We are free
By Thundermark
Book Paintings by Ekaterina Panikanova
80th Anniversary of the Drive-in Movie Theater
On this day in 1933, the very first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden, New Jersey, USA. The phenomenon quickly caught on with drive-ins numbering nearly 5,000 at its peak popularity peak popularity. Now, eighty years later, only a few hundred of these relics currently operate in the United States.
Many of these remaining theaters are celebrating the 80th anniversary with special showings. Will you be going to a drive-in tonight? Share your experience with the #drivein and #driveinmovie hashtags!
The Historic and Haunted Ghost Town of Bodie
The old mining town of Bodie, California is America’s best preserved ghost town. Dating back to 1859, Bodie is literally frozen in time and looked after as an historic park. The town is both authentic and mysterious, with original fixtures, furniture, and personal items in the buildings left untouched since their residents abandoned them.
Bodie abounds with legends of the paranormal, but none more famous than the haunted Cain residence. The man of the house had an affair with their maid. After being publicly disgraced, the unfortunate maid took her own life and reportedly haunts the house.
The Cain house is open to the public and has provided accommodation for park rangers. People have reported ghostly apparitions and strange music. Staying overnight in the house, park rangers and their wives have experienced paranormal events such as hearing strange noises, being paralyzed in bed, and seeing items move by themselves.
The most frightening legend of Bodie is a mysterious curse that follows many visitors after they leave the town. Allegedly, Bodie’s ghosts serve as guardians to the town’s property, casting bad luck and misfortune to souvenir hunters who take anything with them.
Each month, Bodie’s park rangers receive objects and letters from people who admit to taking items and beg the rangers to put them back. The letters tell tales of horrible incidents such as mysterious illnesses, car accidents, and even death. The rangers frequently speak of these accounts and assure the senders that the objects are always returned to their original places.
Buddha Park
Buddha Park, also known as Spirit City (Xieng Khuan), is a sculpture park located 25 km southeast of Vientiane, a small city that sits along the Mekong River in Laos. The park was started in 1958 by Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat who was a priest-shaman. The park displays over 200 Buddhist and Hindu statues of deities, along with other beautifully carved strange figures. The main attraction is the giant reclining Buddha resting on the grass (first photo).
