Hell and Back

I know it's been a while, but I still have a few of my favorite pictures from Michigan to blog about, so here we go:

So, while I was visiting my sister in Michigan a few weeks back, we decided one day that it was time to fulfill the saying and take a trip to Hell and back--literally!

Did you know that there is a town called Hell, Michigan? Seriously, there really is--and they play it up with a lot of fun, too. Apparently on Saturdays during October they have Halloween parades and parties galore, but since we went on a very cold and rainy weekday, not so much--but still a lot of fun.

And yes, we took the little one to Hell as well. :)

So, Hell is a funny little place, full of kitsch culture and whatnot--I totally felt like I had fallen into a colorful Scooby Doo Mystery.

The gift shop, Hell in a Handbasket, also has a post office inside, so OF COURSE I had to send my family a post card from Hell--I mean, how often can you do that?? Greeting from Hell--couldn't pass that one up. I chose the one with Hell's Chapel on the front (I totally want to come back and have my wedding here):

Ooh, and we can't forget the best part! I wrote out my postcard and handed it to the guy behind the counter, who then put an official US Stamp and postmarked it and everything, and then stamped it with a signature stamp from Hell, then started digging around in the drawers and cupboards looking for something. I had already paid and was feeling awkward just standing there waiting, so I was about to ask if I was done and could go, but then he finally found what he had been looking for: a tall, dark, blood red, spooky looking candlestick. He lit the wick and a puff of black smoke emerged (perfect for Halloween, right?). Then he took my postcard and held it up to the candle--it didn't appear to be doing anything (it's a postcard after all, not that easy to burn), but he was very careful and intent about it all. Suddenly he blew out the candle and showed me the postcard--the side with the picture was untouched, but the side with my writing was covered in black scorch marks (totally looked like black flames licking up the side of the postcard). IT WAS AMAZING! Best part of the whole trip. :)