Alton Towers

The Hickey Plot

Aloha Tide Riders, and welcome to the first installment of our Colonial Curiosities Saga. In this Short Board Session of Strange Tides, we're heading to New York City in the tense summer of 1776, where General George Washington and the Continental Army prepared to face the largest British invasion force ever assembled. But the greatest threat to the Revolution might not've been sailing into the harbor—it might've already been guarding Washington's headquarters. Today we're talking about the Hickey Plot, the alleged Loyalist conspiracy involving Thomas Hickey, a member of Washington's elite Life Guard accused of plotting with British agents to betray the Patriot cause. Was there truly a plan to assassinate or kidnap Washington before the Battle of New York, or did Patriot leaders exaggerate the threat to unite the colonies and justify a crackdown on Loyalists? We'll sift through the evidence surrounding counterfeit money, secret meetings, double agents, and America's earliest counterintelligence efforts before crossing into Speculation Nation, where the theories get even stranger. Was Hickey merely the face of a massive Loyalist fifth column? Did Freemasons or other secret societies manipulate events behind the scenes? Or was America's birth part of a far greater struggle involving occult rituals, ancient bloodlines, extraterrestrial influence, and humanity's spiritual evolution? Grab your board and paddle out with us as we separate documented history from Revolutionary legend and explore one of America's earliest—and most mysterious—conspiracies. SOURCES: McCullough, David. 1776. 2005. https://www.amazon.com/1776-David-McCullough/dp/0743226720 Fischer, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing. 2004. https://www.amazon.com/Washingtons-Crossing-Pivotal-Moments-American/dp/019518159X Fleming, Thomas. The Strategy of Victory: How General George Washington Won the American Revolution. 2017. https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Victory-General-Washington-Revolution/dp/0306824965 Ellis, Joseph J. His Excellency: George Washington. 2004. https://www.amazon.com/His-Excellency-Washington-Joseph-Ellis/dp/1400032539 Chernow, Ron. Washington: A Life. 2010. https://www.amazon.com/Washington-Life-Ron-Chernow/dp/1594202664 Lengel, Edward G. General George Washington: A Military Life. Random House, 2005. https://www.amazon.com/General-George-Washington-Military-Life/dp/0812969502 Wikipedia - Thomas Hickey (soldier)   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hickey_(soldier) Britannica - The Plot to Assassinate George Washington   https://www.britannica.com/story/the-plot-to-assassinate-george-washington Smithsonian Magazine - The Plot to Kill George Washington   https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/plot-kill-george-washington-180970729/ History.com - Did George Washington's Bodyguard Plot to Kill Him?     https://www.history.com/articles/george-washington-bodyguard-assassination-plot George Washington’s Mount Vernon - This Week in History posts   https://www.mountvernon.org/ (search for Hickey or 1776 conspiracy) Encyclopedia.com - Mutiny of Hickey   https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mutiny-hickey Wethersfield History - Thomas Hickey article   https://www.wethersfieldhistory.org/articles/thomas-hickey-george-washingtons-wethersfield-kidnapper/ Ephemeral New York - A Revolutionary War hanging near the Bowery.     https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/a-revolutionary-war-hanging-near-the-bowery/ Commander-in-Chief's Guard (Wikipedia)     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-Chief%27s_Guard NPR coverage of The First Conspiracy:     https://www.npr.org/2019/01/09/682924810/the-first-conspiracy-details-foiled-hickey-plot-to-assassinate-george-washington For Washington’s general orders and primary documents, check the Founders Online archive (National Archives):   https://founders.archives.gov/ (search “Hickey” or “mutiny” June 1776).

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park

🎢👻 Theme Park Terrors comes to a chilling close at one of America's most infamous haunted amusement parks. This week on Strange Tides, we're making our final stop in the Theme Park Terrors saga at the legendary Lake Shawnee Amusement Park in West Virginia—a place where history, heartbreak, and the paranormal seem permanently intertwined. Long before roller coasters and carnival lights, the land was the site of frontier conflict and the tragic Cotton Bottom Massacre. Decades later, Lake Shawnee became a beloved family amusement park... until a string of devastating accidents cast a shadow that never truly lifted. Today, abandoned rides stand silent as ghost hunters, paranormal investigators, and curious thrill-seekers report encounters with shadow figures, mysterious voices, the Swing Girl, the Drowned Boy, and spirits that refuse to leave. But are these hauntings real? Or is something even stranger happening? When we enter the Tinfoil Teepee, we'll dive into theories ranging from psychological priming and environmental anomalies to cursed land, ley lines, genius loci, interdimensional rifts, and why West Virginia seems to be a hotspot for everything from cryptids to high strangeness. So wax up your board, keep your EVP recorder rolling, and don't wander too far after sunset... because the tide is about to get very strange. SOURCES - Mercer County CVB / Visit Mercer County (Lake Shawnee History & Archaeology): https://visitmercercounty.com/lake-shawnee/ - David Emmons Johnston – A History of Middle New River Settlements and Contiguous Territory (1906): https://books.google.com/books/about/A_History_of_Middle_New_River_Settlement.html?id=HT4VAAAAYAAJ - West Virginia Division of Culture and History / Historical Marker Database (Clay Monument): https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=117993 - Clay Memorial Park (Mercer County): https://visitmercercounty.com/company/clay-memorial-park/ - Lake Shawnee Archaeology (The Clio): https://theclio.com/entry/20080 - Bluefield Daily Telegraph – Lake Shawnee Article: https://www.bdtonline.com/news/the-haunting-of-lake-shawnee-fateful-forlorn-history-of-amusement-park-draws-paranormal-enthusiasts/article_212d1b00-79ae-11e5-8941-679fefb075c8.html - Ronald L. Lewis – Black Coal Miners in America (1987): https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_labor_history/2/ - Ronald L. Lewis – Black Coal Miners in America (University Press of Kentucky): https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813192741/black-coal-miners-in-america/ - Official Lake Shawnee Website: https://www.wvlakeshawnee.com/ - Visit Mercer County – Lake Shawnee Page: https://visitmercercounty.com/lake-shawnee/ - The Haunted History of Lake Shawnee Amusement Park (Road Unraveled): https://www.roadunraveled.com/blog/lake-shawnee-amusement-park/ - Wikipedia – Lake Shawnee Amusement Park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shawnee_Amusement_Park - Philly Ghosts – Hauntings of Lake Shawnee: https://phillyghosts.com/hauntings-of-lake-shawnees-abandoned-amusement-park/ - Clay Family Society – Shawnee Indians Clay Family Massacre: https://clayfamilysociety.net/shawnee-indians-clay-family-massacre/ - Lost Amusement Parks – Lake Shawnee: http://lostamusementparks.napha.org/Articles/WestVirginia/Lake%20Shawne%20Amusement%20Park.html - WBoy – The Eerie History Surrounding WV’s Lake Shawnee: https://www.wboy.com/news/west-virginia/the-eerie-history-surrounding-west-virginias-lake-shawnee-amusement-park/ - Atlas Obscura – Lake Shawnee Amusement Park: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lake-shawnee-amusement-park

Alton Towers

Aloha, Tide Riders, and welcome to the third installment of our Theme Park Terrors saga. This week on Strange Tides, we're crossing the pond to explore one of Britain's most iconic—and allegedly most haunted—theme parks: Alton Towers. Behind the record-breaking roller coasters and family attractions lies a landscape steeped in nearly 2,000 years of history, from Iron Age settlements and medieval intrigue to aristocratic curses, wartime secrets, and modern tragedy. We'll trace the fascinating evolution of the estate before diving into chilling reports of ghostly children in Haunted Hollow, the mysterious Lady in Grey, unexplained voices, shadow figures, and the wave of paranormal claims that followed the 2015 Smiler roller coaster crash. Along the way, we'll examine eyewitness encounters, investigate the park's most enduring legends, and ask whether the hauntings stem from psychology, the Stone Tape Theory, lingering Talbot family spirits, ancient curses, dimensional rifts, technological "ghosts," or something even stranger when we enter the Tinfoil Teepee. So grab your flashlight, keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, and paddle out with us as we uncover the eerie history and supernatural mysteries hiding behind the thrills of Alton Towers. SOURCES: Wikipedia – History of Alton Towers -      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Alton_Towers Victorian Web – A.W.N. Pugin at Alton Towers -      https://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/pugin/24.html Alton Towers Official Heritage Page -      https://www.altontowers.com/about-alton-towers/heritage/ Towers Times / TowersStreet Historical Articles -      https://www.towerstimes.co.uk/history/the-history-of-alton-towers/ Official Alton Towers Website – About Section -     https://www.altontowers.com/about-alton-towers/ Staffordshire Live – Alton Towers History -      https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids/alton-towers-theme-park-history-1221060 Harry Tomkinson Links: Alton Towers: From Iron Age Fort to Worldwide Fame - eBay Listing (primary purchase option):     https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/227262664092 Background on the Author:     https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/former-alton-towers-worker-turned-644421 Richard Felix Links: Official Website:     https://richardfelix.co.uk/ YouTube Channel (extensive ghost tours & Alton Towers content):     https://www.youtube.com/@RichardFelixChannel Ghost Walks / Tours Booking:     https://richardfelix.co.uk/ghost-walks/ Books by Richard Felix:     https://localvideo.co.uk/product-category/books/

Nara Dreamland

Welcome back, Tide Riders, to another eerie installment of our Theme Park Terrors saga. This time, we're traveling across the Pacific to explore the mysterious history and haunting legends surrounding Nara Dreamland, Japan's long-abandoned amusement park that has become one of the most infamous urban exploration sites in the world. Originally opened in 1961 and heavily inspired by early American theme parks, Nara Dreamland was once a place of laughter, excitement, and childhood wonder. But after decades of declining attendance, the park closed its gates in 2006, leaving behind rusting roller coasters, silent midway games, and crumbling attractions slowly being reclaimed by nature. As the years passed, stories began to emerge from explorers, photographers, and thrill-seekers who ventured inside the abandoned park. Reports of shadowy figures moving between decaying rides, unexplained voices echoing through empty attractions, strange feelings of being watched, and other unsettling encounters transformed Nara Dreamland from a forgotten amusement park into a hotspot of paranormal speculation. In this episode, we'll dive into the park's fascinating history, examine firsthand accounts of alleged supernatural activity, and explore the many theories that attempt to explain why so many visitors have reported strange experiences within its abandoned grounds. Are these encounters the result of lingering spirits, psychological effects triggered by a decaying environment, echoes of the park's emotional past, or something even stranger? Grab your flashlight, watch your step around the rusted tracks, and join the Tide Riders as we venture into one of Japan's most haunting abandoned locations. The rides may have stopped long ago, but according to some visitors, Nara Dreamland's story is far from over. Sources: Wikipedia – Nara Dreamland - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara_Dreamland Abandoned Kansai – Special: Nara Dreamland -     https://abandonedkansai.com/special-nara-dreamland/ Time Travel Turtle – Nara Dreamland  - https://www.timetravelturtle.com/japan/nara-dreamland/ Offbeat Japan – Nara Dreamland articles -    https://offbeatjapan.com/nara-dreamland-abandoned-amusement-park/     https://offbeatjapan.com/nara-dreamland-abandoned-rollercoasters/ Simone Armer – Inside Abandoned Nara Dreamland -  https://www.simonearmer.com/inside-abandoned-nara-dreamland/ Abandoned Kansai – Nara Dreamland Demolition -  https://abandonedkansai.com/2016/11/08/nara-dreamland-demolition/ Atlas Obscura – Nara Dreamland - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nara-dreamland 28DaysLater Forum Thread (2013) -  https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/nara-dreamland-japan-august-2013.85499/ Finding Midnight – Urbex in Japan: Nara Dreamland -    http://www.findingmidnight.com/urbex-nara-dreamland-japan/ Exploring Disney's Abandoned Theme Park (Nara Dreamland) – YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E8NX9F9oZo Travel Caffeine – Nara Dreamland: Bizarro Disneyland - https://www.travelcaffeine.com/nara-dreamland-abandoned-theme-park/ PBS / Reginald Van de Velde photos & interview -   https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/what-i-found-while-photographing-japans-abandoned-amusement-parks

Haunted Disneyland

Aloha Tide Riders! Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new Theme Park Terrors saga, where we'll explore the eerie legends, ghost stories, and unexplained encounters said to lurk behind the happiest places on Earth. For this inaugural voyage, we're heading to the legendary Disneyland Resort, a place known for magic, imagination, and childhood wonder—but also a location surrounded by decades of paranormal rumors and unsettling tales. From phantom footsteps in empty attractions and mysterious figures seen after closing time to unexplained voices echoing through deserted corridors, Disneyland has developed a haunted reputation that few guests ever see. Joining us is Annie Rosenthal, a Disneyland cast member with an incredible 25 years of experience inside the park. Drawing from decades spent behind the scenes, Annie shares her own firsthand encounters with unexplained phenomena, along with stories passed between cast members who have witnessed strange activity in some of the resort's most iconic locations. Together, we'll venture beyond the attractions and into the hidden corners of the park, discussing mysterious apparitions, strange sensations, unexplained sounds, and the legends that continue to circulate among those who know Disneyland best. So grab your flashlight, keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times, and join us as we uncover the ghosts, mysteries, and high strangeness that may be hiding behind the magic. The gates are open, the crowds have gone home, and the real adventure is just beginning.