what belongs in the World of the Unexplained

I went on vacation with my parents every year. We took a 2-week vacation every June because Dad had a mandated vacation period from his factory job at that time. On these vacations, we would typically travel far from our home state of Ohio - we'd go to up to Maine or down to Florida or over to Montana and New Mexico. I saw a lot of the country this way, and I'm very grateful to my parents for our trips. We didn't stay at expensive hotels or large resorts, but we had a lot of fun.

We went to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for a long weekend every August, usually just before I had to start back at school in the fall. I don't quite know how Mom and Dad became "hooked" on visiting Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but it almost became a spiritual pilgramage for us, like we were heading off to Mecca or to Grand Rapids. We usually stayed in the same motel every year - for many years we were at the Robert E. Lee Motor Lodge, then we stayed in cabins by Baskins' Creek and only minutes from downtown Gatlinburg (I sound like an advertisement, don't I?). We would take at least one trip into the park, visiting Cades Cove or climbing to the top of Clingman's Dome or eating lunch by the Chimney Tops. I haven't been to Gatlinburg since 1998, but my parents still go every year- they typically visit for an extended weekend in November, so they can see the holiday sites or go to some shows.

The town of Gatlinburg is one of the tackiest places you'll ever visit - and I love it. It is overblown with attractions, shows, shops, and people with the strangest fashion sense imaginable. Some of the attractions that have been there for years are the World of Illusions, the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum (my sister was in town when the fire destroyed the museum on July 14, 1992 - she watched the blaze from her hotel room - the museum was rebuilt and reopened three years later), and the Space Needle.

One attraction that I didn't visit but wanted to was something called the World of the Unexplained. I never knew what went on in that place, but I'm pretty sure that if it was still around today, the World of the Unexplained would have featured this.