Tripping On Legends

What was supposed to be the nuts and bolts of haunted objects and creepy antiques on the eve of Halloween quickly shifted gears just as the cameras rolled. Before we can get into the discussion, Dan Horon of the Haunted Antique Shop in Deland throws out there the idea of the Tarot of Physics. Before we know it, the Trippers are off on a journey into some crazy ideas into the nature and changing face of the decks which move the supernatural. Corrine Kenner, curator of Deland’s Haunted Antique Shop and Paranormal Museum and author of Gently Haunted joins Horon as Christopher Balzano and Nikki Mu spend the night before the big day shuffling decks and getting deeper into astrology and its place among the haunted dolls. And we still have a whole episode just on the shop and haunted objects still to come from that night. You can learn more at: http://tarotofphysics.com/ Here’s her site for a little preview of what the shop has to offer: https://hauntedantiqueshop.com/ Feel free to call our new phone number

It’s Halloween time and mixed in with all of the witches and ghosts and spooky decorations, a newer mascot of the season has popped up in the last few years and taken control of the holiday. Sam is the driving force behind the movie Trick R Treat and the living embodiment of Halloween. He stalks the night offering a framing for the tales in the movie and enforcing the unwritten rules of the season. With a new theatrical release for 2022, it’s a great time to watch the movie and look at who this little guy is and how he taps into some of the bigger themes of Halloween and horror. Join Christopher Balzano and Nikki Mu as they sit down with their popcorn and explore Halloween, Trick R Treat, and the mini monster decorating your neighbor’s yard and walking around on Halloween night pretending to be just another kid. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. Check out Christopher Balzano’s books, incl

True crime and ghostly folklore go together like Chicago and bootlegging or guns and bullets… …and when you’re in the shadow of Ocala, no gangster can rest in peace without a ghost story. Florida’s haunted locations act as a map of unusual crime and famous villains, but there is one name that keeps coming up when you talk old time criminals and Florida phantoms. Ma Barker might be one of the lesser known names to some outsiders, but her family’s story is intermixed with that of the state. Her house, or the reflection of it, forces us to keep asking about both sides of the mirror. Join Trippers Christopher Balzano and Nicole MU as they look into the true story of this infamous woman and the ghosts who continue to rat tat tat at the scene of her death. And we would love to hear your local urban legends about haunted crime scenes. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. Check out Christoph

It's simple...just use take the dirt home and heal... ...but nothing is that simple in the Boho Highlands. This week, the Trippers take a winding path across the pond to a small church in Ireland squarely placed land either cursed or blessed...depending on how you step. Christopher Balzano and Deanna Mulhern strip down the fauna and flora and all the things that make this land notorious...you know, like fairies, changelings, and banshees. And did we mention science has proven some of it true. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. Check out Christopher Balzano’s books, including the newly released Haunted Ocala National Forest at: https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Balzano/e/B001PH5BA6?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vu00_i0 You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytripping@gmail.com. Follow us at: www.facebook.com/trippingonlegends Twitter

We don't call it Tripping on Legends because of mushrooms... After digging deeper into the ghost story of the Lott children, we've discovered some new information that casts the story in a new light... ...and offers a great chance to talk about cemetery legends involving little things you leave. Join us as we walk among the rows again and explore some Whistling Past the Cemetery stories where what you leave may be creepier than what you take home with you. And we would love to hear your local urban legends of bits and gift live and before the show. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. Check out Christopher Balzano’s books, including the newly released Haunted Ocala National Forest at: https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Balzano/e/B001PH5BA6?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vu00_i0 You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytripping@gmail.com.

A few urban legends and a series of crimes inspire a movie, which inspire and urban legend, which then inspires another movie. In 1992 a young writer and filmmaker watched Candyman. It changed the direction of his life, like a constant nagging towards the crossroads. Now, 30 years, two careers, and many pounds later, he sits down with his young daughter to look at the lore and true stories which inspired the movie and its 2021 sequel. After a successful Movie Themed Dinner Night where they watch the movie, Christopher Balzano and Ella talk urban legends, the nature of horror movies, and why we’re still scared to say his name in the mirror. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. Check out Christopher Balzano’s books, including the newly released Haunted Ocala National Forest at: https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Balzano/e/B001PH5BA6?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vu00_i0 You can contact us with q

It's one of those clichés that's repeated because it rings true. It was a dark night, and I was riding down this little country road at 2 in the morning. With that setup, nothing good is about to happen. Instead, hold your breath, try to stay awake, and wait for the ghost stories to write themselves. Join the Trippers, Christopher Balzano and Denna Mulhern as they look into three of the spookier road legends, as twisted as the backroads they appear on. They'll delve into Huntsville, Texas’, Demon Road before getting into the legends of Magnolia Creek Lane near the Ocala and Merritt Island's Suicide Road. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. Check out Christopher Balzano’s books, including the newly released Haunted Ocala National Forest at: https://www.amazon.com/Christopher-Balzano/e/B001PH5BA6?ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vu00_i0 You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite leg

After our weekend legend trip to Boca Raton, we discovered more about who the mysterious Little Mary might be...and the story is both heartbreaking and inspirational. Join is live as we explore who might be walking the mausoleum and trying to comfort in death the way she did in life. Episode 109 of TOL, Weepers and Witch's Walls https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/715243692847146/ https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HJGwC414 and the video: https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/520010046188460/ Live at the location: https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/510949907241635 https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/680770969658688/ https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/2082732515263008/ Deanna reads to Little Mary: https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/1074783403393195/ And the episode on the road: https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HGD34Snx

Once upon a time, two trippers got into a car to look into the ghostly legend of a man who screams at night, a little girl who comforts the living visiting the dead, and a wall where a witch traps children before stealing their souls. They ended up searching for the grave of a teen and rescuing a soul from a wall of coral…at least if you believe the stories. Join Christopher Balzano and Deanna Mulhearn as they hit the road on a somewhat spontaneous journey to the Boca Raton cemetery. It’s an “on the road” episode filled with background noise, arguments on how the dead can come back and how far they can travel, and the perfect side quest which leads to one of those profound Tripping on Legends moments. Listen to a little of the background into the stories from Episode 109, Weepers and Witch’s Walls. https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HJGwC414 Join us June 4th at the SWFL Skunk Ape Conference: https://fb.me/e/1Ua5AMFNi Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a l

On her last night as a tween, Ella takes the mic and honors the story... If you tuned in to the show Tuesday, you saw dad commenting and intellectualizing modern myths and analog horror...and Ella getting pissed because she wanted to get more into the stories. Well, on her birthday she gets what she wants, as Christopher Balzano will try his best to sit quietly while Ella explores the spooky details of Five Nights at Freddy's, the Backrooms, the Mandela Catalogue, and the Walton Files. Who will win out; Ella's Taurus nature or dad's need to put it all in prospective? Listen to the audio from episode 110 where Christopher Balzano makes everything deep and Ella waits her turn patiently: https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/H0N5YR14 Watch the video of episode 110 where we discuss the legends and dad interrupts putting meaning to it all: https://www.facebook.com/TrippingonLegends/videos/5098299430249846 Join us June 4th at the SWFL Skunk Ape Conference: https://fb.me/e/1Ua5AMFNi Feel free to call our new pho

I was not always a monster, once I was somebody's muse. The world may be your canvas, what you paint on it, beware. The pen is mightier than the sword, it has no limitation. Don't refrain, this ink will stain and nothing can erase us now. In the world of haunted storytelling and urban legends, we who set the story can’t always control it. Often times the nature of a ghost is determined by the tales we tell about it. Once it’s out there, the haunting takes a life of its own and can’t be erased. Join Christopher Balzano and the Trippers as they look at some famous ghost stories that have gotten out of control. They’ll also look at home modern mythology has taken control of the narrative. Media like Five Night at Freddy’s, Walton Files, Mandela Catalogue, and the Backrooms are following in the footsteps of Slender Man to shift who can tell the story and how it gets told. Join us June 4th at the SWFL Skunk Ape Conference: https://fb.me/e/1Ua5AMFNi Feel free to call our new phone number during our li

Cemeteries are supposed to be places of sorrow. They’re where we remember those who lives have been taken from us, moments mixed with memories of their lives and the sadness of their passing. In Boca Raton, there’s a mourner who goes too far, screaming his grief for the whole neighborhood to hear, even though as far as anyone can tell, he’s not actually alive. Join the Trippers as they look at two very different hauntings at a mausoleum on Florida’s West Coast. Is there a connection between the screaming man and the young girl searching the labyrinth looking for someone to talk to? They’ll then travel a bit down the road to look at a witch whose prison for small children still bring chills to the locals. Join us June 4th at the SWFL Skunk Ape Conference: https://fb.me/e/1Ua5AMFNi Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legen

You're walking through the woods, maybe just slightly off the path. There's a odd quiet in the trees and your gut tells you something isn't right. You squint into the distance, trying to make out that odd shadow being formed by the disappearing sun when your eyes adjust and you see it; a staircase in the middle of the forest. Would you climb them? There has been chatter recently all over the Internet about mysterious stairs found in the woods. People are scrambling to get the stories out, but also to explain them. Tripping on Legends has been to one, but there might be an even more mysterious set waiting for us as we plan our summer trip. Join Christopher Balzano and Deanna Mulhern as we wander back into some dark woods to explore the urban legend of the forest stairs and some urban legends that have developed around some that we know exist. Need a little homework? Look into some of our weirder stories involving stairs, including some of our work into the Devil's Tree: https://trippingonlegends.com/.../tr

If you could go anywhere and trip any legends, where would you go? How far would you travel? Join Christopher Balzano as he explores what he looks for in a legend and travels north to Upstate New York to dissect one that clicks all of the boxes. Fort Ontario may be the perfect spot for this years Haunted Break or Summer Legend Trip. From the mysterious man walking along the train tracks with his lantern to the little boy who loves to get his photo taken, there is a long history behind the spooky things up there on the border. And we haven even gotten to Post Ghost and his connection to Whistling Past the Cemetery. Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytripping@gmail.com. Follow us at: www.facebook.com/trippingonlegends Twitter: @SpookyBalzano Instagram: @SpookyTripping Tripping on Le

A folklorist, a witch, and a seeker walk into the woods. There’s no punchline, it’s just the beginning of an odd journey and an unusual episode of Tripping on Legends…and there’s not better topic for a weird episode of weird than the fungi that may just rule the world. There are plenty of jokes to be said about taking mushroom and experiencing the paranormal, but there might actually be a stronger connection to fungi and ghosts than first thought. It began as a way to bring two friends who share a common interest together, but the rabbit hole became much more than that. Join Christopher Balzano as he explores the woods of Florida with two woman who approach their search for mushrooms in different ways but find they agree on almost everything. He’ll approach the topic from a folklorist (and the English teacher side) while they’ll get into the science and the herbalist and witch’s perspective. Along the way, they’ll tackle the effects on the world, the value of mushroom on health and spirituality, and t

Finding the right story for Whistling Past the Cemetery is scary thing to do. You need to find the right location, the right backstory, and the right mix of creepy while looking to see who is sneaking in to knock three times or wipe the tears from the statue's eyes. Enter Georgia, just a short ride from Southwest Florida. Follow the tour of the Queen of Southern Gothic Literature and you'll find three waiting for someone to stand straight against a curse or two. Join Christopher Balzano as he plans his trip to Georgia to track down a few tales for his new book. This time, he'll mix his favorite short story with a haunting right out of a plot from a Poe story...literally. Join us June 4th at the SWFL Skunk Ape Conference: https://fb.me/e/1Ua5AMFNi Feel free to call our new phone number during our live shows to get involved, share a legend you’ve heard, or to just ask a question at (813) 418-6822. You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytr

Just say the magic words and whatever you want will come true…just make sure your legend trip is over before midnight. Christopher Balzano and Deanna Mulhern travel back to Northern Florida to talk about their experiences at two legend trips during a recent journey up the other coast. First, the Trippers get into the Jacksonville Beach Lifeguard Station and some odd moments with a street light looking to talk. They then explore haunted Fort Clinch on Amelia Island to write love letters to the dead and wonder what a message they got might mean. Listen and read more about the legend by getting into Episode 102…Love and Lifeguards at: http://trippingonlegends.com/2022/01/10/tripping-on-legends-episode102-love-and-life-guards/ You can read more about the history of the fort by picking up Fort Clinch, Fernandina and the Civil War and Fort Clinch, Images of America by Frank A. Ofeldt. You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytripping@gmail.com. Fol

Name a song you associate with Thanksgiving not sung by Adam Sandler. It is the holiday people enjoy, but most of its traditions are internal. We eat similar food, but the story of the holiday is more the story of our own families. But does the have its own ghost stories? Join Christopher Balzano as he looks at the ABCs of the Thanksgiving haunted legends. Along the way, Tripping on Legends will explore the why and why nots while looking at a few notable stories, including the unusual case of Duffy’s Cut in Pennsylvania. For a more indepth look at the Duffy"s Cut story, visit Crystal Ponti's podcast Historium Unearthia http://historiumunearthia.com/episodes/bonus-episode-a-thanksgiving-ghost-story/ Get into some of our past Christmas episodes of the past to get in the holiday mood: Episode 51…Making Christmas Creepy https://trippingonlegends.com/2018/12/18/tripping-on-legends-episode-51making-christmas-creepy/ Christmas Eve Ghost Stories https://trippingonlegends.com/2018/12/27/tripping-on-legen

They’re your typical kids. They like to run around and pull pranks and dance when the time is right. They play jump frog and sneak out of bounds when they can and just love to play hide and seek. The only difference is they have been dead for almost fifty-five years. Travel back to Cursed Arcadia and walk back into Oak Ridge Cemetery with the Trippers. This time, they focus on the Richardson Children, murdered in the 1960s and the games they play. It’s a case of dark history, murder, and racial injustice. It’s also one of those ghostly legends that is so close to the truth it will make you cry and feel hope at the same time. We’ve spoken about it before, but it will be our chance to talk about ghost children and the morality of using games during a legend trip. Explore some of the details of one of our first ever legend trips back in the day when we looked at the legend of the Talking Mary statue and the ghosts of the RAFs in Oak Ridge: http://trippingonlegends.com/2018/01/18/travel-log-oak-ridge-ceme

A man looks off into the distance pledging no matter what happens he will return to his lost love, even if he dies. The ghosts of three soldiers point out their friend is sick. A group of men whose sacrifices may be a cover story for a horrible crime refusing to be hidden. It’s going to be a great new year at Tripping on Legends…and that’s only one trip. Join Christopher Balzano as he looks into the weirdness in two of Northern Florida’s most haunted locations. He’ll explore the haunted legends of Fort Clinch and Amelia Island before digging into one of Jacksonville’s most enduring urban legends. You can contact us with questions, comments, and your favorite legend or tidbit of folklore at spookytripping@gmail.com. Follow us at: www.facebook.com/trippingonlegends Twitter: @SpookyBalzano Instagram: @SpookyTripping Tripping on Legends is now part of the Midnight FM family. Check us out and see some of the other amazing shows they offer at https://midnight.fm/. Haunted Florida Love Stories is finall