A HISTORY OF THE MYSTERY SPOT The most famous mystery spot is in Santa Cruz, California, but it has cousins in Oregon, West Virginia, and Michigan. Each one is inexplicable — drawing thousands of people every year to come and spend their tourist dollars. And for many, the whole thing is just one big hoax, designed to take in suckers and generate cash. Although Santa Cruz has the most visitors, it was “inspired” by the Oregon Vortex, which was a spot that had odd occurrences “documented” back to the early frontier days. From a mining office sliding off its foundation to the high presence of optical illusions, the Vortex was the home to some odd events. Naturally, the thing to do was build a structure there and start taking people’s money! It’s not a coincidence that these locations began to pop up at the same time as the average American got access to automobiles — “roadside attractions” of all kinds have been the rage since people began to tour America by car, and it’s pretty clear that, real or not, these mystery spots fall into that category. That’s why many of them have updated over the years to suit changing tastes — such as the Michigan St. Ignace Mystery Spot’s addition of zip lines and other attractions. Nothing to See Here Gotta Plant 'Em All! KEVIN AND MICHAEL VOLUNTEER WITH TREES ATLANTA
And unlike many other roadside attractions, mystery spots continue to draw attention. Something in the American psyche loves the idea of the paranormal; Google “Europe mystery spots” and you’re likely to discover lists of unique vacation destinations. Perhaps they recapture the “paradise is just over the hill” mystery that in part drove colonization of the American West.
Or perhaps it’s all a bunch of hooey. The best way to decide, of course, is to visit one of these mystery spots for yourself!
Did you know that the live oak, Georgia’s state tree, was historically used to build ships? That’s just one of a thousand ways that trees are useful to Georgians like you. They keep our air clean, beautify our cities, and provide shady places to read our favorite books. Kevin loves running on Atlanta’s tree-shaded pathways, and this summer, he and his son Michael showed their support for our green spaces by volunteering for Trees Atlanta alongside the Atlanta Bar Association’s Litigation Section. Trees Atlanta has been protecting and improving Atlanta’s “urban forest” since its founding in 1985. The group has planted more than 140,000 trees around the city over the years and restored, advocated for, and healed thousands more! It’s also the organization behind the Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum, 82 acres
of green space along the Atlanta BeltLine that’s home to more than 4,000 plants, including 351 unique trees and shrubs. (Of those, 90 have identifying signs, so if you’re a plant lover, you can check them out next time you’re in the area.) Trees Atlanta also goes out of its way to educate people about “planting and caring for trees, removing invasive species, protecting pollinators, urban gardening, climate change in cities, and more.” Their resources for kids are legendary, including summer camps, the Acorn Club, and school programs. They even help Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts earn their Nature Badges. Kevin and Michael had a lot of fun planting with Trees Atlanta this summer, as you can see from the photos! When they were finished, they rewarded themselves with a
trip to The Varsity for hot dogs and soda. It was definitely a day well spent. Sunday, Sept. 5, is the International Day of Charity, and if you’re looking for an organization to support this month, we’d highly recommend Trees Atlanta. You can learn more about what they do, sign up to volunteer, or make a donation at TreesAtlanta.org.
You can always reach Kevin directly at 404.566.8964 or Kevin@PatrickTrialLaw.com. (If you ever need it, his cell phone is 404.409.3160.)
2 • KEVINPATRICK.LAW I 404.566.5880
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