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• 3 Dark Sky Parks In Arizona
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Visit the Darks Sky Parks of Arizona to explore the night sky.

  

  The summer of 2022 has been a great summer for meteor watching. While the Northern Hemisphere touts the best visibility for the Northern Lights, Arizona touts Dark Sky Parks. Dark Sky Parks are where people gather to view awe-inspiring twinkling little stars and shooting stars. The Delta Aquarid and Perseid are the top views of the summer, while the Northern Hemisphere had views of stunning aurora borealis due to the recent sun storm.

  THE DARK SKY PARKS OF ARIZONA

  Arizona has the most – dark sky parks in the world with over 16 IDA-certified viewing areas. It has been loved by astronomers for sky watching since the early 1900s. The reasons? Great weather, tall mountains, and a clean atmosphere.

  1. GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

  We have to start with Grand Canyon National Park. “Half the park is after dark” is located in some of the most remote lands in the United States. The park encompasses 1, 217, 262 acres, and 277 miles of the Colorado River Gorge. In 2016 the Grand Canyons earned IDA’s Dark Sky Park status.

  2. FLAGSTAFF AREA NATIONAL MONUMENTS

  Only hours away from the Grand Canyon are the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. The national monument area was created to protect nature and archeology. The three sites include Wupatki Canyon, Walnut Canyon, and the Sunset Crater Volcano. All of which are worth the day’s trip. All three parks fall under the IDA’s dark sky designation.

  

  3. WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK THE ARIZONA BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

  For those who don’t wish to spend vacation dollars on state and national parks, the Arizona Bureau of Land Management manages over 12 million acres of public land. This land is available for off-grid camping. My personal favorite is the BLM land in the Hualapai Mountain Range. Probably because it’s home.

  

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• 
  3 REASONS TO VACATION AT MACKINAC ISLAND
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Take a step back into time with a Mackinac Island vacation package.
  Take in the history, the activities and cozy lodgings to make the most out
  of your visit!

  

  The Grand Hotel from the Terrace, Mackinac Island

  Photo compliments of David Wilson

  THE HISTORY ON MACKINAC ISLAND

  Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) is located on Lake Huron near the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Now a resort island, Mackinac was once the home to an Odawa American Indian tribe and other indigenous cultures. It was the site of two battles during the War of 1812. Mackinac Island was also used as a trading post for the fur trade by the British. The island has evolved into a tourist attraction, resort, and summer home to vacationers. Mackinac Island is both quaint and grand in its historical preservation measures. The measures include no autos, only bikes, and horse and carriage. The historic buildings are either restored and/or preserved. The island is now a National Historic Landmark and State Park.

  PLACES TO STAY

  Pine Cottage, Mackinac Island Home Rentals, Mackinac Resorts, and hotels are all options for lodging on Mackinac Island. While there is no camping on Mackinac Island, camping is available on the mainland. There are countless things to see and do on Mackinac Island. Staying in a bed and breakfast, condo, or hotel on the island is something you should save toward. But, many of the island’s sites are free. You can rent bikes or go hiking to see four miles of island nature. Watch incredible sunsets, take boat tours, visit spas, and go shopping!

  THINGS TO SEE AND DO

  For the history buff, the island is full of museums, historical buildings, and architecture. The architecture dates back to indigenous tribes and travels through 300 years of architectural history. For the taste tester, try Mackinac Island’s Winery (Island Winery, 312 S Huron Ave, Mackinaw City, MI.

  If you are a foodie, how about specialty foods, fudge, and ice-cream! Mackinac Island is well-known, especially in Michigan, for its homemade fudge and ice cream. Don’t forget to explore all of the different shops as well!

  Events: Here is the Mackinac Island widget for future events: https://mackinacisland.visitwidget.com/

  

  Mackinac Island is a family-friendly island great for every kind of vacationer. No matter what your age or activity preference there is something to do for every member of the family. Book a Mackinac Island vacation package. You will be glad you did!

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  Would you like to visit Mackinac Island? What part would you enjoy the best?

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  and ideas to get the most out of your Michigan adventures!

• 
  4 PLACES IN MOAB, UTAH: INVESTIGATING CREEPY
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Moab, Utah has things to do for every kind of hobby. Even for the paranormal trackers. Let’s investigate the creepy and weird side of Moab!

  

  ALL CREEPY THINGS BLUE

  The movie set of Blue (1967) is located in La Sal, Moab, Utah. A beautiful drive to a beautiful setting brings you to…the creepiest set since the Island of the Dolls near Mexico City. After a lot of research, I still don’t understand why there are baby dolls barb-wired all over the ruins of the Moab movie set. I just know it’s creepy as all get out!

  

  THE CASTLE VALLEY HOMESTEAD IN MOAB

  The Castle Valley Homestead in Moab was built in 1856. It was a homestead for many decades. It was then used as a cattle shelter for many years. Since then it was cleaned out and used to shoot the movie Against the Crooked Sky (1975). It has also been lived in off and on over the years. The locals say the homestead is haunted.

  MOAB’S WATER WITCH

  Moab’s water witch is at the river corridor of Moonflower Canyon. The water witch is a Moab urban legend. Kids used to race their cars across the corridor after chanting for her. The story goes that a woman died tragically in the area. Her ghost hangs out by the corridor and tries dragging people into the water.

  CANYONLANDS IN MOAB

  The movie set of Canyonlands, Moab, Utah. I don’t know much about the set or where it is except that the movie was shot in Canyonlands. The horror movie Canyonlands (2020) was only recently filmed and not yet released. Moab is still home to this horror movie, so some creepy things may be lurking at the site of the movie set!

  DEAD HORSE POINT

  Dead Horse Point in Moab has had two creepy instances:

  The first experience was two hikers who saw a cowboy with a walking stick in Moab. They could only see him from the waist up and could not see his face. When he disappeared one of the hikers suffered an unexplained weird bleeding injury.

  The second experience was a biker who saw a translucent crow in Moab. The crow screeched and disappeared. Upon the crow’s disappearance, the biker suffered from a creepy case of tinnitus. Hours later his ear started bleeding. The doctor could not explain this weird phenomenon.

  

  Moab has all kinds of adventuring for the outdoorsmen, shopper, or art collector. But, it also has plenty to investigate for the paranormal follower. Dive into the weird and creepier side of Moab!

  Do you like the weird and creepy? How would you spend your time in Moab?

  Subscribe to Barefoot and Provincial so you don’t miss out on our weird, fascinating, and interesting articles on the unknown!

• 4 Places in Moab, Utah: Investigating the Creepy
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  Moab, Utah has things to do for every kind of hobby. Even for the paranormal trackers. Let’s explore the creepy and weird side of Moab!

  

  BLUE, 1967

  The movie set of Blue (1967) is located in La Sal, Moab, Utah. A beautiful drive to a beautiful setting brings you to…the creepiest set since the Island of the Dolls near Mexico City. After a lot of research, I still don’t understand why there are baby dolls barb-wired all over the ruins of the Moab movie set. I just know it’s creepy as all get out!

  THE CASTLE VALLEY HOMESTEAD IN MOAB

  The Castle Valley Homestead in Moab was built in 1856. It was a homestead for many decades. It was then used as a cattle shelter for many years. Since then it was cleaned out and used to shoot the movie Against the Crooked Sky (1975). It has also been lived in off and on over the years. The locals say the homestead is haunted.

  

  MOAB’S WATER WITCH

  Moab’s water witch is at the river corridor of Moonflower Canyon. The water witch is a Moab urban legend. Kids used to race their cars across the corridor after chanting for her. The story goes that a woman died tragically in the area. Her ghost hangs out by the corridor and tries dragging people into the water.

  THE CANYONLANDS IN MOAB, UTAH

  The movie set of Canyonlands, Moab, Utah. I don’t know much about the set or where it is except that the movie was shot in Canyonlands. The horror movie The Canyonlands (2021) was only recently filmed. Moab is still home to this horror movie, so some creepy things may be lurking at the site of the movie set!

  

  DEAD HORSE POINT, MOAB, UTAH

  Dead Horse Point in Moab has had two creepy instances: The first experience was two hikers who saw a cowboy with a walking stick in Moab. They could only see him from the waist up and could not see his face. When he disappeared one of the hikers suffered an unexplained weird bleeding Injury.

  The second experience was a biker who saw a translucent crow in Moab. The crow screeched and disappeared. Upon the crow’s disappearance, the biker suffered from a creepy case of tinnitus. Hours later his ear started bleeding. The doctor could not explain this weird phenomenon.

  

  Moab has all kinds of adventuring for the outdoorsmen, shopper, or art collector. But, it also has plenty to investigate for the paranormal follower. Dive into the weird and creepier side of Moab.

  ---

  Do you like the weird and creepy? How would you spend your time in Moab?

  Subscribe to Barefoot and Provincial so you don’t miss out on our weird, fascinating, and interesting articles on the unknown!

• A BRIEF ARTICLE ON THE LONG HISTORY OF UFOS
  by Mary Cook Geivett

  There have always been a lot of conspiracy theories about Project Blue Book, Area 51, and Ancient Aliens. But do the UFOs and the conspiracy theories date to earlier times?

  

  POST WAR UFOS

  With the closing of World War II came conspiracies of Area 51, UFOs, and ancient aliens. Project Blue Book was a secret program. Government or military officials that saw strange things in the sky were hushed. However, the U.S. government has a multitude of research on alien life and UFOs at the Library of Congress.

  The term UFO was coined in 1950 by the head of the US Air Force UFO investigation group Edward J. Ruppelt. Other acronyms included UAO (Unidentified Airborne Object), UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon). Today UFO is widely used to refer to alien objects.

  Before the onset of WWII, were rumors about ghost airships, as UFOs were called in the 1800s. Some were experimental flying objects or blimps. Others may have been straight UFOs. Were their sightings that date earlier than this?

  EARLY WORLD UFOS

  Since the release of the article “Have We Visitors From Space?” (April 1952), Life Magazine, UFOs and aliens have flooded entertainment. This includes the famous novel and radio series War of the Worlds, stories by H.P. Lovecraft, movies, comic books, and trumped-up newspaper articles.

  I wish I could cite what program I watched, but I don’t remember, so I will chalk the next information up to conspiracy theory. There were sightings and/or communication between American powers and UFOs during both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. If anyone reads this and knows what program it was (possibly AncientAliens?), leave it in the comments.

  Native American lore includes stories of star people and sky people. Were these ancient aliens? UFOs? They hand much of this down by storytelling rather than documented. Much of the information gleaned from early Native Americans are from the petroglyphs found in the west. Many petroglyphs portray aliens, Native American gods, and UFOs.

  

  ANCIENT UFOS

  Dating back to 603-683 CE. an ancient rocket is found on the sarcophagus lid of Mayan King Pakal. Is it a UFO? Is the passenger an alien? Or is it much like the Mercury Spacecraft that was used between 1961-1963? Ancient art dating 865-860 BC shows a cylinder with a (god or alien?) in it.

  According to ancient astronaut theory, the “Shamash” is extraterrestrial or alien. An Anunnaki god of the Sumerians. Was the Anunnaki god traveling in a UFO? Was it an ancient alien?

  Over the course of history, humanity has established that UFOs and aliens have been seen, experienced, and studied from the 21st century to before the life of Jesus Christ. How does one explain away thousands of years of UFOs? Who are aliens? I can’t. What about you?

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