Why Old Haunts and Believe It Tour

The theme for the 2011 Believe It Tour is "Old Haunts," which is inspired by my childhood travels and strong family ties. The tour will be a little different this year since it will be split into two parts, Old Haunts Michigan in July and Old Haunts Hungary in September.
When I was young and my family would be on a road trip, I remember my dad pointing out places he'd been as a kid. When doing this he'd tell my brothers and me all the stories that went along with revisiting his old haunts. Now as an adult, I thought it would be fun to travel back to Michigan where I grew up and share stories with people of the places that formed my need to explore.
Michigan's history and vast amounts of wilderness are the perfect combination for Believe It Tour to find mysteries and legends that fit into all of the areas we research. Michigan has everything from haunted hotels and theaters to the legends of Dogman and the Melon Heads. Naturally, no Believe It Tour trip would be complete without some time devoted to Bigfoot and Santa, which Michigan can happily provide. The Michigan portion of the Old Haunts tour is on track to be adventure filled and will definitely provide some great stories for everyone. With family stories and childhood trips being a focus for planning the tour this year, it was important for me to better understand and include some of my family background. Having explored many countries in Europe with my grandfather, who influenced my decision to start Believe It Tour, and again years later with my brother, I have a good sense of my family tree in Northern Italy and the Black Forest region of Germany. However, the one area I have yet to visit is Hungary where my grandmother's side of the family originated. That part of the world has intrigued me since my grandfather started telling me my eagerness to explore came from the Hungarian gypsy blood I had. True or not, it made sense to take the second part of the Believe It Tour trip over to that region of Europe. Hungary is a nation with a hauntingly beautiful countryside and cities filled dark ornate gothic architecture, but as one of the oldest countries in Europe it's also rich with legends and folklore. The Hungarian folklore ranges from werewolves and woodland creatures to vampires and haunted castles. It will be fascinating to learn about and experience the Hungarian culture first hand as I meet new people and explore the country looking for it's hidden treasures and old tales.

As we'll already be in Hungary how could we not travel a little to the east to investigate one of the oldest haunts and legends of believeitology? We'll also be exploring Dracula's Castle in Transylvania when we head to Europe this September. Follow along again this year for another exciting adventure, sure to be filled with spine tingling tales and fascinating encounters, as I take friends and family with me to my "Old Haunts." Enjoy! Michael Esordi