Halloween's Top Haunted Rides

Long Ride Shields presents its most ghastly blog yet. Joelle Fraser goes off the beaten path to discover nine of America's most haunted destinations.

Harley on a Harley

               

When summer starts to fade, I know my riding days are numbered. My mood begins to fall along with the leaves outside my door. Yet there is one thing to look forward to before winter comes—the haunted rides of Halloween.

There’s something beautiful about the eerie atmosphere of late autumn, when the smell of woodsmoke is in the air, and the sun—or moon--light filters through the crimson and orange trees alongside the road.

I’ve gathered up a several places that rival any epic summer ride. If you can’t make it to one of the following, then do some research in your area. Make up your own route that includes a stop at a cemetery at sunset. Light a candle and talk a walk through the graves...’Tis the season, after all!

1. Jerome, AZ

        

Photo from: http://backporchinsights.com/ghost-town-geeks/

Jerome is packed with interesting local shops: from glass blowers and potters to painters and wineries, but The Gold King Mine and Ghost Town is a must. There you will see demonstrations of antique mining equipment and the operation of a turn-of-the-century sawmill. You can take a walk in an authentic mine shaft,  have fun with various animals to pet and feed, see a circa 1901 blacksmith shop, and the world’s largest gas engines.

Then, take a haunted tour with local residents where supposedly resident gamblers, prostitutes, outlaws, and victims of tragic mining accidents still aimlessly wander in search of peace.

2. Kenansville, FL

Kenansville, FL

This is a late 1800's cattle town on the now defunct Okeechobee spur of the Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. Legend holds that the hotel is the hotel that inspired a young Elvis Presley to write his hit "Heartbreak Hotel". The railroad did run right through town but the tracks and the depot are gone. The town died when the railroad was pulled out. There is a small resident population of farmers and cattlemen in the area. Further west on CR523 you can tour the old Kenansville Cemetery. Turn left there and follow the road til it dead ends at a left turn dirt road. This is the Old Peavine Road which runs out through the Florida scrub and Hammocks. This road is one of the old pioneer roads of Florida that few know about. The road is dirt but good and you can get a feeling of what the old Florida looked like. It dead ends on US 60 so you cannot get lost.

3. Bumpass Hell, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Bumpass Hell at Lassen Volcanic
National Park. Photo © Winkelair/Dreamstime.

Riding through Lassen National Park is a stunning trip through spooky mountain vistas. The steamy hot springs and burbling mudpots in this geothermal hotspot may seem scary all on their own, but this region of Lassen Volcanic National Park became known as a “hell” after unlucky explorer Kendall Bumpass fell into a pool of boiling-hot water and lost one of his legs. The area also contains one of the hottest fumaroles in the world, Big Boiler; its acidic, high-velocity steam has been measured at temperatures up to 322 degrees Fahrenheit—closer to the weather in hell than many other national park attractions.

4. Virginia City, Nevada

Virginia City is a biker’s paradise, with a winding, gorgeous ride up route 341 Geiger Grade which starts in the Truckee meadows and ascends rapidly through a series of hair pin turns and long sweepers to the ghost and historic mining town. There are many panoramic views of the valley below as well as the Sierras on the opposite side of the valley. On the other side of Virginia City, take the fork to the right which will put you on Rt 342 and through Gold Hill. Gold Hill has a haunted Hotel that is described in the book "Haunted Nevada".

5. The Torture Chamber

Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota

A spelunker in the depths of Jewel Cave
National Monument. NPS photo by Dan Austin.

Explorers have mapped more than 177 miles of twisting underground passageways in this cave system and continue to explore more of it each year with no end in sight, making it the third-largest cave in the world. Two of Jewel Cave’s earliest explorers, Jan and Herb Conn, discovered a large room after a long day of spelunking and were relieved to hear the sound of loudly dripping water. Desperately thirsty with nothing left to drink, they spent valuable time and energy hunting for the source of the water instead of heading back to the surface for supplies. Despite their fruitless attempts to rehydrate, they eventually survived the ordeal, exhausted, and commemorated their frustration by giving the room its ominous name.

6. Skidoo
Death Valley National Park, California

Photo © Tom Till/Alamy.

This famously hot desert park has its share of foreboding landscapes, from Dante’s View to Devil’s Cornfield to Coffin Peak to the Funeral Mountains. The area also features more ghost towns than actual towns. In one particularly rough Old West mining settlement, a saloon owner named Joe “Hootch” Simpson allegedly gunned down a banker in a drunken rage in 1908 to settle a $20 debt. The townspeople subsequently formed a lynch mob and hanged Simpson, then buried him, exhumed him and re-hanged him for the benefit of a visiting reporter before the town doctor, finally, strangely, beheaded him. Now, the legend goes that Simpson’s headless ghost continues to haunt the area—though nothing remains of the town—to this day.

7. Devil’s Den

Gettysburg National Military Park, Pennsylvania

A stone staircase at Devil’s Den in Gettysburg
National Military Park. Photo © Jon Bilous/Dreamstime.

In the summer of 1863, a small farming community became the site of the bloodiest battle in the Civil War. The fierce fighting turned farm fields into graveyards and churches into hospitals, leaving a staggering 51,000 soldiers dead, wounded, or missing after three intense days of conflict. Now, a barefoot Confederate ghost known as the “Tennessean” or the “Hippie” has appeared to numerous visitors at a rocky hill known as Devil’s Den where Union snipers fired on Confederate soldiers during the second day of the battle. This ghost is said to gesture toward a nearby stream and say, “What you’re looking for is over there,” before vanishing back into history.

8. Kennecott Copper Mines

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Abandoned buildings at the Kennecott Copper Mines in Wrangell-St.
Elias National Park and Preserve. Photo © Sarcophoto/iStockphoto.

The total size of Wrangell-St. Elias is equivalent to six Yellowstones, with few people to occupy its vast wilderness. Nowhere does this sparse landscape feel as ghostly as it does in the abandoned mining town of Kennecott. A century ago, this desolate area was bustling with prospectors and miners, and a private company built an expensive 200-mile railroad to transport the area’s ore for processing. The railroad was treacherous to build over the rough, glaciated terrain and many people were reported to have died during the construction; still more perished in the mining operations that followed. After the copper and gold ran out and the mining towns turned to ghost towns, visitors began seeing tombstones along the abandoned track, only to return later to say that the graves had mysteriously disappeared. Legend has it that workers in the 1990s even stopped a construction project after seeing and hearing phantoms and losing tools right out of their workbelts to Kennecott’s angry ghosts.

9. Skull Rock

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Photo © Tsebourn/Dreamstime.

It’s a rock … that looks like a skull! Is it haunted? Probably not. But it’s a short walk off the main park road, making it one of the most accessible and fun places to explore at Joshua Tree. Climb right into the eyes of this perfect Halloween-themed hiking spot and haunt it yourself!

Joelle Fraser

The Real Biker Beard Story

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, well beards are a woman's. Joelle Fraser, a contributing author to Long Ride Shields, has gone through the blood, sweat, and beards to tell the truth about this biker hair. -LRS

This blog is about beards. Odds are if you’re in the biker world, you’ve got a beard, and 9 out of 10 riders you see have one—from the tidy triangle to the Father Time face cape.  

Have you ever wondered what the ladies think about them?

After some (unscientific) polling, I’ve found that women have all kinds of opinions. One gal said with a wrinkled nose, “It’s a turn off. It’s like gray, scratchy cobwebs on the face.” Another said they remind her of “homeless people. I told my husband ‘No way.’” Yet another commented with a shrug, “I’m used to it.” And more than a few told me they loved their man’s mane. 

The consensus? Groomed is better. Of course, “groomed” means different things to different people—from sculpting the beard into a work of art to wiping away the globs of egg yolk.

For me, I’ve always preferred being able to see the outline of a man’s face, which disappears around inch 3 to 4. What chin? What jaw?

This topic has also been on my mind because it’s in my face. Literally. My boyfriend has a Biker Beard—a big one. One bandana is not enough to contain it on a ride; he has to shove a hunk of it into his shirt.

Before I go on, he approved this blog. (In fact, when my future biker book becomes a movie, he wants to play himself. He’s pretty cool that way.)

When we met five years ago he had a razor-edged goatee and his hair was about 1/4” long. Being a fan of the more scruffy look, I encouraged him to let his hair down. Careful what you ask for, Ladies!

Lately, with his long hair and beard, he’s Wolfman Jack; he’s a young, modern day Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. I could go on, but you get the point.

I’ve observed his gradual transformation with the nervous attention of one watching a neighbor’s once manicured garden slowly grow out of control, the grass knee high, the dandelions waving in the sun. Like that wild garden, there’s a certain beauty to the lush look of a man who’s thrown out the scissors and razors.

But still, I’ve had to adjust—what’s visible of his handsome face has shrunk to the size of a snorkel mask: forehead, eyes, nose, two small crescents of upper cheek. His lips are like buried treasure. Lying on his shoulder is a challenge. Sometimes it’s me vs. the beard—and the beard always wins.

But he loves it; he’s proud of it. And this is despite the extra work he has now. For example, eating BBQ is a bitch, and now there’s an array of hair products and constant grooming issues.

So I decided to do some research, because there was something more to this phenomenon, something emblematic of the biker world—that I needed to learn. I suspected it wasn’t only about vanity, or fashion.

The beard is part of the motorcycle lifestyle, but why? I believe that much of it comes down to this: Having a big beard is a sign that you don’t buy into the conventional. Most men who gravitated to the bike world after WWII, Vietnam, and the recent Middle East wars came back with a sense of “You, your bike, and your beard can hit the road.” And so they do. (I want to add here that some of the most bad-ass bikers I know are clean-shaven, which is another reason stereotyping is a bad idea.)

individualism—and often, rebellion. The white collar world wasn’t and isn’t always welcoming, seeming to say,

I think what’s hard for women is that we don’t have a corollary. Because there’s no female equivalent, beards—big or small—have a masculine purity that is impossible to ignore. Tattoos are as close as I can get, although men have them, too.  Yet I have endured the pain of the tattoo, and cherish what they mean to me. I have a sense of stubborn pride about them. I know in part of the world I live in, where I’m an English teacher, or at my son’s elementary school, my tattoos are seen as “other,” as strange, even trashy. The black streaks in my hair, my leather jacket, my cut-out shirts: all of this has become part of who I am in the biker world. Most people don’t understand. Nor do they understand my man’s beard when he walks in beside me to a college function. “Fine,” I think. Make your judgments, have your assumptions. This is who we are. -Joelle

Is Labor Day meaningless? ... Not anymore!

Many holidays throughout the year go unrecognized for what the day was meant to celebrate. Some people mistakenly believe it is just another day off of work, simply an excuse to fire up the grill, or even an extended weekend with the family. However the sad fact is that most of us have no clue as to what the holidays we are celebrating is really about.  This weekend we will be celebrating Labor Day, which is just such a holiday that has gone misunderstood for nearly two decades. Granted, every working stiff deserves a day off to relax and recreate, but where did the unofficial end of summer come from and why?

THE HISTORY OF LABOR DAY

Labor Day, an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal chapters. In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to create a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of the adults wages. People of all ages, particularly the very poor and recent immigrants, often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities, and breaks. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

As manufacturing increased the wellspring of American employment, labor unions, which had first appeared in the late 18th century, grew more prominent and vocal. They began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay. Many of these events turned violent during this period.On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday” caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it.Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view.

Who proposed this venture to recognize the working man? More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still doubt as to who first proposed the holiday. Many credit Peter J. McGuire, General Secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." There are those who believe that Matthew McGuire, a machinist, NOT Peter McGuire, was the originally founder of the holiday. Regardless of who, what is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.


How should we recognize the men and woman this holiday represents? The form that the observance
of Labor Day should take was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday. There is to be a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families.

For many Americans, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer. Why is that when fall begins weeks later. Labor Day is the last official major holiday before fall. No matter why or how you celebrate your Labor Day, please remember to be safe and enjoy the ride.

WHAT'S YOUR BIKER NAME?

So, John, you think it would be cool to have a road name? So
mething like “Thor” or “Big Guns” or “Torpedo”?

Well, careful what you ask for. I know a biker named “Limp Dick.” I know another guy named “Mouse” and gals called “Spitter” and “Batshit.”

The tradition to the biker name is this: you don’t pick it yourself. Nearly always you get named by someone else, which is part of the fun. No matter what you end up with—and be patient, it can take a while—it’s best to accept it and own it with a smile. Even “Limp Dick” had a patch made for his vest. You gotta love a guy for that.

In the end, who you are and what you do play a big role. So here are the most common ways folks get a road name:

1. Some incident on a ride, like a guy who earned the name “Slider”: He hit a patch of gravel with his back tire in a left hand turn. He stuck with it, slid up the slope of a hill, missing a tree, then laid her down on the upside of a gully. No damage to him or much to the bike.

“Split” earned his name for splitting lanes on a crowded freeway for more than a mile.

Sometimes the “incident” is less impressive. One guy was christened “Kickstand” because he forgot to put down his kickstand at a gas station, with about five girls as witnesses.

“Domino” also forgot to put down her kickstand—knocking over a row of bikes beside her.

2. Maybe it’s the way you ride. “Flinstone” wears out the soles of his boots when he puts his heels down through the low curves on his V-Rod. “Tippy” got her name because no matter what sport bike she rides, she can barely touch the ground. “Guardrail” rides close to the…yep you got it.

3. A distinctive personality trait. A biker called “Patch” got his name from a little party trick: he gives tequila shots out of his eye socket. A guy I know got the name “Shylock” because he’s super shy until he gets to know people.  A badass biker chick who’s been known to fight goes by “MyTy,” for Mike Tyson. “Elephant” never forgets anything. “Sideshow” has been known to cause a scene or two.

I know an “Evil Bob” and a “Crazy Mike,” (and when they’re both around, it’s sure to be a fun night).  

4. What you wear or look like. “Houlihan’s” nickname hails from Hot Lips Houlihan, from the TV show M*A*S*H.

“Bossy Boots” got her name from her tall boots she wears over tight jeans.

Another guy, who rides with a paralyzed arm, goes by Slotmachine.

They call one biker “Scraps” because he’s got a lot of scars.

5. Your bike. One female nurse who rides her own fatboy goes by “Voodoo.” Then you’ve got “Chopper Dave,” “Honda Sally,” “Panhead Fred,” and so on.

6. An animal you remind people of. “Snake Bite,” “Wolf,” “Big Dog,” “Goat,” “Bunny,” “Shark,” “Catfish” (who’s called “Catshit” when his buddies have had a few beers).

So how do you stack the odds for a good name? There’s not much you can do. Of course, you can come up with your own and try to get your buddies to use it. If that’s your plan, use one word or two: “Chief” is a lot easier to remember than “Eagle Who Soars With the Sun.” Also, words that rhyme are usually winners, like “Side Ride.”

But even when you do get a name, sometimes it takes a while to stick. If you have an unusual real name, like Cody or Cleo, your road name has less of a chance to make it than if your real name is Mike or Bob.

So, always introduce yourself by your  road name. If it feels awkward to say, “I’m Superman,” say, “They call me ‘Superman.’”  It also helps to use it on social media, making it part of your Facebook name, for example.

No matter what, you’ll always have a conversation piece.

Oh, they call me “Christmas.” I’ll tell you the story behind that one when I meet you on the road. Until then…

This blog was written by: Joelle Fraser - Contributor to Long Ride Shields (Author of Hard Rider Press)

The Naked Truth About OBD - ONLINE BIKER DATING

Joelle is the newest contributor to the LRS Blog, Her book of motorcycle stories is available on the Lrs website (Click Here)

Riding and Romance: The Truth About OBD -

by Joelle Fraser

Jim was tired of riding alone. Divorced, kids grown, he envied the couples he saw on the highway, together as one, sharing their passion. His buddies tried to set him up a few times, but that was a bust. And at bike events, all the women he was interested in were already taken.

Jim was lonely—and worried it was going to stay that way.

So, for almost a year, he tried online dating, posting a selfie beside his blue street glide, with a backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. After work, he’d view hundreds of photos and read profiles, sending messages with half-hearted hopes. Only a handful replied. Eventually, he met three women. They were intrigued by his bike and the idea of the biker lifestyle.

But, one by one, that interest faded.

“SarahSizzle” was terrified at any speed over 35 mph.

“Sweet Butterfly” wouldn’t go on any ride—even a day ride—without a saddlebag full of extra clothes, make-up and even a curling iron.

“Fun2BWith” said it hurt her back too much. She preferred a car, period.

Finally, Jim closed his accounts, sick of the hassle and the dashed hopes. Then his sister suggested Online Biker Dating, or OBD.  She told him these sites had the familiar options such as "Search by location," “Send Winks or Icebreaker,” “Chat Rooms,” and so on, but Online Biker Dating tailors dating to the motorcycle world.

For example, most OBD sites have cool features like “Bike Garage” and even a “Tattoo Gallery,” where you can upload photos of your bike and tats and give more of an impression of what kind of biker you are. These photos usually appear conveniently in two places to maximize your visibility: they’re in the gallery, and they’re on your profile with a link that reads, “View My Bike.”  Some sites even have “Biker Date Ideas” for those in need of inspiration, and “Create a Ride Event” for the more group minded.

Within days, Jim was connecting with women who loved bikes and wind as much as he did. They even had their own gear! No more coaching a woman how to put on chaps; no more complaints about helmet hair. No more explaining why his Harley meant everything to him. Every woman on the site loved riding.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing at first—he had to wade through a few sites to find one that was right for him. For one, he wanted a passenger, not a woman with her own bike. But like regular online dating (where farmers can go to FarmersOnly, and Christians can go to Christian Mingle), OBD has focused options.

For instance, if you’re a Harley guy—or gal—Harley Dating http://www.harleydatingsite.net

launched in 2011 and now has more than 160,000 members.  

Another site, Meet Local Bikers, http://www.meetlocalbikers.com is geared toward finding local singles and riding friends near you—you can search by state or even country—and also by category, like “Biker Moms.” This site is linked to other OBD sites, so that if you sign up with this one, you’ll overlap with others and widen your net. For the casually-minded, there’s even BikerSexHookUp, with over 4,000 monthly visitors to the site.

At last count, over 50 biker-related social/dating sites are just a few mouse clicks away. Actually, one of the premier sites, BikerKiss http://www.bikerkiss.com

with half a million registered users, has been around for almost 15 years, so OBD isn’t new.  Hopefully it will help you find the riding partner of your dreams.

In the meantime, here are some tips to increase your odds of success:

1. First impressions are brutal. People take about 3 seconds to decide to click on you or move on to the next person. So you’ve only got one shot.  The username is one of the first things your prospective date sees. If you email her, she’ll first see your username, photo and subject line of your email.

So don’t do something like this:

1. 
2. It's best to treat it just like a Facebook or any other social media. As in: don't take it too seriously. Set up your account and just give it whirl. It’s a numbers game. Don't get too attached to people's online profiles. Send out lots of messages—you'll get a few replies, and maybe a few will turn into dates. The first stage is just about initiating contact, not looking for the "perfect person" based on their online persona.
3. A huge mistake people make is the "Hey, What's up?" message. If that's all you're going to say, especially to a female, right off the bat, she’s probably not responding. She probably gets 10 of those a day. If you want to get a response, try to start a conversation: say something that shows you've read her profile. "Hey, What's up?" seems lazy, and usually leads to a very short, awkward conversation.

4.   People will make their way to your profile eventually. You'll go through slow periods with no views or single nights when you'll get three or four messages. Try not to attach self-worth to any of this.  If you're genuinely looking for a mate, then you have to expect it to take time. You'd expect it to take maybe a year to find the perfect job in your career field, why should your future spouse take any less?

5. If you're concerned about divulging your identity, not including your email address, phone number or age are the least of it. Using the same username as you use on Twitter or other platforms is another issue, as is using the same photo - with the ability to search via photo in Google you can find Linkedin profiles for folks with no otherwise identifiable info on dating sites. Providing too much detail about your work, school, etc. can also do it. Also, think twice about showing full-face pictures of your kids.
6. Don't spend all of your time on your profile complaining about online dating and endless talking about what you DON'T want. No one wants to date an angry, bitter person who doesn't even really want to be dating and that is what you come off like.

5. Look out for warning signs that someone is cheating or a time waster. People who don't post photos period or won't post them of their face are often up to no good, although that is not always true.

The cost is usually free to join, but in order to send messages or use other features, there’s a charge, usually under $30/month.

And Jim? He’s going on his third ride with “HardleyAnAngel” this weekend.

CLICK HERE TO BUY JOELLE'S BOOK