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In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, we sit down for a wide-ranging conversation that dives into the world of conspiracies, controversial theories, and the questions surrounding some of the biggest events shaping our modern world. We touch on personal experiences with serious health issues, vaccine-related concerns, gain-of-function research, and theories about the motivations behind global health responses. How much do we really know about what happens behind the scenes, and how much should we question what we're being told? The conversation takes an especially interesting turn into ufology, UFOs, UAPs, and the possibility that military technology and government secrecy have played a role in shaping public perception. Could unexplained sightings be part of something much bigger? Are fear and psychological operations being used to influence what the public believes? We explore the connections between UFO phenomena, government narratives, and some intriguing theories about what might really be going on. From controversial science to government conspiracies, hidden agendas, and the mysteries in our skies, this episode covers plenty of ground and isn't afraid to venture into unconventional territory. Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or simply someone who enjoys questioning the official story, there's something here to get you thinking. Tune in and join the conversation! Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Rob and Joe look back on the last episode at the Assabet River Wildlife Refuge, they go over their experience hiking around the WWII ammunition bunkers, and discuss the long and storied history of the land.  From the Nipmuc tribe, to colonial takeover, to land obtained through emminent domain, Assabet is a place where the needs of the many have outweighed the needs of the few.  Join us as we go through the troubled past, and discuss what lies ahead for these monuments to desertion and abandonment.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

You never know where a conversation will lead, and in this episode, we prove it! Join us as we welcome special guest Jena Ocean, host of the Little Rituals podcast and a survivor featured on Discovery Channel’s Naked and Afraid, Season 19, Episode 3. Jena joins us for an unpredictable conversation that wanders from strange advice involving a piece of knotted string to the unforgettable chaos of high school pranks. With plenty of laughs, unusual stories, and unexpected insights, there's no telling where this discussion will go! We revisit the glory days of teenage mischief, swapping stories of goats showing up at school and tarantulas making unexpected appearances in the lunchroom. Who came up with these pranks, and what were those poor animals thinking? It's a trip down memory lane filled with youthful stupidity, questionable decisions, and plenty of laughs. We also get into some deeper thoughts about growing up, the strange advice life throws our way, and the unexpected wisdom that can come from the most unlikely places. But there's more to this conversation than nostalgia and nonsense. We also explore a historic location with a fascinating past, from its connections to the Nipmuck people to its transformation into a military installation during World War II. With bunkers built to help defend against the possibility of a German attack on Boston, the site offers a glimpse into a time when the threat of war shaped the New England landscape. It's another unpredictable episode filled with fascinating conversation, quirky stories, historical discoveries, and a guest whose experiences range from podcasting to surviving the challenges of Naked and Afraid. Tune in as Jena Ocean joins us for a discussion that proves you never know what you'll discover when you bring a few people together and let the conversation take its own path. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Rob and Joe review the blockbuster horror movie Backrooms.  It's an in depth look at the creative genious and the symbolism embedded in the movie, where the budget was spent and what it meant for this mostly practical effect psychological thriller.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Rob takes Joe on a journey through the history, legends, ghosts, monsters, and curses surrounding one of the most famous baseball stadiums in America—Boston’s legendary Fenway Park. More than just a ballpark, Fenway has stood witness to generations of baseball history, unforgettable players, heartbreaking defeats, incredible victories, and more than a few stories that seem to linger long after the crowds have gone home. Rob and Joe also take a trip down memory lane, talking about their own experiences going to Fenway while growing up, what it was like seeing some of baseball’s legendary players take the field, and the unique feeling of walking into a stadium with so much history packed into every corner. From the Green Monster to the quirks that make Fenway unlike any other ballpark, they discuss what makes the old stadium so special—and whether its age and history might have something to do with its reputation for the strange and unexplained. But Fenway's history isn't limited to baseball. The guys explore the ghost stories, strange happenings, local legends, and infamous curses that have become part of the folklore surrounding the park and the Boston Red Sox. Is Fenway haunted? Could decades of heartbreak have left something behind? And what exactly is it about this old ballpark that has inspired so many stories? Finally, Rob and Joe compare Fenway to other ballparks they've visited and discuss what makes a great baseball stadium. Is Fenway the best? The oldest? The most atmospheric? Or is there another park that can compete with the magic of the Green Monster and the ghosts of baseball history? It's a trip through baseball, nostalgia, history, and the paranormal—all centered around one of America's most iconic ballparks. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, we head to Gay City State Park in Connecticut, a peaceful park built around the remnants of an early 19th-century mill village once known as Factory Hollow. What began in the 1790s as a settlement founded by families seeking religious freedom eventually grew into a working mill town along the Blackledge River, complete with industry, churches, taverns, and plenty of trouble. The town's fortunes eventually faded. Fires destroyed its mills, economic opportunities disappeared, younger residents moved away, and the Civil War further reduced the population. But according to local tradition, Factory Hollow's decline wasn't just the result of economics. Dark stories of violence and unsolved murders became part of the area's folklore, including the tale of a traveling jewelry peddler whose skeleton was discovered in an old charcoal pit. And then there's the story of the young blacksmith's apprentice. According to legend, the teenage boy arrived late for work one morning and was brutally killed by his angry employer. Years later, stories began circulating about the ghost of a young man rushing through the woods, apparently still trying to reach his destination. But the legend takes an even darker turn: some versions claim the apparition is carrying his own severed head. Join us as we explore the history, ruins, murders, and ghost stories of Gay City State Park—a place where the peaceful Connecticut woods may still hold the echoes of a forgotten mill town. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

What happens when a lifelong calling to serve others intersects with the unexplained?In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Joe sits down with Andrew, better known as the Psychic Firefighter, to hear the remarkable story of a life shaped by service, sacrifice, and experiences that go far beyond what we can see. Andrew's connection to the fire service started when he was just a kid. Growing up with a father who was a firefighter, some of his earliest memories involve spending nights at the firehouse, waiting for the bell to ring. Years later, that childhood fascination became a reality when Andrew joined the fire department in 2006. His path to the fire service was also shaped by his time in the Coast Guard and the events of September 11, 2001. Andrew recalls watching the attacks unfold and immediately wishing he could be there to help. That desire to serve would become a defining part of his life. But Andrew's story doesn't stop at the firehouse.Long before he understood what they might mean, Andrew experienced moments that he now considers connected to his psychic abilities. He tells the story of something he said to his mother when he was only three years old—a strange statement about having already died, drowning, and going to heaven. As an adult, that childhood memory would take on an entirely different meaning. Explore Andrew's experiences in the psychic realm, his journey of discovering and understanding his abilities, and the unusual intersection between firefighting, military service, spirituality, and the paranormal. It's a conversation about a man who has spent his life running toward emergencies when others are running away—and who believes there is another world of experiences waiting just beyond what we can see. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

Joe heads to Cryptid Fest 2026 in Raynham, Massachusetts, and comes home with a story he couldn’t wait to tell Rob. Among the cryptid enthusiasts, researchers, authors, and curious minds gathered at the event was someone with a particularly deep connection to the legend of Bigfoot—the longtime Bridgewater-area Bigfoot researcher Joseph M. DeAndrade. After meeting DeAndrade at the festival, Joe and Rob take a closer look at the man behind the research and the nearly four decades he has spent investigating reports of Bigfoot throughout the Bridgewater Triangle and beyond.  From newspaper articles and firsthand accounts to field research, interviews, documentaries, and years of collecting and examining reports, DeAndrade has dedicated an enormous amount of time to trying to understand one of North America's most enduring mysteries. Joe and Rob discuss some of the stories and evidence DeAndrade has encountered over the years, the locations connected to his research, and how the search for Bigfoot has changed since he first began investigating sightings decades ago. Is there really something out there in the forests of Massachusetts? Or is the legend of Bigfoot a mystery that will always remain just out of reach? Join Joe and Rob as they take a trip through 40 years of Bigfoot research, the Bridgewater Triangle, Cryptid Fest, and the work of one of the region's longtime Bigfoot hunters. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

Rob tells Joe about his recent experience attending a psychic show, where the lines between entertainment, intuition, and the paranormal begin to blur. But the conversation takes an even stranger turn when Rob dives into one of the darker legends connected to the Bridgewater Triangle. Along Route 44 in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, stories have circulated for years about a mysterious phantom hitchhiker who appears along the roadside, only to vanish without a trace. Who is this mysterious figure? Is it a ghost, an urban legend, or something that defies explanation? As Rob shares the stories surrounding the Phantom Hitchhiker of Route 44, he and Joe explore the history and eerie reputation of the area—and why this stretch of road has become another strange piece of the infamous Bridgewater Triangle. From psychic readings to phantom passengers, this episode takes Tales, Trails and Taverns down another haunted road where sometimes the scariest part isn't knowing what you saw… but wondering what you didn't. Haunted rt 44 Spooky south coast Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

Rob and Joe go back to the SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion, along with paranormal investigators Jess and Harvey, medium Zoey, and Podcaster extroirdinaire Kevin Sapiel Jr. We revisit what we saw over night, discuss the findings, and how they align with the hauntings reported over the years.  Also in the episode, we talk about the over two hundred year history of the South Gardner Hotel, pub and bar, located directly across from the SK Pierce house, and serving great food to the local crowd.  Known as a five star dive bar, this is definetely a great place to close out a spooky night.  Also check out Cryptidfest year three in Raynham MA sept 13th Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this podaversary episode, Rob and Joe welcome back spooky season from inside the SK Pierce Haunted Victorian Mansion in Gardner Mass. We stayed overnight with Kevin from Where the weird ones are podcast, Jess from the youtube show Cryptidbits with Generaltidbits, and content creator Zoey Quinn aka zoeyelderbrain. We share more of the dark history of the mansion, the feeling of being in the different rooms in the middle of the night, and the things Zoey picked up, as she had no prior knowledge of the house. Join us as we welcome back spooky season, the ber months and longer nights with this very special episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

A recent Bigfoot sighting in nearby Voluntown, Connecticut, is all it takes to send Joe down a rabbit hole—and this time, Rob is coming along for the ride. What starts with a report of a mysterious creature in the woods quickly turns into a much bigger question: How many Bigfoot sightings have actually been reported in the places we know and explore? Joe and Rob dig into reports from across the region and discover something that makes the stories even more interesting—many of these sightings happened in places Joe knows surprisingly well, and some are locations we've already explored on the podcast for completely different reasons. Take Pachaug State Forest, for example. We've talked about its history, strange occurrences, apparitions, and stories of witches. But could the woods have another legend hiding among the trees? Then there's Carter Preserve, a place with its own unusual history, located near the site of a 1963 nuclear accident. Add Bigfoot sightings to the list, and suddenly some very familiar New England woods start looking a little different. Are these encounters misidentified wildlife, folklore that has grown over generations, or could there really be something out there moving through the forests of southeastern Connecticut? Join Joe and Rob as they follow the evidence, revisit familiar places, and discover that you don't necessarily have to travel to the Pacific Northwest to go looking for Bigfoot. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

What began as a scenic destination for leisure and relaxation would eventually become one of Rhode Island’s most beloved—and most mourned—amusement parks. In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Rob tells Joe the long and fascinating history of Rocky Point in Warwick, Rhode Island. From its early days as a seaside retreat to its transformation into a legendary amusement park, Rocky Point drew generations of visitors looking for a day of fun, food, rides, and memories along Narragansett Bay. But beneath the laughter, lights, and roller coasters, Rocky Point’s history has darker corners. As Rob explores the stories connected to the property, the conversation takes a turn toward tragedy, mystery, and a lingering question: could there have been more to some of Rocky Point’s history than accidents and unfortunate events? Join us as we look back at the rise and fall of a Rhode Island icon—and explore the darker stories and hints of foul play that may still linger around Rocky Point. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Rob takes Joe on a journey through the historic streets of Concord, Massachusetts, one of the most significant locations in American history. Together, they explore the events of April 19, 1775, when the first shots of the American Revolution were fired—an event immortalized as "The Shot Heard Round the World."But Concord's story doesn't end with muskets and minutemen. Beneath the town's revolutionary legacy lies a darker side filled with ghostly legends, haunted landmarks, and unexplained encounters. From eerie sightings along the Old North Bridge to mysterious happenings in centuries-old homes and graveyards, Rob uncovers the paranormal tales that continue to haunt this historic New England town. Join Joe and Rob as they blend history, mystery, and local folklore while exploring one of America's most iconic—and possibly haunted—destinations. Whether you're a history buff, a paranormal enthusiast, or simply love a good ghost story, this episode offers a fascinating look at where the past may never truly rest. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and come along for another adventure through the haunted history of New England on Tales, Trails and Taverns. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.

In this episode of Tales, Trails and Taverns, Joe takes Rob deep into the rich and haunted history of Portland, Maine. From devastating fires that reshaped the city to the booming maritime era that gave Portland its unmistakable Victorian character, the guys explore how history still lingers in the cobblestone streets and old brick buildings of the waterfront district. Joe breaks down why Portland feels frozen in time, with its towering 19th-century architecture, narrow streets, and eerie atmosphere that makes it one of New England’s most unique cities. The conversation also dives into Portland’s connection to World War II through the legendary USS Portland, the heavy cruiser that survived some of the Pacific Theater’s most brutal battles, including Midway and Guadalcanal. Packed with history, maritime lore, wartime stories, and the unmistakable charm of coastal New England, this episode uncovers the layers of a city where the past is impossible to ignore. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tales-trails-and-taverns-podcast--6437578/support. Thank you for listening to Tales, Trails and Taverns, where we explore haunted history, dark trails, forgotten legends, and the mysteries hiding in your own backyard. If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate and review the show—it helps more curious souls find us. Follow all our links—podcast platforms, books, website, social media, and more—right here: Have a ghost story, creepy location, or strange encounter you'd like us to cover? Email us or message us through Linktree—we’d love to hear from you. Until next time… Keep exploring. Keep questioning. And as always—stay spooky.