Highway to Halloween: From Spook Light to Shaman's Portal, road trip to eerie Oklahoma destinations - Tulsa World
Highway to Halloween: From Spook Light to Shaman's Portal, road trip to eerie Oklahoma destinations - Tulsa World |
Posted: 20 Oct 2020 10:01 PM PDT ![]() Rob Adams once carpooled with pals in search of the Spook Light. They found it — or did it find them? "It was a little confusing for a while because of the proximity to Highway 44 with the lights from the traffic," Adams said. "But when we drove down the road and it started dancing on our hood, then appeared behind us, it was pretty freaky." It's that time of year if you want to pursue freaky and spooky. Interested in a Halloween season road trip? There are travelok.com pages devoted to the state's spooky urban legends and the top "haunted" places in Oklahoma. Let's delve into a few of them. Spook LightSightings of the Spook Light occur in the northeastern corner of the state. Travelok.com said reports of the Spook Light have plagued the area for years without any concrete explanations despite numerous investigations: "Some credit the flickering orbs to gas and mineral deposits and refracted headlight beams, but all have been discredited upon further examination." Gene Curtis of the Tulsa World wrote about the Spook Light phenomenon in 2007, saying that basketball-sized floating lights bounce up into the treetops in an area where Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri converge. He wrote that sightseers travel E40 in Hornet, Missouri, and E50 in Miami, Oklahoma, near Quapaw to try to catch a glimpse. Once upon a time, a nearby "Spooksville" museum displayed photographs and a collection of stories about the Spook Light. Closed decades ago, the museum was equipped with a viewing platform. There are steeped-in-lore legends about what the Spook Light could be. An Army Corps of Engineers unit studied the Spook Light in 1946 and concluded that the phenomenon was "a mysterious light of unknown origin." Popular Mechanics dispatched a journalist team in 1965. A subsequent article said the light was produced by vehicles traveling east on Route 66 about 10 miles away. The magazine said the shimmering effect and the golden hue were caused by layers of air with varying temperature. However, area residents pointed out that sightings occurred long before there were automobiles or highways in the area. Adams was a college student at Missouri State circa-1989 when he went to investigate. He made the trek so he could write a term paper. He feels fortunate that he witnessed the Spook Light in all its glory. His conclusion? He thinks it's a phenomenon caused by natural gases escaping the Earth. Mummy's GraveElmer McCurdy was fatally wounded in a 1911 shootout near the Kansas-Oklahoma border. McCurdy was taken to a funeral home in Pawhuska. No one claimed his body. An undertaker embalmed his remains and monetized the situation by charging visitors to see the "mummy." According to McCurdy lore, a circus representative pretended to be a McCurdy relative and purchased the body. The "mummy" was an attraction at freak shows and carnivals for decades. It was at an amusement park in California and an arm was broken off when an episode of "The Six Million Dollar Man" was filmed there. Hey, this is a real body! McCurdy's remains were identified, and he was buried at Summit View Cemetery in Guthrie 66 years after his death. There's a tombstone bearing his name at the graveyard. Magnetic HillWouldn't it be creepy if your vehicle began rolling uphill? Brace yourself for the experience if you visit Magnetic Hill in Springer. Said travelok.com: "If you park your car at the bottom of the hill on Pioneer Road and put it in neutral, you'll feel your car being pulled uphill as you let off the brake. Many explanations are given for this fun mystery. Locals think that the ghosts of car crashes past are the ones moving your car away from where they died. There are also tales of a magnetic force in the area strong enough to crash a plane." Roadsideamerica.com says you can get to Magnetic Hill by taking exit 42 off Interstate 35. Drive west 1½ miles on Oklahoma 53, then turn right onto Pioneer/Pit Road and drive another mile. The site said you'll reach the bottom of the hill when you see gravel washed onto the blacktop. Stop, put your vehicle in neutral and you may get a surprise. Use flashers and be alert for other vehicles. Bigfoot turfHonobia (it's 15 miles southeast of Talihina) hosts an annual Bigfoot festival. The 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19, but it will return in 2021, according to honobiabigfoot.com. You can still road trip to the area and get all the social distancing you want while looking for Bigfoot-type creatures in this heavily forested area of southeastern Oklahoma. Are you brave enough to go hunting at night? What's that sound? Shaman's PortalOklahoma has its own Bermuda Triangle? That's a label bestowed upon Shaman's Portal (alias Beaver Dunes Park) in the panhandle. The 520-acre park is blessed with 300 acres of sand hills, which makes it a go-to spot for ATV fun. But "strange occurrences" have taken place there dating to the days of Spanish explorers, according to travelok.com. The site, citing Coronado's journal, said three of his men disappeared into flashes of green light while exploring the area. What else has vanished into Shaman's Portal? There's another layer of weird here if you want to include the urban legend about it being a UFO crash site. Stone Lion InnThis bed and breakfast in Guthrie pops up on lists of "haunted" venues in Oklahoma. It's allegedly haunted by a ghost child who has been known to squeeze the toes of sleeping guests or even crawl into bed with them, according to travelok.com. Going with the flow, the Stone Lion Inn offers murder mysteries for guests. For information, go to stonelioninn.com. Cherokee Strip MuseumOnce a hospital, this museum in Alva is alleged to be haunted by patients who were victims of surgeries gone wrong. Said travelok.com: "From the unwavering gaze of mannequins to the uncomfortable feeling you get while roaming through the Cherokee Strip Museum in Alva, it's hard not to feel like you're being watched. If the otherworldly aspect doesn't have you running for the hills, the creepy displays will, as there is a wide array of vintage medical instruments including an embalming table." Historic Fort RenoSpirit tours take place at this ghostly attraction in El Reno. The next tour is Saturday, Oct. 24. Go to fortreno.org/ghosttours for details. The fort began as a military camp in 1874. German and Italian prisoners of war were housed at an interment camp here during World War II. Said travelok.com: "Though no specific spirit has been identified, visitors to the fort have encountered a number of strange things, including faces in the windows, water faucets turning on by themselves in the visitor's center and mysterious orbs showing up in photographs." The Fort Washita Historic Site and Museum in Durant is another "haunted" Oklahoma fort. Gilcrease Museum and Cain's BallroomBoth of these historic Tulsa venues are allegedly haunted. Thomas Gilcrease's spirit wanders the grounds of his original rock house and other areas, according to travelok.com. Check out tulsaspirittour.com if you want a tour of local "haunted" sites. You can feel the ghosts of the past in a good way if you enter tradition-rich Cain's Ballroom. Other allegedly haunted performance venues in Oklahoma are Pawhuska's Constantine Theater and Ponca City's Poncan Theater. Steer clear of the balconies — unless you want to find a ghost. Featured video Featured gallery ANTOINETTE BAKING CO.![]() 207 N. Main St., 918-764-8404 Antoinette Baking Co. has been a Tulsa success story since it opened in a tiny space in Brookside in 2012, specializing in pies, macarons and other goodies. Owners Molly Martin and Andrea Mohn moved to a much larger space in the Tulsa Arts District in 2015, where they expanded their offerings to include breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch and a significantly larger line of pastries and desserts. Sweets put them on the map, but savory items, such as Mediterranean focaccia, ham and cheddar scone, and a puff pastry with Dijon, ham and cheddar, have become just as popular. Earlier this year, they opened a sister restaurant, Beatrice Ice Cream Co., also in the Tulsa Arts District, featuring a daily combination of imaginative ice cream flavors. BIG BABY ROLLS & DONUTS![]() 3739 E. 11th St., 918-551-6020 Big Baby Rolls & Donuts is among the newest bakeries, if not the newest, opening just last spring at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, owners Raina Nasreddine and her husband, Andrew Warren, already have developed a following with their vegan and gluten-free pastries and baked goods, as well as traditionally made items. The menu includes such items as glazed, filled and cake doughnuts; sausage rolls, strawberry fritters and bags of doughnut holes. Gluten-free sausage rolls use a turkey sausage, and the vegan ones have a tofu-based filling. BLUE MOON CAFE![]() 3512 S. Peoria Ave., 918-749-7800 For two decades, Blue Moon Bakery (notice the subtle name change) was operated by Kay and Mike Gresham in a tiny space about three blocks south and on the other side of Peoria Avenue from its current location. Mike Gresham died in 2004, and Kay sold the business to a friend, Alan Fusco. When Fusco expanded the menu and moved to its current location in 2010, he changed the name to Blue Moon Café. A kitchen staff handles most of the breakfast and lunch business today, but Fusco still bakes the breads and cooks on the line during weekend brunches. Fusco's wife, Betsy, and a son, Sam, often are seen working the front of the house. In addition to breads, Blue Moon also offers a line of pastries that may include cinnamon rolls, Danish pastries, cookies, croissants, granola bars, sausage rolls, scones, sticky buns, turnovers, pies and cakes. A bonus: Blue Moon also offers wines and local beers. CHERRY STREET KITCHEN![]() 1441 S. Quaker Ave., 918-884-3408 Jen Lindsay, who formerly owned Café Boston on 15th Street and Utica Square and worked as a personal chef for a number of years, puts out some of the prettiest and tastiest savory and sweet items in town. Lunches and brunches are popular. Among personal favorites is the Cheech (still looking for the Chong) burger with a half-pound patty, blue cheese butter, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and "booh yah" sauce on a brioche bun and packets of Gulden's spicy brown mustard on the side. Cherry Street Kitchen offers a variety of breakfast dishes, from burritos and fat sausage rolls to the frittata of the day. Takeout items include such choices as muffins, cookies, salads, pies, cakes, entrees and much more. Be sure to check out the daily specials. ESPERANCE BAKERY![]() 610 W. Main St., Jenks, 918-528-6544 The bubbly owner of this 4-year-old bakery is Hope Alexander. Esperance in French appropriately translates to "hope." One hardly could hope for anything better than the array of sweet and savory goodies offered daily at Esperance. Croissants are the main attraction, but Esperance offers so much more, including scones, cake rolls, cakes, bread pudding, cookies and cheesecakes. The lineup can change daily. Don't overlook the grab-and-go section of items. Some are straight forward, such as ham-and-Swiss croissant, while others are more complex, such as chicken andouille with apple and Gouda. Esperance recently added all-natural ice pops from Frios, located in the Tulsa Arts District, perfect warm-weather treats. FARRELL FAMILY BREAD![]() 8034 S. Yale Ave., 918-477-7077 Tom Farrell started the business in October 1999 with one imported steam-injected oven from Italy. He acquired extra space in 2002 and brought in another oven that originally belonged to the popular Baker Street Artisan Breads. He focused on breads and expanded a wholesale business that included supermarkets and restaurants. Farrell retired in 2018, and the business was acquired by the Justin Thompson Restaurant Group, which also operates such restaurants as Juniper and PRHYME Downtown Steakhouse. Today, Farrell Family Bread offers 15 or so breads daily, and the staff has been developing an expanded line of cookies, brownies, tartlets and other pastries. FRONT PORCH BAKERY![]() 18435 S. Oklahoma 66, Claremore, 918-341-7505 Barbecue and baked goods might not seem like natural companions, but that's what you get at Front Porch Bakery in Claremore. For at least a couple of decades, Ol' Dutchman's Bakery operated out of a little building just south of Claremore. About five years ago, a friend of Melissa Holt purchased it, had misgivings about being a bakery owner, and three months later sold it to Holt. Holt's husband, Matt, and his boss thought it would be fun to put a smoker out front, and that part of the business grew so fast that Matt quit his job as a welder and supervisor. A week before Thanksgiving last year, the Holts opened a new large building on the property to house the bakery and three large smokers. Almost everything is prepackaged for carryout, and the choices are extensive. Among items offered are a variety of breads, cinnamon rolls, brownies, cookies, pies, cakes, strawberry shortcake, ribs, brisket, bratwurst, beans, corn on the cob, soups and salads, to name a few. LAURANNAE BAKING CO.![]() 112 W. Commercial St., Broken Arrow, 918-258-5744 Laurannae had humble beginnings when Kim Washburn and her sister, Jessica, opened a cupcake company at home, selling almost exclusively to family and friends. After a couple of years, they bought a small food truck they named Eleanor the Cupcake Caravan. When Jessica left to pursue other interests, Kim and husband Steve Washburn ("The Cupcake Guy") found a small space in downtown Broken Arrow and opened Laurannae Baking Co. in 2018. Their vision expanded to include a flourishing wedding and special-occasion cake business, along with cupcakes, doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, other pastries and a full line of specialty coffees. The tiny dining room often stays filled throughout the day. The Washburns announced recently they have acquired the remaining space in their building and plan to triple Laurannae's dining space, in addition to an outdoor urban yard. Laurannae (laura-nay) is a combination of Kim's and Jessica's middle names. LE LOUVRE FRENCH CAFE![]() 8313 S. Memorial Drive, 918-286-6019 Yakham N'Gom, a native of Senegal, spent his earlier adult years as a professional handball player in France, where he and wife, Micheline, lived for 40 years. They wanted to be closer to a son, Clement G'Nom, who was on the French junior national basketball team before he came to the U.S. to finish high school in Virginia. He then played collegiately at Southern Nazarene in Bethany, Oklahoma, married and moved to Tulsa. Yakham N'Gom took baking classes in France, and in early 2019, opened Le Louvre French Café. He does all of the baking, while Micheline makes the quiches and salads. Specialties include such items as the fraisier, a classic French dessert that's shaped like a small drum. It has layers of Genoise (sponge cake), pastry cream and sliced strawberries topped with a thin layer of marzipan colored a light green and a plump strawberry. A fraises tarte features shimmering red strawberries nestled into a layer of eggy crème patissiere over a light pastry. The menu also includes a variety of sweet and savory crepes, salads, breakfast pastries, dessert pastries, pizza (yep, pizza) and specialty coffee drinks. Check out the exquisite Buche de Noel cakes during the Christmas season. LITTLE J'S BAKESHOPPE & COFFEE![]() 10032 S. Sheridan Road, 918-995-7979 This cozy little bakery is tucked into a corner in the shopping center on the northwest side of 101st Street and Sheridan Road, but don't let size fool you. Little J's offers a full complement of moist and buttery scones, quiches, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cakes, Danish, pies and cookies, as well as a full line of coffee items. Don't miss the strawberry rhubarb pie when it is available. Little J's was opened in late 2016 by friends who had met while living in Kansas City. Seth Williams' parents owned a restaurant and bakery in the 1980s. He and wife Sandra moved to Tulsa in 2012. Business partner Becky Logan is a culinary school graduate. LUDGER'S BAVARIAN CAKERY![]() 6527 E. 91st St., 918-622-2537 German-born Ludger Schulz has been a Tulsa chef, restaurant owner and caterer since 1979, and now, the torch has been passed to his daughter, Allison Dickens, and her husband, Chris. Ludger's was best-known for years for its Bavarian cream cheese cake with a mousse/cheesecake-like center surrounded by layers of moist white cake. They have been a hit attraction for hundreds of wedding receptions and is the basis for popular Valentine's cakes. Dickens acquired Ludger's from her parents, Alecia and Ludger Shulz, in 2010 and opened a small sidewalk bakery at 91st Street and Yale Avenue in 2013. The business was moved to its current and much larger space in 2017. In addition to the cakes, sweet and savory choices at Ludger's include cupcakes, quiches, muffins, cookies, turnovers, cake balls, breakfast sandwiches, soups, salads and wraps. MERRITT'S BAKERY![]() 3202 E. 15th St., 918-747-2301 9521 S. Delaware Ave., 918-296-9000 4930 W. Kenosha St., Broken Arrow, 918-250-1607 Bobbie and husband Larry Merritt opened their first bakery in September 1979. It was called The Cake Box. Today, Merritt's has three locations. Merritt's has a huge wedding cake business, with the cakes always delivered by Larry or his son, Christian. The bakery has added some breakfast and lunch items over the years, but the big draws still are the wide variety of pastries and desserts that include cinnamon rolls, muffins, cupcakes, doughnuts, tarts, bear claws and much more for daily customers. MUHANNA SWEETS![]() 6104 E. 71st St., 918-523-1800 Muhanna Sweets primarily is a wholesale bakery that sells an array of Middle Eastern pastries and cookies nationally and internationally, but customers are welcome to visit daily to pick up these delicate items. The company was founded in Damascus in 1935 by a man named Muhanna. The Tulsa store, owned by M.W. Zaaza, is a franchise of the original, now operated by the founder's grandchildren. Other U.S. stores are in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles (by a different name). Zaaza's wife, Houda Muhanna, who helps around the bakery, is related to the founding family. Zaaza opened the franchise in 1998, following a 42-year career with an American oil company as a petroleum geologist. He received his bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tulsa. Among the assortment of sweets available are pistachio, walnut and cashew baklava; pistachio and cashew bird's nests, and mamouls (cookies or pastries filled with pistachios, dates or walnuts), among others. Items are available in six-piece, 18-piece, 45-piece and 75-piece portions. Tulsa World Magazine PANCHO ANAYA![]() 212 S. Garnett Road, 918-439-1010 2420 E. Admiral Blvd., 918-561-6735 11685 E. 21st St., 918-234-3000 Pancho Anaya was founded in 1912 in Sahuayo, Michoacan, Mexico. Francisco "Pancho" Anaya, a fourth-generation baker, moved to Tulsa in 1998, saved his money working in restaurants and in 2001, he and wife Sigrid opened the family's only bakery in the U.S. Pancho Anaya has a thriving wholesale business, and the stores offer an amazing selection of baked goods at reasonable prices for daily shoppers. The items include cinnamon rolls, Danish, sweet breads, savory breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, flan and more pastries than one can imagine from all regions of Mexico. Mexican ice cream bars also are available. Today, a son, also named Francisco; a daughter, also named Sigrid, and another daughter, Jennifer, are heavily involved in the business. POPPY & FLAX![]() 501 S. Cherokee St., Catoosa, 918-739-5199 She grew up in South Africa, he in Holland. They met on a chance visit in Amsterdam, and during their marriage, they have lived in New Jersey, Switzerland, Belgium and for the past 11 years, Tulsa and Owasso. Yolande Platvoet and husband, Erwin, opened a bakery last year in Catoosa featuring pastries with their roots in Europe and South Africa. Erwin, co-owner of an engineering company, describes himself as "just the piano player around here." The item that got Yolande in the baking business is rusk, a South African breakfast staple. It is made with double-baked bread dough and has a texture something like a biscotti. Other items include shortbreads, cookies, cheesecakes, Bundt cakes, scones and pies. Poppy & Flax also offers savory lunch items, such as chicken salad and garden vegetable croissants. Poppy & Flax was in the second Kitchen 66 entrepreneurial class in the Sun Building before it moved to Mother Road Market. SAINT AMON BAKING CO.![]() 6333 E. 120th Court, 918-364-2143 Saint Amon Baking Co., located in far south Tulsa, size-wise is one of the smaller bakeries in the area, but each item available on any particular day is exquisite. Opened in 2016, the bakery is operated by Jean Baptiste "J.B." Saint Amon, a classically trained French pastry chef, and Sarah Saint Amon, a classically trained American pastry chef. At any one time, visitors might find a variety of croissants, muffins, cookies, puffed rice lollipops, macarons, Danish, quiches, tarts, mousse cakes, chocolate bark, cheesecakes, sandwiches, cinnamon rolls and breads, such as brioche, baguette and cherry almond. Saint Amon also is a destination for beautiful Buche de Noel cakes during the Christmas season. Journalism worth your time and money![]() Subscribe to get unlimited digital access for 99 cents the first month and $5.95 after that. tulsaworld.com/subscribe.Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! |
Minecraft Beta 1.16.200.52 Patch Notes Include Powder Snow, Goats, And More - Player.One Posted: 30 Oct 2020 12:28 PM PDT ![]() Mojang Studios, the developer of Minecraft, released a new update for beta testers that adds a new experimental toggle mode along with some new content. The developers have also added goats into Minecraft. You can find the goats on the mountains, but be careful around the goats as you can be pushed off the mountain cliffside. Powdered snow is also a new addition that can slow down players, but you can use the leather boots to make your journey across the snowy mountains easier. Minecraft Beta 1.16.200.52 Patch NotesYou can find the patch notes below: Bug Fixes Performance and Stability
General
Accessibility
Gameplay
Mobs
Commands
Graphics, Textures, and User Interface
Scripting, Add-Ons, and Technical Changes
Blocks
Event Responses
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