VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – It’s a road trip close to home.
One company is promoting hidden gems and small businesses through a variety of unique experiences along a self-guided route.
It’s all part of Guess Where Trips, specializing in curated road trips around the world. One trip features DeLand’s historic and haunted attractions including the Haunted Antique Shop and Paranormal Museum.
“When people come into the haunted antique shop, they can find themselves communicating with ghosts and interacting with haunted artifacts,” owner Corrine Kenner said.
The shop sits in a 1920s bungalow in historic DeLand, believed to be haunted by ghosts of the original homeowners as well as spirits from haunted antiques, including a 100-year-old doll named “Charlie.”
“He’s got a grumpy face and moves by himself. We used to keep him in our cabinet of curiosities until the day he caused a commotion and spun around. So we put him on the fireplace mantel and he seems happy there,” Kenner said.
It’s not just about the gentle haunts, this stop is also educational for all ages.
“People come in and learn a little bit about the pioneers who settled Central Florida. They learn about some of the haunted hot spots of DeLand and meet some of the ghosts here at the haunted antique shop,” Kenner said.
This is just one visit along the self-guided road trip curated by Guess Where Trips.
There are several road trips around the world, including a few in Florida, themed based on interests.
Each trip will last about a day, with surprise stops, food recommendations, historical landmarks and more.
The company is based in Canada, founded by Jessica Off.
“The biggest thing is, I want them to explore their own backyard and know that there’s so much more to do than the big attractions. There’s history. There are haunted stories. There are small, quaint towns that people can explore. And the biggest thing is supporting small businesses,” Off said.
How do they curate the road trips in areas around the world?
“We spend weeks researching. We look through every travel blog. We speak to locals. We speak to a lot of small businesses just to get their advice on hidden gems, the best routes, and we plot everything out on a map. Then we actually go down to each of the locations and we travel ourselves to make sure these stops are worth going to,” Off said. “While we’re down there, we talk to more locals to see if there are any other hidden gems or what other interesting tidbits of history are out the stops. So that’s how we organize all the trips. It’s not easy. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s worth it in the end.”
The haunted antique shop is part of the ”Mysterious Gems” Guess Where Trip that takes you to Volusia County.
This journey will take you to an old haunted hospital, mysterious mills and beachside ruins (We don’t want to give too much away).
The package comes with envelopes with packets in each one for each stop that includes maps, old photos, descriptions and suggested stops and a tote bag. Most of the attractions in this trip are free with a few $10 or less. Each trip is $65.
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