#146 Places not to go ! (w/ JW Ocker)

J.W. Ocker returns to discuss Don’t Go There, his guide to some of the world’s most mysterious, dangerous, and lore-filled locations.

From the Bermuda Triangle and the Pine Barrens to the Salton Sea, Centralia, and Skinwalker Ranch, J.W. explores why certain places collect stories of disappearances, disasters, strange phenomena, and uneasy fascination.

In this conversation, he shares how he chose the locations for the book, why real history can be more unsettling than paranormal claims, and what makes a place feel dangerous even when it’s close to home. He also talks about the travel experiences that stayed with him—including getting stuck in the toxic muck of the Salton Sea—and the expedition he’d choose if given unlimited access.

In this episode:

• Why Don’t Go There focuses on places where mystery, history, and unsettling lore overlap
• The difference between a haunted location and a place with a larger, accumulating reputation
• The Pine Barrens, the Jersey Devil, and the eerie landscape hidden within one of America’s most populated regions
• Why the Salton Sea became one of the book’s most surprising and disturbing stories
• Centralia’s underground coal fire and how its abandoned-town reputation has changed over time
• Skinwalker Ranch, the wider Uinta Basin, and the fascination around heavily investigated paranormal sites
• J.W.’s dream expedition to search for Ciudad Blanca, the legendary White City
• Why the places themselves don’t always scare him—but being home alone sometimes does
• The real-world danger, strange history, and lingering reputation of Maine’s Haynesville Woods
• What readers can expect from the book’s “Risky Ruins” section

About the guest J.W. Ocker is an author and traveler who writes about unusual places, paranormal lore, strange history, and the darker corners of the map. His latest book, Don’t Go There, explores locations around the world that have become magnets for mystery, tragedy, and unsettling stories. Find J.W. Ocker online at

Odd Things I’ve Seen, and follow him on Instagram and TikTok.