,100+ feet! We drove up a road leading to a higher elevation to reach our destination. Whoosh! [envira-gallery id=’8378′] Birds Nest VRBO Stunning mountain getaway as words that accurately describe the property we rented. We were thrilled. I cannot imagine not living there year round if I was fortunate enough to own it. It’s quiet and serene and gorgeous where the home is located. And, you can drive to restaurants and stores within 20 minutes in Dillard or skip over to North Carolina. [envira-gallery id=’8387′]…
Captain Tom Moore, a beloved United Kingdom (UK) icon, passed away on February 2, 2021. A British World War II veteran, he was at home in April 2020, when he started a fundraising effort that grew to a worldwide phenomenon. The UK was in the midst of a dark time with a national lockdown of homes and businesses due to the pandemic, and since Captain Tom Moore was grateful for his recent care during hospital stays he wanted to raise money and spirits of the National Health Services (NHS). Captain Tom would begin a 24-day campaign branded “Tom’s 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS”. The funds would go to NHS Charities Together which supports the NHS. Photo Credit: BBC.com “When we started off with this exercise we didn’t anticipate we’d get anything near that sort of money. It’s really amazing. All of them, from top to bottom, in the National…
Mardi Gras parades as all big public events during this world-wide pandemic have fallen victim to cancellation, however that celebratory spirit is rising through a new tradition. New Orleans possesses a resilience to hardships – centuries of rising above any obstacles and enduring as an amazing city. Mardi Gras 2021 is no exception. This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, Poe in Wonderland will earn a small commission for the referral at no cost to you. Artists, restaurants, businesses, and homeowners have collaborated to create “Yardi Gras”. Artists and krewes are installing beautiful, creative displays and mounting them on houses and in yards. The displays are spread out in the city so easier for the public to drive or walk by without worrying about crowds of people. Yardi Gras is keeping artists afloat and helping the economy continue to make money in a…
Have you ever seen a coyote and badger hang out, play, and travel together? Well, neither had we until now. Peninsula Open Space and Trust is an organization in California that preserves and protects open space in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. In February 2020, they captured extraordinary footage of two species working and playing together and the video went viral. We loved the video and found others on their site. Animals in the wild without human interaction are fascinating to watch. Posting this for fun and entertainment on our blog. Visit POST to learn more about their efforts, partners, and contributions to the environment. Coyote and Badger: More Friendship (and Waddles) in Extended Video – California Wildlife Camera https://youtu.be/mGyHlYPupHg In this extended video cut, we see these two were together for more than an hour and possibly even longer. This shared use of a human-made crossing…
New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite times of the year. Since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with one year turning into a new one. Seems magical at midnight with the whole world counting down and your calendars changing. A couple of years ago, we bought a new house. I wanted to bless it in every way possible in the new year. And, 2019 turned out miles better than 2020! I found my pictures and post from that year and have added a new goal to the list. The last on the list involves grapes, however, we won’t be doing those this time since I’m not going out to one more grocery store this week. We’ll do it next year. Celebrations may be smaller in 2020 but you can have fun at home with these simple traditions for New Year’s Eve. Travel In many Latin American countries, New…
Queen Elizabeth the Second spoke of spreading kindness amongst all nations and people being the light in the world. This year has been one of incredible loss and distance from loved ones yet it has brought everyone together in a united way. We’ve experienced an event that has affected the world and in many ways tied us together. May we continue to be the light in each other’s worlds and remember kindness and compassion as we move towards a better 2021. https://youtu.be/uSftQu9rnBA
Searching for activities during a world-wide pandemic for your family to do isn’t an easy task. We’re all looking for fresh air with outdoor exploration to get us out of our houses. We’d visited Build an Ark Animal Rescue in Ellijay, Georgia, for the first time last fall, and on Sunday, we decided to drive up from Atlanta to see the animals again. It’s a large property so being outdoors and wearing masks when necessary wasn’t that hard to do. Susan Littlejohn founded the rescue in 1993 in Rome, Georgia, later moving to the mountains of Ellijay. Photo Credit: Build an Ark Animal Rescue [envira-gallery id=’5456′] [envira-gallery id=’5459′] You can walk around the property to visit with the animals in their enclosures and some like Bella the pig roam freely. Tom fed Bella who’s a pot bellied pig who much prefers fruit over veggies. She allowed me to pet her…
One thing I was delighted to find out when I first visited the Poe Museum in Richmond was the fact that 2 black cats live there. They were born right behind the Poe bust in the shrine. How perfect is that scenario? The mama and siblings have long gone to homes, but Edgar and Pluto live at the museum and greet visitors daily in the shop or in the Enchanted Garden. I have not been lucky enough to meet them but really hope to one day. Edgar Allan Poe had a beloved tortoiseshell cat named Catterina. Our family loves cats, and I love Poe so kismet. https://youtu.be/MnP1lO38t1g Photo Credits: Chris Semtner and the Poe Museum From the Poe Museum Website: “In honor of Poe’s love of cats, the Poe Museum cares for two delightful black felines named Edgar and Pluto—the latter named after the cat in Poe’s story “The Black…
This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Recently, my husband, John, and I enjoyed a weekend at the historic Read House Hotel in Chattanooga, TN. Located at the intersection of Broad Street and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard it is a luxury hotel styled in a 1920’s modern design. Gorgeous inside and out with detailed décor it often serves as an event destination in addition to welcoming guests. It’s ideally located within walking distance to key sites around downtown. You can walk to the aquarium, children’s museum, restaurants, the Walnut Street Bridge, and the Bluff View Art District. Bluff view has several galleries, inns, river views, and dining establishments. Where Read House stands now a hotel property has stood for 171 years. Originally, the Crutchfield House was on the property until it burned down…