Debra S. Sanders lives and writes from the road as a
full-time RVer. When not penning mysteries and thrillers, she enjoys researching
local lore and legends and sharing her adventures as a public speaker. She is
available for travel and RV rallies, library/author appearances, book clubs and
writer's groups (contact her through her website.) Learn more about Debra and
her books at her website.
Several
years ago, I embraced my gypsy spirit by committing to life as a full-time
RVer. Accompanied by my husband, Golden Retriever and tabby cat, I travel
across America in search of adventure, beautiful sunsets, temperate climates
and things that go bump in the night. Yes, that's right . . . ghosts, little people,
cryptids, lost treasure and legends passed down from generation to generation.
After
discovering a plethora of unexplained tales, I decided to publish my favorites as
Road Tales - Myth, Lore and Curiosities From
America's Back Roads . . . and I'm currently compiling a second collection
into Road Tales II.
It often
takes a bit of digging to uncover local folklore and legend but once in a while
something just falls into my lap . . . like the time I was hiking across a
remote section of Arizona desert and stumbled upon an elaborate campsite next
to a dry wash. It was obviously deserted but at one point someone had taken
great care to circle each Ironwood and Palo Verde tree with small stones. They
even made a series of maze like paths with tiny quartz rocks. A five-foot tall
"oven" was constructed from rock with the precision of a professional
mason. Next to it sat an empty alcohol bottle with a note inside.
Crazy Woman Camp was established by a woman and her son. The boy had become addicted to
drugs and his mother hoped the isolation would cure him of his
"demons". They lived in a tent, using a horse for work and
transportation. It died during their tenure and was buried nearby with a large
stone to mark his resting place. The epitaph "Man's Best Pal" had
been scratched into the rock, though the words were beginning to fade from the
elements.
Unfortunately,
nothing was written about the fate of Crazy Woman and her son. I reached out to
locals to no avail. One man said he remembered a woman from a nearby small town
and thought it might be her but didn't know her fate - so this particular
mystery remains unsolved.
Some
legends have garnered public attention but still beckon curious souls like
myself. There's the story of little people in North Carolina, the unfortunate
man who became lost in the Florida panhandle swamps from which Tate's Hell
National Forest derives its name, the curse of the Blue Angel statue in a
secluded mausoleum, a mysterious sixty-foot spiral labyrinth carved into the
desert floor, lost treasure from outlaws, Native Americans, and even Spanish
conquistadors, numerous ghost towns, phantom trains and more.
Traveling
the back roads often reveals incredible bits of history such as the once lost
Confederate cemetery in Tennessee where over fifty soldiers died during the
harsh winter of 1869. Most of the graves were marked with a fieldstone but some
received nothing at all. The only recognition of their passing were a series of
marks carved into the bark of a large Birch tree that are
still visible today.
As an
author, I enjoy writing engaging stories. As an RVer, I take it a step further
with a lively presentation called "Gold, Ghosts and Gravel Roads"
which I recently offered to 200 RVers at a regional gathering, as well as with
visitors at the Tucson Festival of Books. It's fun to demonstrate how a road
trip can go from mundane to exciting with a little bit of research and an open
mind.
I'm always
on the hunt for new places to explore, odd festivals such as the Road Kill Cook-off
in West Virginia, or lesser known lore and myth. If you have someplace you
think I should visit, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear about it!
Road Tales - Myth, Lore and Curiosities From
America's Back Roads
A unique
travelogue featuring tales of myth, lore and other curiosities found along
America’s back roads by a full-time RV nomad. The Curse of the Blue Angel, a
mysterious labyrinth, the ghost horses of Palo Duro Canyon, lost treasure, the
legend of Old Naked Joe…and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment