The Flatwoods Monster Of West Virginia - Don Knotts Hometown & Great Race Car Rally / Road Trip Bugs
West Virginia June 2024
Transcript
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welcome everyone Adam the woo here as
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the recording of this Monday June oh a
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oh my
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God that was a freaking huge
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bee just landed on my hand as I was
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holding my camera there a whole swarm of
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bees over there it's a real beehive of
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activity welcome everyone Adam the woo
0:27
here as the recording of this Monday sh
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24 2024 I have just crossed over the
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state line into West Virginia I am
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heading southwardly in my route my route
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my
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descent back
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home for a very short while I've been
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doing a lot of traveling this year and
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that going to continue but I do need to
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get home over the next couple
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days been out for 10 days so far 11 days
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9 days 11 12 give or take a day
1:00
by the time I return in a day or two it
1:03
will have been about 2 weeks there's a
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lot of giving and taking of days in my
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assumption of the amount of time I've
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been out but heading through West
1:12
Virginia today I don't know if I'm just
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going to stay on the interstates I'm not
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sure if I'm going to Veer off and see
1:17
other stuff all I know is I'm in a
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rental car heading Southward I'm
1:21
inviting you to join me watch out for
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those uh those
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bees whoa shall you yeah it's a trap
1:32
over there by
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that wild and wonderful side also look
1:37
at the architecture of this rest stop
1:39
here very
1:42
nice very
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nice there's the the state of West
1:47
Virginia flag waving in the breeze the
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US
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flag love the United States of America
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traveling across the Great Plains the
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desert deserts the Fly Over States the
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coasts of this great country you know
2:07
next year lot of international travel
2:10
will be happening something I really
2:11
have never done in fact I never been
2:13
overseas before I've been to Canada I've
2:16
been to Tiana Mexico
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2025 prepare thyselves and I'm talking
2:21
to myself
2:24
also cuz I'm going to be going
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places all
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right got get going I don't know if even
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need to show up on
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camera at them swarming around down
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there on the ground level over there by
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the picnic
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table probably don't show up on camera
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or maybe they do
3:05
classic car alert I have made it over to
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morgant Town West Virginia and I must
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say really difficult to just find
3:12
regular parking around here everything
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is paid parking there's some
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construction going on took a little
3:17
while to get to
3:19
downtown believe it's morgant
3:28
toown and that could explain the parking
3:29
situation
3:30
they're doing an event down here car
3:33
show of sorts is the most produced car
3:35
in the planet like 40 million needles
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they built from the 30s on us it's
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amazing um we started building cars we
3:44
moved away from
3:46
WG great race a little B us something
3:50
you see on a weekend but as I'm filming
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this again for Monday the main reason I
3:54
wanted to stop off here is because Don
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knots has a star he was from Morgan town
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he's got not only a star but he has a
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little a little sculpture here a little
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statue that was dedicated back in
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2016 now I passed through here many
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years ago 6 seven years ago and they
4:15
believe that the star was under
4:17
construction at that time or they were
4:19
you know what it might have been around
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2016 when I went through here either way
4:24
I have returned back through to check
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out Don knots actor from two of my
4:29
favorite shows sport the Griff show and
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three sh if you guys go see Ace Frey how
4:39
was he he was good he's my favorite Kiss
4:43
member my uncle guess Ace Frey was in
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town you do your
4:48
makeup yeah you guys arein about myg
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Native related I never knew that my
4:56
dad wear in the Kiss shirt I guess it's
4:58
related to Don began his career
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performing a ventriloquist here in the
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historic Metropolitan theater graduated
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from mortown high school in
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42 and
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48 there you go right here yeah Barney 5
5:13
Andy Griff show Ralph Furley Threes
5:15
Company of course incredible Mr olymp
5:17
Ghost and Mr Chicken and oh my gosh
5:19
Apple Dumpling
5:21
Gang and Tim
5:24
Conway Walk of Fame pretty awesome
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hey he's perform right there in the
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metropolitan theater here in West
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Virginia
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I have stumbled onto something
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awesome was not expecting look at this
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freaking sweet Chevy van miss my van
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sometimes mine was a Ford but I
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definitely missed that
6:25
thing nice little Jeep here Willie
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familiar with that
6:27
one like a little mural here on the side
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too there you go I wonder if Don Nat is
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featured in the mural up there guy
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playing the violin up in the
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hoper this is why it was so difficult to
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find parking there an event going
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on all right we need all the
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Town nice little stop off one thing
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about road trips and just pulling into
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places thought I was going to check out
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the Don KN sculpture but in fact classic
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car show alert
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scrap
7:56
Ro team there check this out this is the
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badest TRU you'll ever seen 1972
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Chevrolet 20 dealership installed
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duplicate on it it's a Lorn Edition
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Factory 402 big truck my
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friend excuse me Eric frankenberg from
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sanone California your driver Le is
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trust navig from
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Scot wow look at this
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one cow this is cool
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nice Coca-Cola mural there on the side
8:37
all right go back to my car and carry on
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ah the rocky Hillside of West Virginia
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there's like a tower up there spinning
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around as well I got myself a little
8:48
Dunkin Donuts coffee hot coffee right
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here also with Fourth of July quickly
8:54
approaching is it a couple weeks off
8:57
something like that we got lots of of
8:59
West Virginia Fire Work stands all
9:02
around in very close proximity to gas
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pumps I don't need fuel yet but
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yeah don't light a match all right
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continued on a ways have arrived at the
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city of
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buckhannan the promise of tomorrow with
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the Dignity of
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yesterday is the slogan here got this
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mural
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veered off the freeway I was
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on just to see what I can find this is
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upshire County this is the courthouse
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right
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here and this is the downtown
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area right here along Main Street now
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notice there are no stop there's no stop
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lights right here on Main Street but
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there are former
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stoplight poles that have stop signs on
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them you see the lights are gone see
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this at a lot lot of places they used to
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have or maybe they were going to
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have you know street lights or whatever
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and they just put the the stop signs on
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them as well and then if you go over
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here you can see there's a little Banner
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stretching across says
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1863 and 1816 maybe those are the the
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years it was founded but there are two
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different dates 1863 on this side and
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186 on that side and this is showing
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that different post coaches Four Strong
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carriages used to roll through here
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schedules of Departures when they used
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to go Fair through $13 how far did it
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go must have gone pretty far for $13
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back in those days dated back to
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1848 that seems like a lot of money for
10:48
even back then and evidently the actor
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that played Lurch was from this area
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went to college around these parts and
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there is a standup a stand e of lur
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right here and this is known as the
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Lurch bench right here this just random
11:05
to pop you Ray it's the Lurch bench
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right here next to the standup of lurch
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himself is right here holding the
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candleabra next to next to the the Lurch
11:21
bench oh wow this is something I never
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realized so Ted Cassidy who played Lurch
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was in a bunch of different stuff have a
11:28
big Gorn episode fan from the arena
11:31
episode of Gorn when the Gorn fought
11:33
Shatner out there at Vasquez Rock did a
11:35
whole detail filming location video on
11:37
that but evidently I didn't realize this
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Ted Cassidy who played Lurch did the
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voice of Gorn he did not play the actor
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Gorn he was not in the suit but he did
11:47
the voice of Gorn when he was talking to
11:49
Shatner what the heck I had no idea how
11:52
did I not how did I not freaking know
11:54
that take a look at that freaking
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awesome old DE EQ with the old neon sign
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and everything
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beautiful just on the outskirts of town
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a few
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miles parked over here off the
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street says enter at your own risk the
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Randy Brown Memorial
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Chapel it's one of those tiny churches
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I've been to a few of these across the
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country
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did not realize this was
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here in
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fact looks like there's a headstone
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maybe there's like a little graveyard
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here
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too or maybe not it just
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says let thy child Rest In
12:47
Hope and rise in glory what the heck bug
12:50
is that
12:52
thing wow that was like a
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huge evil looking dragonfly thing it
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looked like a dragonfly but
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like the horror film version of
13:12
one this ISS 1966 evidently this has
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been here a
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while notice the cross up there is
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broken off
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the other portion of the Cross is
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chipped off up there so it's just the
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one section of it now is this going to
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be
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is that's Randy Brown right there 8
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years old 57 to 65 so evidently this out
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front maybe that is where his laid to
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rest
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the pulpit
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here that's where you can knel and
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pray for little church
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pews then leading out to the road
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now I will be getting back on the
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interstate but for now just enjoying
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some of these back roads going to be a
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lot of Interstate today a lot of it
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but got to take these little quiet back
15:17
roads when you can get
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them I've now arrived in
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Flatwoods home of the green monster
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the
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green monster of
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Flatwoods it's right here in the Hills
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mountains West
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he's out
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there what is the Flatwoods
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Monster can learn a little bit
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about this beast from
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space guess it happened on September
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12th of
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52 little photo op here that is the
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Flatwoods
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Monster located here at the spot
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cute little town there with the church
16:34
up on the side of the
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hill this ice cream shop has some
16:40
info on what exactly this Flatwoods
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Monster
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is around a Bend they saw a pair of
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bulging
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eyes a short time after a meteorite or
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something a short time after a meteorite
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or something something blazed across
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this town last
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Friday an evil smelling what does evil
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smell like greenb monster 12T tall with
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bulging eyes and clwy hands sent seven
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young citizens running for their
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lives very
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interesting we had to coax him to go
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back I had to keep my hand on his
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shoulder he shook shook like he was
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scared to
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death there were
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tracks there were tracks of the
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monster a top the rugged Tangled Hill
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there was no trace of a meteorite but
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there was an area quote all trampled
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down said Mr
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Stewart they could still smell traces of
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a peculiar
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the monster which prowled the hills of
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Braxton
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County Friday September 12th of that
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year drawn by a New York artist
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describes him as scene by Mrs Katherine
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May and a Lee
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Stewart this is the monster right there
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look at that look at that space creature
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and look at this gentleman staring up at
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the monster itself
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now after this New York
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artist drew the
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description this is Mrs May holding it
18:39
said it is quote quite
18:42
accurate that is a quite accurate
18:45
description of what she saw oh inside
18:48
they have merchandise look at this this
18:50
is
18:51
the I'm sorry this is good this is real
18:55
good how much are these shirts $20
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great look at that look at that it's
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cool to
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believe right down
19:26
here figure was made of metal 25 to 30
19:26
ft tall
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eyes were illuminated from the inside
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what
19:34
the this is this this is the
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sketch guess there was something maybe a
19:46
movie or TV show about it called the
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legacy of fear the
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monster I have to be honest I never
19:57
heard of this monster
20:07
before I think he's still out
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there wait what is
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that that is the municipal
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building but next to the municipal
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building the only reason I knew it was a
20:19
municipal building cuz it says so on
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that
20:22
side also use it your own wrist there's
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a lot of uh your own rist stuff in West
20:41
monster that's interesting right it's
20:41
interesting evidently you could sit
20:43
right here and the monster's
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lap if you so
20:49
choose got three fingers
20:52
there got the
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belt and then you can stare into the
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Monster's eyes just don't stare too long
20:59
you will get
21:01
hypnotized take you to
21:03
space like the breastplate
21:07
there I really like the hands claws yeah
21:11
they definitely embrace it it's even a
21:14
parking spot right here and another
21:16
parking
21:17
spot right there
21:21
reserved for Monster
21:24
visitors either you're here visiting to
21:28
learn about the monster or if you are a
21:31
monster you got your own parking space
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if he wants to come
21:35
back he ever returns years
21:38
later he's got a parking spot all right
21:41
I stopped over here at the Flatwood
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Center where was hoping that I could get
21:48
a little
21:50
souvenir it's almost like a 1ot tall
21:53
souvenir of the
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monster inside here this gas station
21:59
convenience store and you put a you put
22:01
a candle it was made of ceramic that
22:03
someone
22:04
made but they were all sold out there
22:06
was a sign inside you could get it
22:08
inside there went inside was excited to
22:10
purchase one but evidently there aren't
22:13
anymore so no souvenir for me I didn't
22:16
really want to get the shirt shirt was
22:17
kind of cool but I would have liked to
22:19
had something you could put on a candle
22:21
so right here at this xon right off the
22:24
freeway you could have got your own
22:26
monster that was like a foot tall
22:29
and the eyes glowed with candl light
22:32
just down the way is Sutton right next
22:34
to Sutton Lake but they also embrace the
22:37
monster
22:38
here there is an active Theater which
22:42
still has the Retro
22:43
sign the elk theater still playing
22:47
movies current movie playing at the
22:53
moment sudden it's good to be home
22:53
that's
22:54
their their motto and evidently there is
22:58
a Museum dedicated to the monster here
23:00
in this town it's the next town over
23:02
from where I just was it's an old sign
23:06
kind of dangling off the side of that
23:08
little overhang right there old
23:10
Coca-Cola sign the Draft
23:27
downtown a lot of it seen better days
23:27
that's all boarded up up windows are
23:30
busted
23:31
out someone's honking oh here it
23:36
is the monster Museum oh yeah oh
23:40
yeah all right all
23:43
right does say it's
23:51
open look at this that's a freaking
23:51
great shirt braxie and The Moth
23:54
Man beis and Butthead I might have to
23:59
might have oh this is one of those
24:00
ceramic things right
24:09
there braon County Visitor Center
24:09
Flatwoods Monster
24:11
Museum if they have this shirt I'm 100%
24:15
buying it look at this thing that is
24:28
terrifying oh my goodness what if I
24:28
stepped up hello how are you I'm good
24:32
I'm good that's like the original sign
24:34
that when I was pulling into town there
24:36
look at all the stuff that they have
24:38
here oh my gosh it's like a whole
24:41
freaking
24:42
Museum there's Kathleen May in her
24:46
beauty shop right
24:49
there wow this is great this is so
24:59
great mid I spook show
24:59
I'm going to spend some money in here
25:01
look at this over here oh my gosh
25:03
absolutely no seances are allowed in
25:06
here thank you for your cooperation but
25:09
no they do not want any
25:12
seances taking place this is like a oh
25:15
what the heck that thing just scare me
25:18
they're like they're playing something
25:19
in here that's like yelling and it
25:20
scared starv yeah this is like an
25:23
entire subculture of this freaking
25:27
monster br nexton Monster look at this
25:30
thing artistic representation up there
25:33
possibly there's a lot of
25:35
artwork through here as
25:44
well unique Design This is like a mask
25:44
of some sort this would be like
25:46
something like a paper with or something
25:47
you'd like put on a tree like a
25:49
Christmas tree ornament this is a
25:51
cassette tape look at this like a
25:54
cassette type like maybe like an
25:55
explanation or something about the
25:58
monster it's like a Pokemon car but it's
26:01
Flatwood monster as
26:05
well and they did have the t-shirt in my
26:08
size $20 well spent I'm going to
26:10
purchase this right here I mean I do
26:12
love Moth Man but now I have a moth man
26:15
and a bra shirt so up on the hill there
26:18
this is a little model they have and
26:21
they also have the they have the ceramic
26:23
thing for $60 fig since I'm getting a
26:26
shirt and some postcards and things
26:28
probably won't get it but this is uh
26:31
this is how it all went down right here
26:32
okay I got that shirt I got a couple
26:34
stickers couple postcards and I also got
26:39
this man that's so cool that they were
26:41
open so
26:53
cool the monster Museum the Flatwoods
26:56
Museum must be the courthouse
26:59
the old
27:05
jail and you can dress better but pay
27:05
less skilled tailor correct
27:08
Styles workmanship
27:12
unexcelled unexcelled workmanship
27:19
unexcelled I hear that word too much my
27:19
workmanship is
27:27
unexcelled all right going to move on
27:27
going to carry on that was a good stop
27:29
there's another one of those chairs I
27:30
guess a local artist made those
27:39
chairs place called The Villa take a
27:39
look at this old metal Bridge love it
27:41
going over the river right up here
27:44
definitely a cool little
27:54
town love these type of bridges here the
27:54
metal
27:55
Bridges go over riverways
28:21
got to love local folklore
28:21
Cryptids
28:23
stories
28:26
Tales of interesting
28:28
creatures this one happened to be from
28:32
space speaking of bugs something is like
28:34
biting my
28:35
leg man I got bees at the beginning of
28:38
the day and now got space monsters bugs
28:42
man I'm getting like bit up pied my car
28:45
keep
28:53
moving have carried on
28:53
ways over to Oak
28:56
Hill see the sun
28:59
up in the sky I'll be driving till dark
29:02
there's the water tower there the Oak
29:04
Hill Water Tower up
29:07
there this is the
29:16
town where Hank Williams
29:16
passed I passed through here many years
29:20
ago different kind of
29:29
pass but I stopped off here I should say
29:29
a decade ago gosh probably more than
29:35
that I just so happened to be going
29:35
through here
29:51
again January 1st 1953 this is
29:51
interesting I always in my mind Hank
29:55
Williams was older than 30 years old
29:58
is born in 23 passed away in
30:02
53 January
30:05
1st
30:06
1953 in oakill West Virginia Hank
30:09
Williams Senior made his last stop on
30:12
his last tour this is dedicated to the
30:15
fans that keep his memory of Music alive
30:17
located right here in
30:22
front the library
30:35
yeah in my mind I thought Hank
30:35
Williams live longer than 30
30:39
years and just on the outskirts of that
30:42
town at the skyline Drive-In was in fact
30:45
Hank's last stop where he was found
30:48
passed away in the back of the car
31:40
over even have the car there I guess
31:40
that would be the represent the Cadillac
31:44
the driver was
31:57
board I have just been continuing on
31:57
southwardly
32:04
fact I just crossed out of West Virginia
32:04
into
32:06
Virginia and grateful recognition of
32:09
James A Williams
32:11
Jr of with thille an arent supporter of
32:14
safe modern
32:16
highways this was posted here in
32:19
1983 he got the love right there and
32:23
the right there the grass
32:31
The Motto here at the Welcome Center
32:31
well throughout the entire
32:33
state is Virginia is for Lovers this one
32:37
goes out to all you lovers out there I'm
32:42
not going to sing Earth Angel but it was
32:44
a reference for one of my favorite films
33:01
state flag US
33:01
flag waving in the
33:04
breeze like this rest stop like this
33:07
rest stop with the the planter
33:10
there very
33:12
nice got some trucks parked over
33:15
there ah the open
33:19
road love traveling more times than not
33:22
vending machines at rest stops are out
33:25
of order
33:28
this whole vending machine's out of
33:30
order it's a really bad
33:33
Pacino I always like to see if anyone is
33:42
picnicking at the picnic
33:42
tables and rest
33:45
stops just like to take a poll go to a
33:48
lot of rest stops sometimes you'll see
33:51
people out on the tables having a nice
33:53
little picnic
34:01
not here not at this one not at a lot of
34:01
them those beautiful mountains over
34:04
there ah
34:06
Virginia beautiful state getting a
34:08
little fuel self- pumping gas nozzle
34:10
price of gas
34:12
$319 a gallon in a town called Bland
34:15
Virginia that's right Bland
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Virginia and just like that through
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Virginia now cross Crossing downward
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into North
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Carolina we're doing a
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lot of driving on this road
34:51
trip Welcome Center Clos at 5 it's
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already
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837 here's a layout of the land of North
34:55
Carolina it doesn't have a UR here
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placement on it but this is the entire
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state of North
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Carolina Big Slab of granite see I think
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that's Granite it's like what you'd put
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on a kitchen
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countertop just taking a pole just
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checking to see if anyone is using I
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mean granted it's 8:30 at night why
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would anybody be picnicking out at a
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rest stop at 8:30 at
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night but there isn't anyone I'm going
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to drive about another hour south of
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here I've already booked a
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hotel things I did when I was at the
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rest stop booked a
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here check out the red
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clay and then after get to the hotel I'm
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going to call it a