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 On the Quest for Santa in Bronner's A Believe It Tour adventure just wouldn’t be complete without including Santa Claus. This trip is especially exciting since we’ll get to see the jolly old gentleman not once, but twice during our travels. The first time we saw Santa and Mrs. Claus was at a Christmas extravaganza known as Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Bronner’s lays claim to being the world’s largest Christmas store in the world and from all appearances it certainly lives up to that title. This store is a Michigan landmark having been founded in 1945 by Wally Bronner. From it’s humble beginning almost 60 years ago it’s grown into a huge enterprise that’s all about Christmas almost 365 days of the year.
As soon as we walked into Bronner’s we were greeted by Santa, so that got everything off to a good start for all of us. Not only was a live Santa there talking to everyone, but all things Santa were surrounding us from Christmas ornaments to large moving figures. We not only got to talk to Santa Claus, but we also found some mermaids, aliens, and Sasquatch ornaments while exploring the store.
After a quick walk-about through the store and a quick group photo with Santa the crew was back on the road and speeding off to our next destination.
 Elmwood Historic Cemetery Site of the Battle of Bloody Run Saturday was off to a great start when the Believe It Tour crew had a history discussion over morning coffee before heading off for a day of adventure.
Detroit is a city filled with rich history. Many people unfamiliar with the area only think of the automobile industry, which was certainly an important part of the city’s history and current day identity. However, Detroit’s history is a rich one that stretches back to early American Indian days.
One of the spots of particular interest to us was the Elmwood Historic Cemetery. A section of the cemetery was actually the site of a brutal battle on July 31, 1763, which took place during the French and Indian War. Under Captain Dalyell’s command, the British were viciously defeated by a confederacy of various Indian tribes led by Chief Pontiac. The battle took place at Parent’s Creek, which supposedly ran red with British blood. The creek was renamed Bloody Run and the military forever became known as the Battle of Bloody Run. Today, a section of the original creek can be seen running through the Elmwood Historic Cemetery.
Now this is where another Detroit legend has a deep connection with the battle of Bloody Run and that’s the legend of Nain Rogue. This is Detroit’s famous red dwarf, which has been a part of Detroit history for over 300 years ago when the city was founded. Nain Rogue is considered a portent of catastrophic events for the city as it’s usually seen just before something disastrous occurs. For example, the Nain Rogue was seen by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac shortly before he lost his fortune and was ruined and the creature was also seen the day before the Battle of Bloody Run in 1763.
I’ll leave you with that teaser about Nain Rogue as we’ll be exploring him more the last day of our Michigan adventure. Stay tuned for more.
 Detroit Institute of Arts Nail Man Saturday wouldn’t have been complete without the Believe It Tour crew making a quick trip to the Detroit Institute of Arts. Located in the African art collection is a fascinating sculpture of a man, covered in shards of woods, that’s known as the nail man. This roughly 3 ½ foot tall statue has tales around it that are much taller than it is.
Museum legend has it that workers have claimed to see the diminutive wooden man come to life and perform an ancient African dance after the museum is closed. Others have also claimed to hear loud crashing noises. However, most people that experience the noise feel it sounds more like something associated with a painting falling rather than something coming from the statue.
The nail man has an interesting history that goes back hundreds of years. In the African Congo there are fetish statues known as Nkisi that are broken into two main categories called Nkondi (Minknodi) and Nkonde (Minkisi). Of the two the Nkondi were considered the most powerful and usually rather malevolent. Nkisi were considered a talisman against illness, evil spirits, and anything else that could be considered negative.
The Nkisi statues were made active by a ritual performed by a tribe’s magic or holy man. The basic statue was carved by one person and then finished by the magic or holy man with the addition of items such as the nails and by placing a magic substance somewhere in the body or head of the statue. The wood shards or nails were used as a means to provoke the statue to pursue whatever was causing a problem or to show potential evildoers what their fate might be. The older the statue was the more powerful it became as supposedly its power increased over time the more people believed in it. When missionaries first saw the Nkisti figures in the late 1600s they immediately said they were images of the devil.
I can’t say while we were there that we saw any statue dancing or heard anything amiss. However, the piece did have some interesting energy around it, so I can almost imagine some strange things going on in the museum at night or how a tribe in the Congo felt it had mystical powers hundreds of years ago.
 Driving Through Monroe, Michigan in Search of Cryptids The Believe It Tour crew decided a quick stop in Monroe, Michigan was in order to see the infamous spot where a frightening incident occurred in 1965. This was an encounter that was rather unique since it took a violent turn when a Sasquatch hit one of the witnesses in the face.
It was mid August when Christine van Acker and her mother encountered a Bigfoot in Monroe. The cryptid reached into the car and hit van Acker in the eye giving her a black eye just before the two women quickly drove away. At the time of the incident the media picked up the story and published a photo of van Acker’s injuries and a drawing of the creature that attacked her.
As the Bigfoot encounter happened 45 years ago we knew it would be a challenge to find anyone still living in the town with first hand knowledge of the incident. However, it was still part of the adventure to drive through the area where such an encounter took place.
 True Blood Drive Vampires Finally Get a Chance to Give Back
In partnership with the Rhode Island Blood Center, Believe It Tour will be hosting a vampire-themed blood drive on Friday, 6/24/11, from 5-8 pm to help increase live-saving donations for Rhode Islanders. The drive will be held at the Rhode Island Blood Center’s main location at 405 Promenade Street in Providence.
Believe It Tour is a dynamic, industry leading company that seeks to explore people’s beliefs in everything from Bigfoot and the paranormal to folklore and monsters. Falling into one of the areas of exploration are the ever-popular vampires. The blood drive will be a fun opportunity for the growing number of vampire fans to kick off the season premier weekend of the hit HBO show, True Blood, while helping out a life-saving cause. Michael Esordi, President of Believe It Tour, says, “Organizing a vampire themed blood drive seemed like a fitting way for us to reach out to the community and help people in need.” The drive will also offer donors a chance to learn more about Believe It Tour and Rhode Island vampire legends. Esordi promises, “Since the Blood Center is the closest thing Rhode Island has to a local vampire society, we promise all the blood from the drive will go to those in need.” Donors can even enter to win some exciting vampire-esque door prizes donated by Believe It Tour. Event attendees can also enjoy biting into red velvet cupcakes donated by Sweet Indulgence, New England’s premier gourmet confection shop that was voted “Best Cupcake” in 2010 by Rhode Island Monthly.
Courtney Entwistle from the Rhode Island Blood Center said, “We are very excited to be offering this imaginative drive with Believe It Tour, so donors and supporters of the RIBC can enjoy themselves for a few hours on a Friday night while they help save lives. Here at the RI Blood Center, we need to collect 280 pints of blood each and every day. We are the only blood center that collects for RI hospitals and our mission has always been to provide a safe, adequate blood supply for them and the patients we serve. Unfortunately, as temperatures rise, collections go down, so we are encouraging everyone to make a donation before they vacation! Summertime is often a very busy time for people, and donating blood isn’t always on the top their to-do lists. However, emergencies never take a vacation, and the demand for blood is just as high as it is during the rest of the year.”
Join Believe It Tour and the Rhode Island Blood Center for an evening of fun and excitement as you give back to the community. For more information on the True Blood Drive, or to make an appointment visit, believeittour.com/blood.
 What does the folklore say about these clouds? Today, I was thinking about the arrival of spring and wondered about some of the folklore around the season. However, when I was looking into it I actually stumbled on a different type of interesting folklore – the folklore of weather.
The folklore behind weather phenomena and seasons is present in every culture throughout the ages. Who hasn’t heard someone say something about the weather that sounded like an old soothsayer prediction? I always remember my Mom reciting the “red sky at night, sailor’s delight” saying when we’d see a red sunset.
Here are five common sayings that may or may not be accurate since I couldn’t seem to find any meteorological basis or other information to support them.
A warm October means a cold February.
A green Christmas means a white Easter.
If the first week of August is abnormally warm the winter will be long and snowy.
When leaves fall early it will be a mild fall and winter.
Now here are five sayings, with a more scientific basis, that most people have heard at some point in time.
Red sky at night, sailor’s delight, red sky at morning, sailors take warning. The red color is the sun shining on the bottom of clouds at sunrise or sunset. As weather systems usually move from west to east when you see red clouds in the morning it means there is a storm moving in since there are clouds coming from the west. Red clouds in the evening mean the sun is shining unobstructed from the west indicating there is clear weather.
A ring around the moon means rain is coming. The ring is caused by moonlight refracting through ice crystals in high altitude clouds, which indicate a low-pressure system moving in. A low-pressure system typically brings rain or snow with it.
A year of snow and crops will grow. A thick layer of snow has less ice and more air, which helps to insulate plants. Then when the snow melts it helps to keep the ground moist to encourage plant growth.
Birds flying low are a sign of impending rain while birds flying high signal fair weather. When there is a drop in barometric pressure birds fly lower as air density is greater the closer they are to the ground.
No weather is ill, if the wind is still. No wind indications a high pressure front, which doesn’t usually allow for conditions that would cause rain or snow. However, always look to the West to make sure there isn’t an impending thunderstorm as it’s usually calm just before a thunderstorm.
I think with any folklore it all comes down to our own personal experience and how these old weather maxims fit into that. Personally, I think I’ll now be keeping a closer eye on how birds are flying and how the moon looks at night.
 Richard Freund talking about the Lost City of Atlantis The eagerly awaited National Geographic documentary, “Finding Atlantis,” will be airing tonight, 3/13/11, at 9pm on the National Geographic Channel. Earlier this week I was lucky enough to interview one of the key contributors to this documentary, Professor Richard Freund.
Professor Freund has impressive credentials as he’s an internally recognized archaeologist and also the Director of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford. Freund was on location in Spain when the documentary was shot, which also featured locations in Turkey and Greece.
Freund explained that some archaeologists were studying satellite photos when they discovered circular anomalies in mud flats located within the Doña Ana Park in southern Spain. This led the scientists to contact Freund, who is known for utilizing unique technology at archaeological sites worldwide. According to Freund he turns down 3 to 4 projects a year, but this was one project he was intrigued by from the very beginning and one that he wanted to be a part of.
Freud’s team was composed of geophysicist Paul Bauman from Canada and geographer Philip Reeder from the United States. They traveled to southern Spain where they didn’t waste any time putting their equipment to use. One of the most important tools they utilized was E.R.T. or electrical resistivity tomography.
“This is like using an MRI on the ground,” Freund said. “It allows us to pinpoint the area to explore, which lets archaeologists make the most effective use of time when the site dries for one month out of the year.”
The team also used ground-penetrating radar and digital mapping at the site in southern Spain while a team employed the use of side-scan sonar in the ocean at the site off the coast of Greece. Freund has made some pioneering strides in archaeology with his use of technology that has been employed for years in other fields. However, he was able to see how it could be utilized to better locate buried sites and help to uncover the hidden past.
The National Geographic documentary follows Freund on his journey as he searches for the Lost City of Atlantis that Plato wrote about over 2,500 years ago. Freud and his team make some amazing discoveries that are presented during the hour-long show and they put some fascinating information in front of viewers.
When I wrapped up my interview with Freund he left me with some profound advice when he said, “Always take ancient sources seriously. Not literally, but seriously.”
Be sure you join Believe It Tour when we watch this exciting documentary, “Finding Atlantis,” tonight on the National Geographic Channel.
 National Geographic Today I was listening to “Where We Live” on NPR when I heard an interesting interview with Professor Richard Freund on a new National Geographic documentary on the Lost City of Atlantis airing this coming Sunday (3/13/11) at 9pm.
The National Geographic Channel will be broadcasting a two-hour special on the Lost City entitled, “Finding Atlantis.” The show chronicles an exciting archaeological expedition located in southern Spain where scientists and archaeologists feel they have uncovered the legendary Lost City of Atlantis.
I’ll actually be featuring an interview I had with one of the lead contributors on this project, Professor Richard Freund, who is Director of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford. Professor Freund brought some unique equipment to the archaeological site that allowed him and his team to map the subsurface, which he calls a “form of non-invasive archaeology.” Check back here to read more about my interview with Professor Freund and what he had to say about the Lost City of Atlantis.
However, for those of you that live in the New England area and can’t wait to hear more you’re in for a special treat with a sneak preview of “Finding Atlantis.” Tomorrow night (3/9/11) there will be an advance screening of the show at the University of Hartford’s Wilde Auditorium at 7pm. Professor Freud will also be there to give everyone a first hand glimpse into the exciting discovery in Spain and his unique personal perspective.
Join the Believe It Tour team when we head over to view this exciting documentary at the University of Hartford tomorrow night.
 Nothing like some Lucky Charms and a leprechaun to start the day. In a few short days, we’ll find Saint Patrick’s Day upon us and that usually means being surrounded by a sea of green as people celebrate the day. Whether a co-worker is sporting a green shirt with a shamrock or some friends are enjoying some infamous green beer in a local tavern it seems like everyone wants to do something special to commemorate the day.
What St. Patrick’s Day would be complete without taking some time to honor the most famous icon of all? The leprechaun. Here are a few fascinating facts about these little legendary men.
Leprechaun Facts
1. The leprechaun has finally been honored with his very own museum in Dublin, Ireland called the National Leprechaun Museum. This unique institute is dedicated to exploring and keeping alive the mythology and folklore of Ireland and it gives us a fascinating glimpse into the world of Irish storytelling.
2. In 1888, W. B. Yeats paid homage to the leprechaun and other figures in mythology when he published his comprehensive anthology on Irish folklore entitled, “Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry.” The famous author and poet was greatly influenced by his childhood in Dublin and his unwavering fascination with the legends and tales of the country.
3. The leprechaun is a much beloved figure in sports. You can see him as the famous “Fighting Irish” mascot for the University of Notre Dame during their sporting games. He’s usually seen stirring up the crowds with his shillelagh, a type of club, twirling through the air as he brings good luck to his team. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has also embraced some Irish folklore since you will find a leprechaun featured as the Boston Celtics team logo. Not only can the leprechaun be found featured for teams in the Untied States, but he’s also the mascot for the Wagga Brothers, an Australian rugby team.
4. While the leprechaun is a part of spots history, he’s also made his way to Hollywood and into the movies. You can find this little Irish imp in the cult horror classic, “Leprechaun,” starring Warwick Davis and Jennifer Aniston. This lucky fellow was also a favorite figure of Walt Disney and featured in Disney’s 1959 film, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” which starred a very young Sean Connery.
5. What tribute to the leprechaun would be complete without a mention of one of the most famous leprechauns in advertising history? Of course, that would be Lucky, the leprechaun, of Lucky Charms cereal. Lucky was the brainchild of an advertising company hired by General Mills in 1963 as a way of promoting a unique new cereal. Little did they know at the time how famous and beloved this advertising creation would become.
Naturally, for St. Patrick’s Day Believe It Tour wants to acknowledge how important this impish little man dressed in green is to the day and his role in folklore. The leprechaun is one of the most iconic figures associated with this holiday and he always brings a little magic and good luck to the celebrations of the day. Perhaps this year if we see a rainbow on St. Patrick’s Day we might find a pot of gold at the end of it and, if we’re lucky, we might even catch a fleeting glimpse of one of the legendary Irish leprechauns.
 Grandfater Frost I’ve been seeing a few news stories about Santa lately even though it’s not even Christmas. To be more precise it’s actually Grandfather Frost or Dee Moroz that’s popping up in newspapers, magazines, and the web. Its 3 years until the 2014 Winter Olympic games in Sochi, but the search is already on for a mascot for the Russian games.
In case you’re wondering who Grandfather Frost is he’s a character in Russian and other Slavic cultures that’s similar to Santa Claus. Unlike Santa or St. Nicholas he appears on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day to give out presents and he also doesn’t do this under cover of darkness. Grandfather Frost is very visible to his gift recipients and will actually celebrate with them when he hands out gifts. He doesn’t have elves or any reindeer, but he does travel with a companion who’s his granddaughter that’s known as the Snow Maiden or Snegurochka. While Grandfather Frost looks similar to Santa he differs in that he’s typically shown carrying a long magical staff and might wear blue robes rather than just the traditional red ones.
However, Grandfather Frost isn’t the only one in the running to be Russia’s Olympic Mascot for 2014. He’s one of eleven characters. The others are a sun, bullfinch, snow flake, fire, matryoshki (a Russian nesting doll for those that don’t know), snow leopard, hare, dolphin, brown bear, and a polar bear. I have to say that Santa is a hands-down favorite for Believe It Tour since he always puts in an appearance no matter where we travel and explore.
 Grandfather Frost with the other fianlists for the 2014 Winter Olympics mascots. A brown bear, snow leopard, polar bear, hare, the sun, fire, snowflake, bullfinch, matryoshki, and a dolphin. Who is your favorite to be the official 2014 Winter Olympics’ mascot? Let us know who you like.
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