Halloweekends, Cedar Point, OH

Hi friends! I hope your week has gone well! I had the pleasure of taking a trip up to visit family in Ohio this past weekend. There are many things I love about Ohio, but one of the big things is Cedar Point Amusement Park. I may be a little biased because I grew up going to Cedar Point; however, I know I am not biased when it comes to LOVING Halloweekends. Every September Cedar Point transforms itself into the spookiest and coolest Halloween-themed park! I can say that Cedar Point is definitely the best scary theme park that I have been to (beating out Six Flags Fright Fest, Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream, and I would even say Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights). I know that sounds kind of crazy, but if you are looking for the most spook and fun for your buck, I highly recommend Cedar Point! Let’s get spooked shall we?!

Cedar Point offers six scare zones where trouble seems to lurk at every corner! With heavy fog and people who seem to walk almost silently, you’ll definitely be jumping and holding on to a friend or loved one! Some of my favorite scare zones are Tombstone Terror-tory, Harvest Fear and Carnevil!

This year Cedar Point is offering two new haunted houses (six total) and I must admit, they are pretty amazing! The people who are scaring you are really good at distracting you to one side, only to be scared when you turn around! If you love haunted houses, you are in for a treat! I highly suggest Freak Show (new), G.A. Boeckling’s Eerie Estate, and Zombie High School!

The best time to visit Halloweekends is on a Friday or a Sunday night. Saturday tends to be a nightmare (pun intended) of crowds and it will make it almost impossible for you to see everything. You can also ride some of the rides while there! I suggest my favorite ride since I was a kid, The Mine Ride. This year they added a haunting new twist, you have to find out #WhatsInTheShed

The fee for Halloweekends starts at $43/person, but that gets you into all the scare zones, haunted houses, and rides! You would be paying almost the same to get into somewhere like Six Flags (who doesn’t include haunted houses in their ticket prices… like idiots… sorry, I’m a bit salty from our recent trip there) but you will be getting so much more!

If you are ever near Sandusky, Ohio you MUST visit Cedar Point (Halloweekends or not)! It is such a fun amusement park and I highly recommend visiting at any and every opportunity! Also, if you have any fun other haunted/spooky/Halloween-themed locations that I should visit, please comment below! I always love suggestions!

Have a spooktacular evening!

❤ Abbie

P.s. All of these photos were taken from my phone, so I’m sorry they aren’t the normal quality of my photographs. However, I must admit I am pretty impressed at how well my phone actually did. Anywhoooo… have a good night!

Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH

Hello friends! So, I’ve been going back and forth about whether or not I wanted to post about some spooky/supposedly haunted places because the last time I did I received some negative feedback. However, it is something that has always been of interest to me, and I feel I need to be true to myself. With that being said, I want to start this post off by saying I don’t necessarily believe that these places I will be sharing are “haunted.” I am just going to tell some facts and share some experiences had by others and I will let you make the call. Or don’t make a call and just enjoy some spooky stories! Anyways, somewhat soapbox over. Let’s get to some spooky!

Today I am sharing one of the cooler places I’ve visited in Cleveland! Lake View Cemetery is the resting place of many famous Clevelanders throughout the years. Buried in the rolling hills of Lake View are people like John D. Rockefeller, Elliot Ness, and James A. Garfield (tomb is pictured above), just to name a few. You might be surprised at some of these names, but back in the late 1800s/early 1900s Cleveland was actually home to more millionaires than any city in America. The oil and railroad trades boomed in Cleveland, making it a very wealthy city! That meant the wealthiest could afford to be buried in the most beautiful location in Cleveland, Lake View Cemetery.

The cemetery itself is massive, spanning over 285 acres. With all this land and lots of twisted pathways, it’s not hard to get lost. But, that is the beauty of Lake View, getting lost for an hour or two looking at all of the beautifully haunting graves.

It’s amazing to me the detail that was put in to making some of these graves. The beautiful mausoleums, intricate gravestones, and hauntingly realistic sculptures greet you at every turn. It’s not hard to get the sense of not being alone.

One of my favorite graves is for a family named Haserot. It is perhaps the most photographed grave in the entire cemetery because it is so foreboding. Nestled back behind some tombs sits the Haserot angel.

The name of the dark angel is actually “The Angel of Death Victorious.” The angel sits with an extinguished torch upside-down to symbolize life being extinguished. She stares straight ahead, unmoving. The eeriest part of the Haserot angel comes from years of being exposed to the elements; the bronze has worn and it looks as if she is crying black tears. Even if you see nothing else in the cemetery, you must  visit the Haserot Angel.

The final grave I would like to share comes with a bit of a story. Hans Tiedemann was a German immigrant who came to live in Cleveland in the late 1800s. He built an incredible home called Franklin Castle.

If you are from Cleveland (or Ohio in general) you have most likely heard of this house. Franklin Castle is known for being the most haunted house in Ohio. Years and years of stories and mystery have shrouded this home and they all trace back to the supposed horrors of Mr. Tiedemann.

Tiedemann and his family built the mansion (shown above) from 1881-1883 in one of the most influential and wealthy parts of Cleveland. He moved into the home with his wife Louise, and their two children. The Tiedemann’s lost several children due to the common diseases of the time, but rumor had it that more people had died in the home (of not so natural causes, if you catch my drift). The home switched owners several times through the years. Some say it was built above part of the underground railroad. Others say in the 1920s during prohibition, the basement was used as a speakeasy. Some even say it belonged to a group of Nazis. One thing always stays the same however, the owners always say the house is haunted. What is most commonly seen is a woman in black standing on the second floor balcony. People report mysterious mists appearing and the feeling of being pushed. I’m not quite sure if we’ll ever know what really happened in Franklin Castle, but it sure makes for a good spooky story! If you want to hear more creepy details about Franklin Castle I highly recommend the book “Haunted Ohio.”

Well, that’s all for this weeks spooky wandering post! If you ever get the chance to visit Lake View Cemetery in Ohio, it’s worth the trip! Say hello to the Haserot Angel for me… and let’s all hope she doesn’t say hello back.

❤ Abbie

Wandering Norwalk, OH

Growing up I visited Norwalk, OH often. My dad and I would drive down the tree lined streets and choose which incredible historic home we wanted to own. We went in the antique stores trying to find the next cool thing. We would go drink the best milkshakes and eat delicious BLTs at Berry’s Restaurant. Norwalk is always so welcoming, so I thought I would welcome you to this adorable town today.

Pretty much everything cool happens down Main Street. There are about three or four different antique shops that line the strip. My favorite is the Northern Ohio Antique Mall. There are tons of booths filled with cool antiques. I’m not talking the kitschy kind, I’m talking super old and awesome kind. Their prices are pretty fair too, which is hard to come by with antique stores.

There are two other shops I’d like to shout out that have just come around in the last few years. The first is Patina46, which is this super hip repurposed home decor shop. They have some really neat salvaged furniture and home decor pieces. I swear every time I go in the store I leave wanting to buy like ten things.

The other shop I want to shout out is called When Pigs Fly. This shop is so adorable and they have a great purpose! They are an upscale resale and retail shop whose proceeds go to help make life normalize for the children who may have a member in their family dealing with a major illness. Everyone in the shop is so sweet and helpful! I highly recommend stopping in! (They do accept donations, whether that be something you made artistically or some new or slightly used household items.)

As I mentioned before, my dad and I love driving (or walking) around Norwalk and looking at all the beautiful old houses! Below I’m just going to post some of my favorites for you to scroll through and admire!

Beautiful right? I saved my absolute favorite for the end, so you’ll have to keep scrolling to see that one! And do you know the best way to end the day? It’s with a BLTO (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Onion- my personal favorite) and a milkshake! Head over to Berry’s Restaurant! It has gorgeous Victorian style restaurant and soda shop decor, not to mention the food is fantastic! It’s the perfect way to end the day in lovely Norwalk!

Have a lovely evening!

❤ Abbie

Ps. If you want to buy me the house below I will gladly take it.