Weird America

A Guide to Places of Mystery in the United States

Book Review: 

Weird America

By David Zayas, A & E Editor

On your next vacation, don’t go to Disney World, the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, or Canada. There are many places to see here in the good old U.S.A. There are many sites of wonder to visit, some even in our own back yard. But don’t expect to find these places easily. There are no parking lots or Port-A-Johns there. Most of the places I will discuss are in the middle of deep woods, deserts, and swamps. These are the places where monsters dwell, and where ghosts haunt. Sites where unexplained phenomena have occurred. And where it seems the impossible does still happen. These places of mystery are right here in the United States.

“How do I get there?” you ask. 

By using the most bizarre travel guide in print, Weird America by Jim Brandon.

Weird America is a state-by-state guide to all the places in the United States where strange events have, and in some cases still do occur. This soft cover book published in 1978 by Dutton Publishing has a cover price of $4.95, but the wealth of information inside is priceless. I found it in a dusty old box left behind by my older brother George. We share a passion for the unknown and when he moved, I inherited several of his tomes. This one struck me with its wealth of maps, directions, and pictures. After reading through it, I must announce that it is an indispensable volume to anyone interested in taking a trip into the dark lands that surround us. 

The author, Jim Brandon, has visited each locale described in the book and has seen some intriguing sights. The book is written in a personal way, like a friend telling you about things he’s done. The author’s great sense of humor shines most when he is describing scary events. Brandon’s inspiration for this undertaking is Charles Fort. Fort, the famous turn of the century monster hunter/skeptic, wrote several tomes on his travels in search of the unknown. Jim Brandon used these series of books as the basis for his travels.

As a New Jersey native, I was instantly curious of his travels through our garden state. New Jersey has many places which are notorious for weird occurrences. Although he does touch upon some of the usual suspects, I was happy to discover Mr. Brandon included some seldom discussed sites. To wit:

Morristown National Historic Park has been haunted by a Bigfoot-like creature for the past twenty years. It has been seen by several people, but it is apparently harmless. Most of the people who have seen it have been couples “necking” by the southern part of the park.

In Glassboro, on September 4, 1964, a well-publicized U.F.O. landing occurred near Lake Oberst. The event had several witnesses, and the craft left a crater of scorched ground three feet across and eighteen inches deep. The crater was still there as of 1985.

At Freewood Acres, north of Lakewood, lives a colony of Mongolian Kalumucks who practice Tibetan Buddhism. The elder monks perform legendary Bon wizardry and amazing displays of mind over matter.

Branchbrook Park in Newark has a famous specter named The White Lady. The legend has it that she and her husband crashed their car into a massive tree on their wedding night. He survived, but she perished and now haunts the area surrounding the tree. This one hit close to home for me as she was seen by my brothers in the 70s. Up until last year, you could drive past the White Lady Tree. But the road has since been re-routed due to the large number of accidents which have occurred there. The tree can still be reached by foot, and it is said her ghost can be seen on rainy Friday nights by those brave enough to venture there. I tried it once with a buddy, but we chickened out after an hour of scaring each other. Why don’t you try it?

The Elizabeth graveyard adjacent to the Union County courthouse has a spook of its own. She is the ghost of an old lady who was interred in the cemetery. She has been spotted amongst the tombstones and even inside the courthouse. If you trespass and wander through the graveyard on any given night, you should be able to see her. Or so they say.

New Jersey’s most famous critter, The Jersey Devil also makes an appearance in Jim Brandon’s Weird America book. The Pine Barrens in Hammonton is the home of this legendary monster. If you don’t know the story behind this creature, then you shouldn’t even be in NJ. The Jersey Devil has been seen and heard by countless people since the 1800’s. 

Two friends and I took a trip down to Hammonton two years ago to visit an old buddy. On a dare, we spent the night in the Pine Barrens. Throughout the night, we heard many strange noises coming from the woods around us. But the creepiest was a loud and prolonged screeching sound accompanied by an intense vibrational feeling felt by the four of us. And that was before we even started drinking!

As the title Weird America suggests, the book also covers sites across our nation. Some of the most interesting come from the desert states out west. For example, New Mexico is the home of a group of people called The Penitentes who perform real live crucifixions every year. They live in the valleys of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and their ceremonies are so secret that any outsider caught witnessing them are whipped and stoned. The book details several ways to watch the ceremony unnoticed. During the ceremony, one member of the congregation is flagellated and then nailed to a cross in honor of the Christian Good Friday observation. The person crucified usually survives their ordeal, but I’m sure their wrists are never the same.

There are also fascinating discussions of ancient Indian mounds and villages in Arizona and the amazing discoveries found within them. These are some of the most intriguing stories in the book. I would elaborate, but I’d rather not spoil the surprises for you. 

I could go on for pages about Weird America by Jim Brandon, but space limitations would not allow it. Besides, I hope I have piqued your interest enough to seek out this tome. It is unique and worth your time. And maybe next year, when you are planning your Spring Break, why not forget the Jock-filled beaches of Daytona and take a trip into the unknown instead? If you make it back, let me know. I might join you the following year.