High Tales of History

Join us for a very adventurous episode 25!  In this episode, Laurel recounts the story of John "Chick" Donahue and his great beer run during the Vietnam War in 1968.  When the local bar wanted to boost the morale of the neighborhood men fighting overseas by bringing them a beer, Chick Donahue stepped up and ended up in the biggest adventure of his life.   After that, KT feeds the hungry history pi...

Welcome to episode 24, the first episode of 2022!  How do you feel about sports history? In this episode, the sisters have a haunted moment in KT's house and then KT wins the bottle, leaf, grinder and tells the story of the suspicious death of famed racehorse, Alydar.   **Note : The defendants in this trial have not been charged in a wrongful death of the horse and have already served th...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  *cue confetti, streamers, mirror ball, high jinks...also...high and jinks* We're still celebrating the holiday season and this final episode of 2021 brings the stories of Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa and the Ashanti Uprising, also known as the War of the Golden Stool.  Next, KT keeps the holiday feeling going with the legend of Krampus!  Hope you weren't on the n...

Merry Christmas Folks! Welcome to a Christmas Eve edition of Hightailing Through History.  We're feeling festive so spike that eggnog, grind the herb or grab yourself a cozy hot chocolate and spend some time with the sisters as we celebrate Christmas Eve festivities!  Starting with a beloved Christmas Eve tradition, Laurel tells us about the not-quite-so-sweet origins of the Santa Tracke...

We've turned 21! 21 episodes old that is...but let's still celebrate! *pops cork, grinds ouid* This week's hightailing adventure takes us through the legend of the Christmas pickle told by KT!  Marketing scheme or sweet, fun German tradition?  Next, Laurel introduces us to First Lady (and maybe secret lady president?!), wife of Woodrow Wilson, Edith Bolling Wilson!  Find out some hi...

Hey, we're happy you're here! Grab your favorite cozy spot in the smoke circle and get ready to hear some great stories in history.  First off, Laurel begins with the lead up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which was 80 years ago the week of this episode release.  Find out about the decades of tension that led to the deadly date that will live in infamy.  Afterwards, KT takes us on a...

Welcome to Episode 19! We're so happy to be back with you after our Thanksgiving break! If you celebrate, we hope it was a great holiday for you (and a great Thursday for everyone else!) and a Happy Hanukkah to our friends who celebrate! The sisters are back in the smoke circle tonight with some figures in history SO legendary, they are practically mythical.  KT has chosen her story from the...

Welcome to Episode 18!  In this week's episode, KT kicks it off with a story about Tecumseh, who was a Chief for the Shawnee tribe that fought against white expansion onto Indigenous lands in what is present day United States.  A fierce warrior with both weapon and word, Tecumseh was celebrated as a leader who was able to bring tribes together for a common goal.   Afterwards, Laurel...

By the power of Grayskull! We've returned to our usual two story episode!  To celebrate Veterans Day on November 11th, Laurel kicks it off with a story about Lieutenant Susan Ahn Cuddy, who was a woman of a lot of firsts in the United States Navy and Armed Forces!  KT then follows it up with the origin story of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!  From his beginnings as a hyper-...

It's time for episode 16! This week KT is taking the lead and doing her big story this week! As a big lover of Mongol and Mongolian culture, KT is covering Genghis (Chinggis) Khan!  Settle in, grab a drink (or herb) of your choice and come hang out with the sisters!  **Content Warning** Being that Genghis Khan is Genghis Khan, there is some brief discussion of the atrocities committed du...

Happy Halloween/Samhain, Smoke Circle! We have an adventure filled spooky episode for you in which the sisters hop in Greta (KT's Volkswagen) and head north to Southern Wisconsin to search for their local cryptid, The Beast of Bray Road!  Is it a werewolf?  A skinwalker? Dogman?....Hoax? Jump on into the backseat and buckle up, there is room for everyone.  Lock the doors, don't be scared. Laurel i...

Welcome to Episode 15!  We are rounding out our spooky month with the other side of the tale that many know so well about Jack the Ripper.  While most people will be recounting the details and mystery of Jack the Ripper and his heinous crimes during this time of year, we are going to turn the spotlight on the women whose lives were taken.  We are here to perpetuate the narrative tha...

Welcome Back!  This week, we celebrate KT's birthday around the smoke circle as she tells us about the history of Halloween and its traditions.  After that, Laurel takes us to 19th century America and recounts the long-standing vampire panic that pervaded the rural areas of New England for about 100 years!   Grab your cocktail, your bud, or a nice cozy cup of tea or hot chocolate an...

Welcome back! Episode 13 is here and it is a spooky one!  After changing the rules from rock, paper, scissor to bottle, (cannabis) leaf and grinder, KT starts us out with the original werewolf tale: The Beast of Gévaudan which takes place in France in the 1760s.  Laurel follows it up with a listener voted topic of stories from "cursed" movie sets.  Do you think they are actually cur...

It's October 1st and you know what that means, party people! It's spooky season! All month long, we are going to be sharing tales of creepy history and today we kick it off with two people in history who created the iconic Frankenstein's Monster and Count Dracula--both directly and indirectly, respectively.  That's right, we are discussing Mary Shelley and her novel Frankenstein Or, A Modern...

Still with us after episode 10?! Gee, thanks!  In this episode, we are catching up on important events in September: Latinx Heritage Month and September 11th.  First, Laurel talks about the life, love and art of Mexican icon Frida Kahlo. KT follows up with the tale of the brave individuals on United Flight 93 on September 11th, 2001.   **Content Warning** Both of our stories contain...

We've got a megasode for episode 10 with some big, roller coaster stories for you and guess what? They are both in the same country and nearly the same time as well!   First KT covers the vigilante story of a group of Holocaust survivors called Nakam, who exacted revenge against the Nazis and their helpers after WWII.  Next, Laurel has quite the long, cinematic story of the first major escape from...

Welcome back!  We're one episode away from TEN! As usual, we've got a spot saved for you, however, this time KT insists that it will be her lap... We start with Laurel's story about Thocmetony, later named Sarah Winnemucca, who was a Northern Paiute educator, author and advocate for her people.  She lived a hard life walking between two worlds with critics on both sides.  After leav...

The comfiest spot in the smoke circle goes to you, Friend! Come on in!  Welcome to episode 8 in which we recorded about 45 minutes of material before realizing only one of us was plugged in and a certain stoner was just testing HER levels and not BOTH.  Soooo....anyway... But we made it.  And we're so glad you're here.  In this episode, Laurel covers the story of what she alway...

Welcome to episode 7!  In this episode, the sisters surprise each other with a tale of strictly regulated liquids in history--alcohol and....maple syrup?! First KT tells us about how the U.S. government had the not-so-bright idea to poison alcohol during prohibition and the dire consequences it had on the public.  Next, Laurel fast forwards time to the early 2010s to Quebec, Canada to ta...

Welcome back Friends!  We have upgraded our sound and equipment and we're thrilled about it!  We're also coming at you in stereo so you can use headphones to feel like you're really here with us in the middle of the smoke circle.  Or not, you do you and we love you for it *heart hands* First we meet Khutulun of Mongolia who was an amazing warrior and just as amazing at wrestling. &n...

Hello Friends!  We saved you a spot!  Katie is out this week so Laurel wrangled in a special guest to drink bourbon and listen to her tale about the worst marathon on record.  The marathon was the crown jewel in the tiara of disaster that was the 1904 Olympic Games held in St. Louis, Missouri.  It's a story that will leave you breathless and shaking your head because it's such...

Another week, another smoke circle and another episode! Welcome back!  After KT discovers Laurel's rock, paper, scissors secret, she defeats her for the first time and kicks off the episode with the real life samurai inspiration behind anime series Rurouni Kenshin.  Next, Laurel tells KT all about the Super Fight between Muhammad "The Greatest" Ali and Rocky "The Brockton Blockbuster" Ma...

Welcome back! We've saved you your usual spot in the smoke circle and let me tell you: you sure know how to pick a spot! That's the best seat, it just wraps you up like a cozy hug...and it also happens to be on the roller's left...I see you. ;-)   Get comfy! If weed isn't your bag, KT has some of her excellent "Cab Sav" for you.   Tonight we have some great stories for you! First, Laurel...

Hi there! We saved you a spot in the smoke circle! Puff, puff, pass y'all!  Otherwise, KT has some "Cab Sav" for you if you're interested. This week's episode covers a wide span of history starting with Laurel's story of more recent times about the Feather Heist of a scientifically and historically priceless collection of rare birds from the British Natural History Museum.  It is WILD so buckle in...