Exploring America State by State

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Where My Journey Started

My Latest Book

Lost In Indiana Book

I am proud to announce that my new book Lost In Indiana is now available on Amazon HERE. Lost In Indiana is not your average travel book and more than just a list of places to visit. Mike Sonnenberg (Author of Lost In Michigan) tells stories of strange and historic locations in the Hoosier State

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Lost In Ohio Book Now Available

My new book Lost In Ohio: Discovering Strange and Historic Places in the Buckeye State is now available on Amazon HERE I have been working on it over the summer and I am excited that it has finally been published. I drove almost 2000 miles around Ohio visiting unique and interesting places that are not

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Enger Tower

Standing on a hill overlooking Duluth, Minnesota is a 80 foot tall stone tower that looks out over the city and the harbor. In 1920, an anonymous donor gave $50,000 to the city of Duluth to purchase land called Grand Mountain to build a park. Eventually people figured out that it was Bert Enger, an

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The Dubuque Shot Tower

This tall tower stands near the Mississippi River in an industrial part of Dubuque, Iowa. The region had several lead mines and the tower was used for making shot for guns. The lead was heated until molten liquid and then poured from the top of the tower through perforated metal. as the lead fell through

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The Resting Place of Johnny Appleseed

Growing up in the Midwest, I remember the tall tales of colorful people such as Paul Bunyan, John Henry and Johnny Appleseed. I am not sure if all of them are based on real people, but Johnny Appleseed was the nickname of a real person. Born in Massachusetts in 1774, John Chapman moved to western

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Squire’s Castle

What looks like a medieval stone castle stands in the North Chagrin Reservation, which is part of the Cleveland, Ohio Metroparks. It was built as a gatehouse for a mansion that was never constructed. I can only imagine how large and opulent the mansion would have been considering how ornate the gate house was. Feargus

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The Haunted Mansion of Michigan

This large second empire home stands surrounded by farmland in Michigan’s Thumb. The massive, ornate home was built in 1876 by John G. Bruce. He owned the Bruce and Webster General Merchants with his brother-in-law. Burnside Township was originally Allison Township, but the name was changed in 1866 to honor Ambrose E. Burnside, a union

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Rose Hill Cemetery

Macon Georgia is south if Atlanta and sits in the middle of the Peach State. Rose Hill Cemetery was created in 1840 and is located along the Ocmulgee River north of downtown. It has many old and historic tombstones along its rolling hills and is the final resting place for Duane and Gregg Allman. In

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The Schenck Mansion

The small town of Vevay sits along the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. The beautiful little river town has a historic downtown surrounded by average midwestern homes. The one home that stands out is an enormous second empire style brick mansion that stands on a hillside overlooking the community of Vevay. The

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Mother Jones

Mount Olive, Illinois is about fifty miles south of Springfield. It is where you will find the Union Mine Cemetery. There you will see a large stone monument flanked by the statues of miners holding a pickaxe and a sledgehammer. The monument is for Mary G. Harris Jones also known as “Mother Jones.” Mary was

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What in the Sam Hill

You have probably heard the phrase ” What in the Sam Hill ” It is a euphemism for what in the hell or other possible curse words. Interestingly, Sam Hill was a real person who lived in Michigan. The exact origin of the saying is unknown, but a possible theory is for Samuel W. Hill

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A Cemetery, A Witch and an Oak Tree

The shadow town of Chesterville, Illinois sits near Arcola in the heart of Amish country. Near the Kaskaskia River you will find the Chesterville Cemetery. Legend has it the old cemetery is where a young witch was buried. A large oak tree grows over a gravesite and marks the location of the grave.  Legend has

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