Our haunted vacations

Jefferson Historic Hotel

2013-04-05T01:30:00.003-05:00

3/8/2013 to 3/10/2013

The Jefferson Hotel124 W. Austin Street

Jefferson, Texas 75657

903-665-2631866-33HOTEL (866-334-6835)Fax : 903-665-6222124austin@sbcglobal.net

IEF HISTORY OF THE JEFFERSON HOTEL

At a time when steamboats plied the Big Cypress River from New Orleans and true Southern gentility was the order of the day a stately structure, now known as the Jefferson Hotel, was built. Once used as a warehouse to store cotton, this lovely building changed hands numerous times. At the turn of the twentieth century it was transformed into a hotel and has served as a haven for weary travelers since that time.

As you walk down the hallways and peer into each room, you'll get a sense of the comfort afforded Southern Belles and genteel men in days gone by. Close your eyes and you'll hear the rustle of long petticoats, the whistles of steamboats entering port, and riverboat gamblers trying their fortune.

Once known as the Crystal Palace in the 1920's, ragtime music

rang through these halls as couples swirled around the room.

Each room boasts its own theme and decor, all with antique furnishings.

Another addition to this lovely hotel are its local hauntings. Many a guest has regaled the hotel staff with stories of sights and sounds heard and seen in the night.

Whatever your pleasure, be our guest and settle in for a journey through time when 'the living was easy' and the era was golden.

Our evidence

Other Jefferson haunts

The Grove

The Grove (also known as the Stilley-Young House), located in Jefferson, Texas, is an 1861 historic home that is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The house has also been called the most haunted place in Texas. The Grove’s history dates back to the 19th century, when the property was purchased and the house that became known as “The Grove” was built. The Grove has been featured in the television series, "If Walls Could Talk" on the cable channelHGTV^[2] and was chosen “as one of the top twelve most haunted houses in America”^[3] by “This Old House.” The Grove was also named as one of the "eight scariest places in Texas" by "Texas Monthly" magazine.^[4] The house was also shown in "William Shatner's Weird or What?" in 2012.^[5] Additionally, The Grove was featured on "Penn & Teller: Bullshit!"^[6] Texas Highways magazine has featured The Grove several times, including their articles "Haunted Places in Texas" from October 1997^[7] and "Haunted Jefferson" from October 2008.^[8]

One of the things about The Grove is that it has a reputation for being haunted. The ghost stories go back through many owners - Miss Louise Young, who lived in the house from the early 1900s until her death in the 1980s used to tell her friends about the "haints" that occupied the house with her. Somewhere along the way, though, the fun little ghost stories took a dark turn. In her later years, she was terrified of the spirits. She had a security light installed in the garden because she would see people outside walking around, who disappeared when she turned on the porch light. She called the police several times a week in her later years to report that someone was in the house with her, but the officers never found anyone else there. Finally, she moved into just a few rooms of the house, letting the rest of the place start to deteriorate.

Long before then, back in 1882, The Grove was sold to a man named T.C. Burke. He moved his family in, and they moved right back out, with the only explanation being that, "They couldn't live in that house!"

The Grove is featured on the cover of "A Texas Guide To Haunted Restaurants, Taverns, and Inns" by Robert and Anne Wlodarski. There are also stories about The Grove in the books: "Best Tales of Texas Ghosts" by Docia Schultz Williams, "Haunted Texas Vacations : The Complete Ghostly Guide" by Lisa Farwell, "Haunted Encounters: Real-Life Stories of Supernatural Experiences" from Atriad Press, "Ghosts of East Texas and the Pineywoods" by Mitchel Whitington, "A Ghost in My Suitcase: A Guide to Haunted Travel in America" by Mitchel Whitington, and "A Visitor's Guide to Texas" by Connie Sherley.The Grove ghosts have been described in "Texas Highways" magazine, "GMC Magazine", "The Dallas Morning News", "The Fort Worth Star-Telegram", "The Marshall News Messenger", "The Carthaginian", "The Kilgore News Herald", "The Austin-American Statesman", "Discover Texas" magazine, and probably several more that we haven't heard of yet. If you've seen The Grove written up somewhere else, please send us an e-mail!

Here are a few of the ghost stories from The Grove:

When the Grove family owned the property (the name is just a coincidence), Mrs. Grove reportedly brought a Bible to bed with the intention of praying for her and her husband, but she fell asleep. She awakened to a black swirling mass engulfing the bedroom. There were also unexplained voices, disembodied footsteps, sounds of objects being moved by unseen hands, and apparitions.
Sudden odors have appeared in rooms: the scent of a woman's perfume, or the smell of body odor, as if someone hasn't bathed for a long time.
When Patrick Hopkins, the former owner, was getting the restaurant ready to open, a lady dressed in white walked down the hallway, and into the ladies' powder room.
Heavy mirrors have fallen off the wall without explanation, and have landed without breaking or crushing the objects beneath them.
During its restaurant years, a waitress walked out of the kitchen into the hallway and was attacked by a black and white dog that knocked her to the ground. After quickly regaining her composure, she ran back into the kitchen, screaming for help. Patrick Hopkins searched the building and yard - there was no dog to be found. It simply had vanished.
During a Candlelight Tour, a couple visiting from Dallas took a picture of the Christmas lights on the neighbor's house to the east of The Grove. Their photo showed the Christmas lights in the foreground. In the background was a lady in a high-collared, puff sleeved white dressed surrounded by a ring of smoke.
While rehearsing a dinner theater, a light technician was on the front porch looking through the window. Suddenly she felt someone staring at her so she quickly glanced to the right. Standing on the east side of the house by the porch was a lady in white who began walking behind the east side of the house. Chasing the eerie-looking woman, the girl turned the corner of the house, and the woman had vanished. Ironically, at one time there was a door on that side of the house leading into the Blue Room.
On that same rehearsal night, the actress portraying the heroine came down the stairs. When she reached the bottom step she glanced to her right and saw a person in costume she was not familiar with, standing in the corner. When she began to ask the lady something, the woman disappeared.
Wet footprints have appeared in the middle of the hallway, even though it wasn't raining outside and there were no plumbing leaks. Drops of water have been found on the staircase, and on one particular mirror in the house, all when the atmosphere was dry.
A neighbor lady told a former owner, "Let me tell you what my sister and I have seen recently. My sister was standing on our porch one night around 9 o'clock when she called me out to see a glowing white figure across the street. She looked like she was inspecting the renovation of an old building. The figure came from the east side of The Grove!" She and her sister had witnessed this several nights in a row.
A renter lived in the garden cottage at one time, and he looked out its window to see a little girl playing out among the flowers. He went outside, and she looked at him, then disappeared.
A shadow-figure has been seen in the garden many times - striding quickly across it, or simply just hanging around.
Lights go on and off in the house, and the chandeliers have reported to sway, even with the absence of moving air in the room

And if you'd like to read the account of a night spent in The Grove back when it was a restaurant, visit Melodie's "One Haunted Night - A True Story"webpage.

The best way to stay abreast of the latest ghostly-goings on at The Grove is to check our ezine archives, and then sign up for our FREE monthly ezine where we tell the latest tales!

Experience electronic voice phenomena (EVP)recorded at the grove by clicking here!

You won't get the staff to addmint it but this hotel is very

haunted

The Excelsior House welcomes you as it has welcomed travelers since the late 1850's. Famous people registered at the Excelsior House include Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, Rutherford B. Hayes and Lady Bird Johnson to name a few.

Southern charm graces this historic hotel with rich rosewood, cherry, and mahogany furnishings, Constructed of brick and timber, with lacy iron work gallery, The Excelsior House has become an antique lover's delight.

Today, with the beautifully appointed ballroom and dining room and the manicured grounds, the hotel excels in elegance and taste, including the well known Orange Blossom Muffins served daily at breakfast.

&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="middle" width="100%"&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="middle" width="100%"&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;At a time when steamboats plied the Big Cypress River from New Orleans and true Southern gentility was the order of the day a stately structure, now known as the Jefferson Hotel, was built.&amp;nbsp; Once used as a warehouse to store cotton, this lovely building changed hands numerous times.&amp;nbsp; At the turn of the twentieth century it was transformed into a hotel and has served as a haven for weary travelers since that time.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;As you walk down the hallways and peer into each room, you'll get a sense of the comfort afforded Southern Belles and genteel men in days gone by.&amp;nbsp; Close your eyes and you'll hear the rustle of long petticoats, the whistles of steamboats entering port, and riverboat gamblers trying their fortune.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;Once known as the Crystal Palace in the 1920's, ragtime music&lt;br /&gt; rang through these halls as couples swirled around the room.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;Each room boasts its own theme and decor, all with antique furnishings.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;Another addition to this lovely hotel are its local hauntings.&amp;nbsp; Many a guest has regaled the hotel staff with stories of sights and sounds heard and seen in the night.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;o:p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/o:p&gt;Whatever your pleasure, be our guest and settle in for a journey through time when 'the living was easy' and the era was golden.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="MsoBodyText2"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;"&gt;Jefferson has played an important role in the early development of the state. Center of culture and refinement, of stern-wheelers, wagon trains, and ox-team freighters, Jefferson was once the pride of a great empire around which revolved graceful living, southern charm, prestige, and. productivity. The town's bygone glories cannot be forgotten, and today Jefferson is a most eloquent reminder of an era long since vanished.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; Situated on Big Cypress Bayou, Jefferson early became a riverport town, and, in fact, has been described as the "Riverport to the Southwest." The boats came up the Mississippi River into the Red River, through Caddo Lake, and up Big Cypress to what was known as, and still is termed, the "Turning Basin" where the stern-wheelers loaded and unloaded cargo. One of the' early settlers of Jefferson was Captain William Perry, owner/builder of the world famous Excelsior Hotel, who arrived with the first stern-wheeler in 1844.&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img align="left" alt="" border="0" height="204" src="http://marioncountycoc.org/Portals/0/Images/old1.jpg" width="275" /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; At a time before railroads came to North Texas, all towns and farmers were dependent on port cities to import and export their goods. Jefferson had the distinction on being the only dependable port in North Texas. Also in Jefferson's favor, cotton was the basis of the economy and came in large, bulky, 500-pound bales which, without a railroad, had to be shipped by boats. Jefferson all but monopolized shipping from an area that extended over 200 miles west, including the cotton rich "Black Land" north and south of Dallas. The State of Texas, born in 1845, was a new incentive for an immigration rush into the area. People of all classes and professions, singly or in companies, by land, sea, and river, pushed in to Texas. Land was cleared, cabins built, and crops planted. Some wealthy planters migrated to Jefferson, settling on the bayou, and with their families and slaves, began to create a new cotton kingdom. Jefferson received the lion's share of the early immigration movement and soon became an East Texas metropolis. A natural barrier in the Red River, called the "Great Raft" routed water into Cypress Bayou, reopening the channel enabling the steamboats to go as far as Jefferson. Elegant stern-wheelers from the Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi Rivers churned into Jefferson, earning the town the title of "Gateway to Texas". At the height of this bustling movement, the riverport town of Jefferson was second only to Galveston in the amount of tonnage shipped from Texas. During the Civil War, Jefferson became very important to the Confederacy as supplier of meat, hides, food staples, iron, monitions, and leather goods.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;"&gt;The years after the Civil War became Jefferson's heyday with people coming from the devastated southern states seeking a new life. In 1872, there were exports in the thousands of dry hides, green hides, tons of wool, pelts, bushels of seed, several thousand cattle and sheep, and over a hundred thousand feet of lumber. For the same period, there were 226 arrivals of steamboats with a carrying capacity averaging 425 tons each.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;img align="right" alt="" border="0" height="217" src="http://marioncountycoc.org/Portals/0/Images/horse_n_carriage.jpg" width="166" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; Then began the "great decline." There have been many causes cited for the loss of prosperity, population, and businesses. It is felt strongly that one of the principal reasons for Jefferson's decline is that in 1873 the U.S. Corps of Engineers removed the Great Raft from the Red River above Shreveport, dropping the water level in Big Cypress Bayou to the point that shipping was uncertain and no longer financially profitable. With the coming of railroads, shippers of merchandise no longer depended on waterways.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="left" style="font-family: Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp; Today, Jefferson is a quaint small town featuring tour attractions reminiscent of its heyday. Its streets are lined with antique and gift shops stocked with unique treasures. Horse-drawn carriages and trolleys tour along the original brick streets. Just one block away from downtown are riverboat tours of Big Cypress Bayou, the same waterway once traveled by stern-wheelers. Evenings in town offer live theater productions, as well as a variety of dining choices. Retiring for the night in Jefferson offers the opportunity to experience any of the over 60 Bed and Breakfast establishments, including the Excelsior Hotel.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Room 14 &lt;/b&gt;very active at the time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIH5ZzxOwJP0Rj6a0Y85tUT7yNtjkEZNfO1SgNdfBGDr5Ok2pNM2pMTrgZrpAR8l2fTBWBP7vs9ZVNa0NMsecnhJo8KM6pNb9wzC9FkaJdnNDMcZhj4x-HQHVe-VwOdB0vnj39rrPAPzx/s1600/Rm_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white; color: black;"&gt;&lt;img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIH5ZzxOwJP0Rj6a0Y85tUT7yNtjkEZNfO1SgNdfBGDr5Ok2pNM2pMTrgZrpAR8l2fTBWBP7vs9ZVNa0NMsecnhJo8KM6pNb9wzC9FkaJdnNDMcZhj4x-HQHVe-VwOdB0vnj39rrPAPzx/s400/Rm_14.jpg" width="299" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;Chloe and I decided to take a Father daughter trip to the most haunted town in Texas for a weekend and had a blast. &amp;nbsp;We started our trip right after school and made it&amp;nbsp;in time&amp;nbsp;to investigate one of the most active rooms at the time in the hotel. We had a multitude of strange unexplained experiences.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;To begin with we had Chloes shoes on her feet when we enterede the room the first night. &amp;nbsp;She took them off to get cmfortable and left them in plain sight at the doorway. &amp;nbsp;For some unkown reason they ended up missing for the rest of the trip until 10 minutes before we left. &amp;nbsp;Then we found them right where the were left before we left. &amp;nbsp;Very strange and I' sure we didnt miss them. &amp;nbsp;We looked for two days.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Other Haunts we visisited&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&lt;b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;The Grove&lt;/b&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;(also known as the Stilley-Young House), located in&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson,_Texas" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Jefferson, Texas"&gt;Jefferson, Texas&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;, is an 1861 historic home that is listed on the&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="National Register of Historic Places"&gt;National Register of Historic Places&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;, and is a&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recorded_Texas_Historic_Landmark" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Recorded Texas Historic Landmark"&gt;Recorded Texas Historic Landmark&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;. The house has also been called the most&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_place" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Haunted place"&gt;haunted place&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;in Texas. The Grove’s history dates back to the 19th century, when the property was purchased and the house that became known as “The Grove” was built. The Grove has been featured in the television series, "&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_Walls_Could_Talk" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="If Walls Could Talk"&gt;If Walls Could Talk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;" on the cable channel&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HGTV" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="HGTV"&gt;HGTV&lt;/a&gt;&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grove_(Jefferson,_Texas)#cite_note-2" style="background-image: none; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;[2]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;and was chosen “as one of the top twelve most haunted houses in America”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grove_(Jefferson,_Texas)#cite_note-3" style="background-image: none; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;[3]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;by “&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Old_House" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="This Old House"&gt;This Old House&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;.” The Grove was also named as one of the "eight scariest places in Texas" by "&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Monthly" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Texas Monthly"&gt;Texas Monthly&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;" magazine.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grove_(Jefferson,_Texas)#cite_note-4" style="background-image: none; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;[4]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;The house was also shown in "&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shatner" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="William Shatner"&gt;William Shatner&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;'s&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weird_or_What%3F" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Weird or What?"&gt;Weird or What?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;" in 2012.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grove_(Jefferson,_Texas)#cite_note-5" style="background-image: none; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;[5]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;Additionally, The Grove was featured on "&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_%26_Teller:_Bullshit!" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Penn &amp;amp; Teller: Bullshit!"&gt;Penn &amp;amp; Teller: Bullshit!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;"&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grove_(Jefferson,_Texas)#cite_note-6" style="background-image: none; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;[6]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Highways" style="background-image: none; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; text-decoration: none;" title="Texas Highways"&gt;Texas Highways&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;magazine has featured The Grove several times, including their articles "Haunted Places in Texas" from October 1997&lt;/span&gt;&lt;sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 1em;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grove_(Jefferson,_Texas)#cite_note-7" style="background-image: none; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;"&gt;[7]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;and "Haunted Jefferson" from October 2008&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;Here are a few of the ghost stories from The Grove:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;When the Grove family owned the property (the name is just a coincidence), Mrs. Grove reportedly brought a Bible to bed with the intention of praying for her and her husband, but she fell asleep. She awakened to a black swirling mass engulfing the bedroom. There were also unexplained voices, disembodied footsteps, sounds of objects being moved by unseen hands, and apparitions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;Sudden odors have appeared in rooms: the scent of a woman's perfume, or the smell of body odor, as if someone hasn't bathed for a long time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;When Patrick Hopkins, the former owner, was getting the restaurant ready to open, a lady dressed in white walked down the hallway, and into the ladies' powder room.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;Heavy mirrors have fallen off the wall without explanation, and have landed without breaking or crushing the objects beneath them.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;During its restaurant years, a waitress walked out of the kitchen into the hallway and was attacked by a black and white dog that knocked her to the ground. After quickly regaining her composure, she ran back into the kitchen, screaming for help. Patrick Hopkins searched the building and yard - there was no dog to be found. It simply had vanished.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;During a Candlelight Tour, a couple visiting from Dallas took a picture of the Christmas lights on the neighbor's house to the east of The Grove. Their photo showed the Christmas lights in the foreground. In the background was a lady in a high-collared, puff sleeved white dressed surrounded by a ring of smoke.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;While rehearsing a dinner theater, a light technician was on the front porch looking through the window. Suddenly she felt someone staring at her so she quickly glanced to the right. Standing on the east side of the house by the porch was a lady in white who began walking behind the east side of the house. Chasing the eerie-looking woman, the girl turned the corner of the house, and the woman had vanished. Ironically, at one time there was a door on that side of the house leading into the Blue Room.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;On that same rehearsal night, the actress portraying the heroine came down the stairs. When she reached the bottom step she glanced to her right and saw a person in costume she was not familiar with, standing in the corner. When she began to ask the lady something, the woman disappeared.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;Wet footprints have appeared in the middle of the hallway, even though it wasn't raining outside and there were no plumbing leaks. Drops of water have been found on the staircase, and on one particular mirror in the house, all when the atmosphere was dry.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;A neighbor lady told a former owner, "Let me tell you what my sister and I have seen recently. My sister was standing on our porch one night around 9 o'clock when she called me out to see a glowing white figure across the street. She looked like she was inspecting the renovation of an old building. The figure came from the east side of The Grove!" She and her sister had witnessed this several nights in a row.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;A renter lived in the garden cottage at one time, and he looked out its window to see a little girl playing out among the flowers. He went outside, and she looked at him, then disappeared.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;A shadow-figure has been seen in the garden many times - striding quickly across it, or simply just hanging around.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;Lights go on and off in the house, and the chandeliers have reported to sway, even with the absence of moving air in the room &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;And if you'd like to read the account of a night spent in The Grove back when it was a restaurant, visit Melodie's&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: white;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.thegrove-jefferson.com/haunted.htm" target="_blank"&gt;"One Haunted Night - A True Story"&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div&gt;Though they don't addvertise its haunted nature, it is said to be the most haunted location in town.&lt;table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #fffefd; width: 100%px;"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="center" width="72%"&gt;&lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Georgia;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="color: #a6946f; font-size: large;"&gt;THE EXCELSIOR HOUSE HOTEL&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style="color: #a6946f; font-family: Book Antiqua;"&gt;211 W. Austin&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Jefferson, Texas 75657&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center" rowspan="2" width="26%"&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;center&gt;&lt;table border="1" bordercolor="#541012" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 91%px;"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td width="100%"&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Book Antiqua; font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"&gt;Interested in Parties, Receptions, Meetings or Weddings?&lt;br /&gt; Visit the&lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.theexcelsiorhouse.com/ruth.htm"&gt;Ruth Lester House&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: small;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Georgia;"&gt;See our new&lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="http://www.theexcelsiorhouse.com/getaways.htm"&gt;Mid-Week Getaway&lt;br /&gt; Specials&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Book Antiqua; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.theexcelsiorhouse.com/ooogetaways.htm"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td align="center" width="2%"&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td align="center" width="72%"&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;center&gt;&lt;table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="3" style="width: 100%px;"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt; &lt;tr&gt;&lt;td width="100%"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://ts.realtourvision.com/tour/RS/tour.view.php?utl=RS-5439-MS9K5R-01"&gt;&lt;img align="right" border="0" height="151" src="http://www.theexcelsiorhouse.com/images/frontdesk.jpg" width="249" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: large;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt; T&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;he Excelsior House welcomes you as it has welcomed travelers since the late 1850's. Famous people registered at the Excelsior House include Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde, Rutherford B. Hayes and Lady Bird Johnson to name a few.&lt;br /&gt; Southern charm graces this historic hotel with rich rosewood, cherry, and mahogany furnishings, Constructed of brick and timber, with lacy iron work gallery, The Excelsior House has become an antique lover's delight.&lt;br /&gt; Today, with the beautifully appointed ballroom and dining room and the manicured grounds, the hotel excels in elegance and taste, including the well known Orange Blossom Muffins served daily at breakfast.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/center&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt;

New Ideas in the works

2013-02-18T04:48:00.005-06:00

Lets get some suggestions for a low budget documentary I have an experienced camera guy and some great Hollywood connections. Love to invite plenty of newbys and experienced as well . This would not be a convention just a some fun hunting. I would prob be alone as narration and or guide. Family is getting a little tired of the scene. except for Chloe my youngest. Any Thoughts? Money is getting to be an issue.

Here is some of our equipt in the meantime.

Direct feedback from our 'My Ghost Story' show

2012-07-17T16:37:00.001-05:00

Here is an Published article I was sent regarding our story(s) from the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Celebrity Ghost Discovered In
“America’s Most Haunted Hotel”

The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas has been investigated by several of the top paranormal TV shows in America. They have “discovered” several “guests who checked out but never left”. One such recent discovery was noted 20th century celebrity Irene Castle

(EUREKA SPRINGS, ARKANSAS) -- Spirits from various places and various eras make up the “guest register” of those “guests who checked out but never left” what many consider America’s most haunted hotel”, the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa. This five-story mountaintop spa resort each year seems to discover yet another one of those famous “guests” by name. This year it was dancing legend of the early to mid twentieth century, Irene Castle.
“We were thrilled to find out that Ms. Castle still visits the hotel as she did during her final years here as a resident of Eureka Springs (AR),” stated Bill Ott, marketing director of this Historic Hotel of America, “and it was only as we linked casual references of a young girl describing a paranormal encounter were we able to piece together that her encounter was with someone who once frequented our property.”
Irene Castle and husband Vernon were the best-known ballroom dancers of the early twentieth century. They operated ballroom dancing clubs and would travel the country charging as much as a thousand dollars an hour for lessons. She appeared in a Broadway show and several movies. Her popularization of social dancing with her husband was portrayed in a movie starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire entitled “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle”.
“It was after the death of her fourth husband when Irene moved to Eureka Springs in 1959 to be near her son from her third marriage,” Ott explained. “She bought a house on a small parcel of land just blocks from the Crescent, a place she called Destiny Farm. She died in 1969 while living here in Eureka.”
Ott said that locals have told him that it was her love of the social life in her latter years that brought her to the Crescent on numerous occasions. It is said of Irene that even in her sixties that she was still “trim, lovely and fashionable lady with nothing to do but embrace the social scene of Eureka Springs” for whom the Crescent was the epicenter.
“It was a family that vacations annually at the Crescent who were part of the encounter where links to Irene came to the fore,” Ott said. “This story, which was recounted on a recent episode of the Biography’s Channel My Ghost Story, takes place when the mother was giving her daughter a bath in their room and the young girl began talking as if she was having a conversation with someone.
“The young girl said there was a princess standing right behind her mother but the mother saw no one. The mother thought it was unusual because her daughter was using such words as pirouette, ballerina, tango, princess, castle and bob.
“It wasn’t until the girl’s father read about Irene Castle’s connection to the Crescent on our hotel blog was he able to put the puzzle pieces of that encounter together. He writes, ‘the strange words my daughter had said that we had made note of began to make sense. The princess was someone in a costume. That princess did not live in a castle; she was Castle. The Bob was a hairstyle popularized by Ms. Castle. Those dancing terms were words commonly used by a professional dancer. It was clear, my daughter had been talking to Irene Castle.’”
Ms. Castle is only one of many paranormal guests who have been named at the Crescent. “Two of the better-known spirits are Michael, the Irish stonemason who fell to his death during construction of the hotel in the footprint of Room 218; and Theodora, the cancer patient who fumbles for her key outside Room 419,” Ott noted.
Whether named or nameless the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa has become a haven for those wanting to encounter the shadow, the whisper, the tingling touch of someone, something who stealthily walks the halls of the hotel proper. Nightly ghost tours have been selling out for years. In fact, hotel management now encourages guests and visitors to purchase ghost tour tickets in advance to ensure their opportunity to walk with these Ozark specters on the night they desire.
“October sees the interest grow exponentially in the paranormal aspect of our hotel,” Ott concluded, “however the frenzied interest is year ‘round. It has escalated so much that later this fall we will be introducing ‘Midnight In The Morgue: A Portrait of Norman Baker’. This exciting new, multi-media theatrical presentation will give our guests and visitors a chance to ‘meet the man’ who purchased the Crescent and operated the hotel in the late ‘30s as a cancer curing hospital.”

For more information, one may go to americasmosthauntedhotel.com.

From their website http://www.eurekaghosttours.com/index.htm
here is the history of the hotel:

Eureka Springs was born on July 4th, 1879…offspring of the many legends and stories of the MAGIC HEALING SPRING of the Osage Indians. These legends and tales were spread word of mouth from Indian to traders and trappers and explorers who spanned the region from the Great Lakes to Southern Florida. The Osage Indians were hunters and this area made an ideal habitat for their lifestyle. The heavily wooded Ozark Mountains were rich with wildlife for hunting and trapping… and the Osage made the ideal “Guardians” for the Magic Healing Spring. They permitted anyone to come to the spring to drink and bathe and heal - even the white man. The area was considered by the Osage to be SACRED GROUND because of the healing quality of the waters. As such, no form of hostility was acceptable and weapons were not permitted in the area of the springs. Fear of antagonizing the SPIRIT OF THE SPRING was a strong incentive for hospitable behavior by all who visited the area.

In 1854, a doctor named Alva Jackson came to the area on a hunting trip. He had long heard of the healing waters and, although he lived in a neighboring community, had never really believed the tales. He was hunting in the area with his son who suffered with a chronic eye infection. Dr. Jackson sent the son down the mountain to wash his eyes in the spring and, within three days, the eye infection had been cured. Dr. Jackson began bottling the water as “Dr. Jackson’s Elixir”.

By the 1870’s, the region was well known by the white man and small groups of health seekers came to the area in search of whatever cures were needed. At that time, a group of approximately 400 settlers had gathered around what we now know as Basin Spring. The Osage Indians had hewn the basin out of a large rock ages ago and the spring flowed freely into that basin. The community was a ramshackle assortment of tents, lean-to’s and shanties. During an Independence Day celebration, the idea was proposed to formalize the settlement. A group of seven wealthy businessmen, including Alva Jackson, calling themselves the “Eureka Improvement Company” took it upon themselves to see to the development of this “Health Resort”. By the next year, the city charter had been formalized and the population had grown to 15,000. By the turn of the century, our full time population had grown to more than 20,000 permanent residents.

By 1880 an elegant, 4-story hotel known as the Perry House was built on the site of the healing spring. Like most other buildings in Eureka at that time, the Perry House was built completely out of wood and by 1890 it had fallen victim to one of the four fires that completely leveled Eureka Springs to the ground. By 1895, William Duncan organized the capital stock necessary to build the Basin Park Hotel on the site of the former Perry House. Following the lead of the Crescent Hotel, it was decided to use our local limestone to build the hotel. In the ten years it took to build the property, Duncan overextended his interest in the project and bankrupt the Citizens Bank and almost every other investor in the Syndicate. The hotel finally opened in 1905. William Duncan died in 1907 but it is believed that he continues to roam the hotel in his trademark brown suit and derby..........

Eureka Springs was born on July 4th, 1879…offspring of the many legends and stories of the MAGIC HEALING SPRING of the Osage Indians. These legends and tales were spread word of mouth from Indian to traders and trappers and explorers who spanned the region from the Great Lakes to Southern Florida. The Osage Indians were hunters and this area made an ideal habitat for their lifestyle. The heavily wooded Ozark Mountains were rich with wildlife for hunting and trapping… and the Osage made the ideal “Guardians” for the Magic Healing Spring. They permitted anyone to come to the spring to drink and bathe and heal - even the white man. The area was considered by the Osage to be SACRED GROUND because of the healing quality of the waters. As such, no form of hostility was acceptable and weapons were not permitted in the area of the springs. Fear of antagonizing the SPIRIT OF THE SPRING was a strong incentive for hospitable behavior by all who visited the area.

http://www.americasmosthauntedhotel.com/
http://www.crescent-hotel.com
http://eurekaspringsmediacenter.com/photogallery/index.php?level=collection&id=4

Lobby Now

Lobby Then

Chloe and Conner in 2012

Kimberly and Colin in 2012

Myrtles Plantation June 26th-30th

2012-07-08T01:32:00.000-05:00

Myrtles Plantation is known as the most haunted house in the USA.

Our second trip to the plantation didn't let us down! Lots of amazing evidence collected! Most of it is at the bottom of our post.

I assure you it is haunted.

We left at 2:30AM to avoid the rush hour traffic and heat and arrive early to see the sights.

Leaving

Not easy to get everyone up and ready to move...

I can attest.

But safe trip all the way there and arrived 8 hours later.

The Island in the middle of the pond was one of the creepier spots at night.

Spanish Moss hung from the trees everywhere.

The Moss covered pond. Frogs, Snakes, spiders, and turtles where all encountered.

Kim's parents (Dan and Betts), and Conner and Chloe stayed in the old slave quarters now known as the Caretakers Cottage.

It sleeps 4 with a full size bed, bath, and bunk-beds. It is isolated about 150 feet from the main house and very, very dark at night. CREEPY.

The porch of the caretakers cottage

The isolation between the two of our quarters

DAN and BETTS

Chloe searches for artifacts "BOOM BABY"

Unbelievable Chloe stayed in this very bunk the last time we were here and had written her name on the plank below the top bunk. It was still there.

Please forgive her vandalism she was only 4 years old then.

Before this came this

\/

I had lots of help with our equipment and luggage

Kimberly and I stayed in the Bradford suite, two rooms with a living room and front door attached to a bedroom with a back door to the back porch that surrounds the plantation house. Directly under the stairs next to the main entrance.

The Bedroom in the Bradford suite

The Bradford parlor

As night fell, the room began to feel much heavier
and brought back memories of our last stay here.

The stairs above our room, We would hear footsteps off and on all night our whole stay. It was unoccupied by living guest the entire time.

Now for the good stuff...

Check out our K2 communications ...

There is more to come but it just takes a little time compare our notes and go through all the possible evidence in each picture, video, DVR footage, and digital audio clip.

But here are a quite a few good bits of evidence to start with until I finish the review and complete this post.

Shadow figure at 4:00 AM with no light source and no one around

Shadow or full apparition right around 3:30 AM while I was doing a solo run around the outside of the grounds. Everyone was asleep and I'm sure no one was (living) was on the bridge.

This one hard to see but there appears to be a face of a girl in window shot at 3:00 AM with inside locked and empty

Closer view

pic in complete darkness of parlor with a flash on IPhone

Chloe woke up and joined me

and seemed to have some luck with the EMF detector

mist near cottage after Chloe and I hear voices. Light is only light on north side of main house.

That changes later...

Cold spots in our bedroom within 15 feet and 2 minutes

And hot spots in our bedroom at same time

Cold spots and hot spots in our

bedroom within 15 feet and 2 minutes

A mist on back porch after Chloe

and I hear voices outside our room

Shadow form around fence for second time next night

Strange mists on DVR cams

K2 Meters going off and on as answers to our questions. This one we ask for just one to light up all the way with much success

And this too!

Not paranormal just creepy pic

I'm Still adding to this daily. But I will complete as soon asap.

Check Back soon!

Next up Back to the Myrtles Plantation

2012-06-10T02:39:00.002-05:00

June 26th 27th and 28th

Myrtles Plantation is known as the most haunted house in the USA. Last time it didn't let us down!

Staying in the Bradford sweet and the Mother in LAW, Father in law, and kids in the Caretakers cottage. Hope it wont disappoint. (yeah I know law is in caps.)

April 23 2012 San Antonio, Texas

2012-05-09T02:13:00.005-05:00

San Antonio Ghost Hunt 2 at the Emily Morgan Hotel

After the figure we caught on video inside the locked courtyard of the Alamo we could wait to get back down and try to catch more paranormal activity. A family reunion of Kim's family gave us the excuse we needed. Chloe and I left early Friday morning, while Kim and Conner followed later in the day afterr work and spring football practice.

Our ever-increasing kit

The best in Texas

Emily Morgan is said to be significant name in Texas history, Emily was helping General Sam Houston defeat Santa Anna during the San Jacinto battle for Texas Independence. Emily's legend is that she was with Santa Anna and had him rather distracted when Sam Houston captured him. The Emily Morgan Hotel building is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of San Antonio. Build in the 1920s and originally called the Medical Arts Building, it is a remarkable example of the Gothic revival style popular at the time of construction. Some of the most interesting features of the architecture are the bizarre terra cotta gargoyles suffering from various medical ailments. Before you even walk into the building, the gargoyles alert you that you are about to enter a weird place.

Check-in

Emily Morgan Hotel overlooking the Alamo.

We had a great view of the courtyard of the Alamo from our room on the 7th floor.

The Emily Morgan Hotel is known for being one of the most haunted places in San Antonio. Ghost hunters and supernatural thrill seekers come from all around the world to stay at the Emily Morgan Hotel. It didn't disappoint us.

Our view

An old Hospital turned Hotel built on the sight of the famous Texas battleground.

As its name suggests, the building was first used as a medical facility, and as you are probably aware, old hospitals and medical centers are some of the most frequently haunted locations. The three most haunted floors were formerly the sites of a psychiatric facility and the morgue. Many people have experienced incredible and strange occurrences on these floors, and multiple apparitions have been seen.The Emily Morgan’s past existence as a medical center would be enough to make it a hot spot for ghost hunters, but the Emily Morgan has more haunted history than just that- it happens to be located directly next to the Alamo, one of the most haunted places in the entire world. Most supernatural experts agree that paranormal energy can be transmitted from location to location, so even though it was built after the events at the Alamo, the Emily Morgan’s psychic aura is increased manifold by the supernatural force emitted from the Alamo. Indeed, many guests at the Emily Morgan have reported experiencing Alamo related spectral occurrences.

We also hunted most of the night and as we investigated we accumulated a number of strangers and followers who asked to join in.

At one point we ran in to the local official ghost tour and we out numbered them.

Together we asked for a sign in the basement and the ATM immediately started beeping like crazy. The only time it made a sound. Even when used.

Here is some of our best evidence.

The usual battery drains in cameras these pics taken with the same settings seconds apart

At the Alamo and the hotel Chloe as usual led the charge.

The supernatural happenings at the hotel mostly occur on the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 14th floors.

I believe Kim may have captured a shadow figure in these pics. A nurse keeping an eye on Chloe perhaps?

Strange orbs and blue lights

Great audio bit I recorded on the floor known to be the maternity ward. Several screaming babies outside the elevator and not from the rooms.

1922

1926

This one shot by Kim without knowing it. From outside looking in a window.

Not sure what to make of it but I found it looks like something almost see -thru and looking out the window.

Conner closely watching for ghost during the night.

Chloe Leads the hunt, while Conner mans the night vision cams very, very closely

While in the basement restroom, said to be the location of the morgue I snapped these. The temp seemed to drop and the room felt very heavy.

Picture taken in basement / morgue or a figure I think looks like a Dr.

pic taken at same time after I noticed it to show it was not a reflection of me as I was alone done there, and wearing red.

And another pic at same time.

Additional pics of restroom showing Blue light All taken with no Flash.

The Blue light could be seen on my camera screen in real time, but not with my eyes.

Then it was gone on the next pic and the room seemed to change to a lighter warmer place.

This is the view during the day

But that night we saw flashes and lights inside the courtyard that looked like a gun battle, only no noise or people. It was locked tight and patrolled by two state troopers around the perimeter. Bright flashes like camera flashbulbs went on back and forth for several minutes around two in the morning.

We kept seeing them throughout the Alamo courtyard one night like a gunfight going on. No noise and of course it was locked up.

We went down for a look but all was quiet.

2012-04-23T22:45:00.000-05:00

April 23, 2012

Remember if you want to follow us along virtually go to our Facebook page and like it or just follow along. We aren't selling anything.

...

Next up will be a quick trip to San Antonio. The Emily Morgan Hotel and the Alamo

2012-04-07T04:16:00.004-05:00

Back to San Antonio for a stay at the Emily Morgan Hotel on April 20-22. The in-Laws are having a get together of sorts so we will try out the hotel overlooking the Alamo in light of our evidence captured at the famous battle site.

The Emily Morgan Hotel

-A couples' experiences at the Emily Morgan Hotel that took place December 8 through the 10th, 2011.

The Elevator Ride-Going Up

My husband and I checked into the Emily Morgan Hotel around 9:45 pm on December 8th. The hotel lobby was beautifully decorated with a Christmas tree in the front corner and the gas fireplace made the space warm and inviting.

We pushed the button to grab the next elevator. As we entered and pressed the button for the 14th floor we realized it was the top floor and effectively the 13th floor since hotels typically skip naming the 13thfloor. We giggled at this discovery as the doors closed behind us. My husband commented on how quickly the elevator seemed to rise and almost as soon as the words left his mouth we abruptly stopped. It was clear that the stop wasn’t a normal stop. We looked at each other wide-eyed. The doors didn’t open and even after pushing the “doors open” button, the doors still wouldn’t open. We stood there stationary for only a minute and then the elevator started going back down. I began pushing “14” again. What seemed like in mid-stream, it lit up “12”, but then began to go back up to 14. This time it didn’t stop abruptly and the doors opened fine. We quickly exited, anxious to get off before it kept us hostage. Over the remainder of our stay, we rode in all of the available elevators numerous times and we never again experienced anything like that first time.

14th Floor The thing I noticed most about the 14th floor was the smell. It reminded me of some childhood memory of medicine. It was not offensive, pungent or overbearing, but it did stand out. Having researched the hotel a bit, I knew it had previously been a hospital and perhaps that tainted my impression of the smell. It did not have a clean clinical smell like hospitals or dentists' offices today.

As we opened the door to our room 14 foot ceilings and tall paned windows made the room seem small and narrow. However, it was spacious enough to accommodate a king-size bed with two nightstands, a built-in desk with rolling chair, a sofa, side chair, coffee table and dresser with a large (probably 40”) flat screen TV.

The colors of the décor were best described by my husband as “tired”. The room was not warm and cheery. I would not say that I got a sense of sadness there, nor was I uncomfortable there. It just seemed tired and perhaps a bit lonely. We opted to leave our luggage to unpack later and headed out to explore the Alamo and downtown San Antonio that was brightly lit for Christmas.

My husband wears contacts and utilizes an ultrasonic cleaning machine to clean them. We’ve had the machine awhile and have never experienced any problems with it. On our first morning in the room, my husband plugged it in where the coffee pot had been plugged in and it wouldn’t work even though the coffee pot had worked fine in that same plug. His first thought was that we had somehow broken the machine in the journey. I laughingly told him it was the ghosts playing with him and to try it again. This time it worked fine.

Clearing Throat/Growl

On our second day there, we went out on the town and came back to the room to rest before going out for the evening. I decided to lie on the bed and rest my eyes and feet. My husband opted for a nice soak in the large bath tub. As my husband sat in the tub, he left the door to the bathroom open and I was on the other side of the wall from him, with only enough room for one of the nightstands. Suddenly, and very clearly, I heard a male voice clear his throat, almost like a growl, and I opened my eyes fully expecting to see my husband standing directly over me. However, he was still in the tub. I asked him if he had just cleared his throat. He said he hadn't. I asked him if he had made any noises at all. He hadn't. He also hadn't heard what I heard. This is 4 pm in the afternoon and I was not asleep when it happened. I simply had my eyes closed. There had been no sounds coming from the room next to us during the entire stay, so I don’t believe it was from another room. It also was not a muffled sound at all. It sounded like it was directly next to me. I still have no idea what it was that I heard.

Thermostat and Light

We had agreed to leave a specific light on each night because it lit up the entry to the room while at the same time it put a small amount of light directly over the bed. When I went to bed on the second night that light was on. I went to bed before my husband did. I also woke before he did and noticed that the room seemed particularly hot. I went to check the thermostat which was by the swing bar lock on the front door. I noticed the light was off and had to turn it on to read the thermostat. The reading on the thermostat showed it was 70.5 in the room. That couldn't be possible. I get cold at 75 degrees. I also noticed that the vent wasn't rattling, which it had been any time the air conditioner or heat was on. That’s when I realized the unit was off. As I turned it on, the vent began to rattle and it showed 72 on the thermostat. When I cut it off again, it showed nothing on the display and vent was again quiet.

My husband woke up and I asked him if he had left the light on like we had been and asked him what he had set the thermostat on. He said the light was on when he went to bed and the air was set to 72 and was running when he went to bed. I have no explanation for how the air conditioning unit and light were both off when he is positive he left them both on before coming to bed. There is no way anyone could have entered the room because we had the swing bar door lock on.

Contact Lens Day 2

On the second morning of our stay, my husband again unplugged the coffee pot and plugged in the machine to clean his contact lens. The machine came on fine this time. We went about packing and getting ready to leave. The machine ordinarily runs for 8 minutes and cuts off. This time the machine had continued to run and the liquid in the machine was boiling hot. He had to let it sit before determining if it had ruined his lens and for them to be cool enough to put them in his eyes. The machine has never done this.

The Emily Morgan Hotel is impressive, a Gothic Revival that overlooks the Alamo and its courtyard. This is one way to spot a ghost at the Emily Morgan Hotel. The basement of the Emily Morgan was once used as the city's Medical Arts Building (it was built by John Nix, who went on to found several hospitals in San Antonio) and alleged spirit activity is strong in the basement.Those hoping for something supernatural might want to request a room on the 7th floor, where there have been many reports over the years of apparitions, temperature anomolies and unexplained noises.

Is the Emily Morgan hotel haunted?
If you are into haunted hotels then one you have to put on your list is The Emily Morgan located in San Antonio, Texas. The Emily Morgan is a gorgeous gothic style revival that overlooks the Alamo and its courtyard. When you check into this popular hotel, make sure you ask to be placed in a room on the 9th floor. Reports of high paranormal activity is said to occur here.

A few more experiences...
-My mom said on her honey moon she staid in the hotel emily morgan and staid in that very room where it is haunted she thinks its not true but I do.
-I have worked there for a year and i am now going back work.. I have heard stuff about it being haunted and stuff so i wanted to see for my self and some people get really fast well i dont and yes some thing freak me out about that place but i love working here and i think some people just get a different expericance when they go..
-My two sons and I stayed there at the end of July 2009. We also were on the 3rd floor, toward the end of the hall. That night I could not get to sleep. Both boys were asleep in the bed next to the bathroom. I had heard people checking in late, talking and closing doors in the hallway. But, it had been quiet for quite some time when I heard a young girl start singing. It did not seem to be coming from the hallway....it was different. It was a soft, pretty voice that sounded like it was echoing in the bathroom area. The feminine singing quickly dropped to a lower octave humming like moan that also seemed to quickly move over us, my eyes were still closed and it only lasted a few seconds when suddenly it stopped when my 10 yo, startled, sat up in bed and said "what the heck". He had also heard it. It really scared us and we had a difficult time going back to sleep. Needless to say we slept we the lights on that night.

A family on vacation reported staying on the 9th floor of the hotel, they recall not sleeping well, they heard continuous sounds of slamming doors. The sound of a toilet seat slamming up and down repeatedly. During their stay, a coffee pot and a bottle of wine fell off of the counter during separate occasions. The next day, the father of course angry at all the commotion from near-by neighbors complained to the hotel staff , they were told that they were the only ones that occupied a room on the ninth floor during their stay.

The 9th floor of the hotel is the sight of the most activity, but the rest of the hotel has its share for sure, on the 7th floor witnesses claim to have seen apparitions walking around and then disappearing into the walls or doors. One family staying on the 7th floor reported having everything blast on in their room at 2:30 a.m. Then they saw a shape move through the room and through the wall.

If you walk up the beautiful staircase, if you are lucky you will see the apparition of a woman standing at the top, some say it is the spirit of a lady waiting on her love that will never return, others say it is the spirit of Emily Morgan herself, watching over the building now named after her.

The basement had been used as a morgue and crematory. Employees have heard voices, footsteps, and seen orbs of light down in this area.

Other guests that stay at The Emily Morgan claim to see ghostly figures walking the grounds of the Alamo at night, after The Alamo has been closed for the day.
Like us...

Or maybe the Hotel will just be having a not so paranormal beauty contest and my son and I will just have to suffer through the distractions under the mindful eye of my wife.

We will see.

Update to Menger Hotel and Alamo trip

2012-03-24T02:19:00.000-05:00

While searching for some pics of our trip to San Antonio for another project, I reviewed our ghost hunting video of the Alamo. Since the original post ( http://hauntedfamilyvacations.blogspot.com/2009/10/menger-hotel-san-antonio-tx-room-309.html )
I have upgraded my computer and with a better monitor what I found was what I thought I saw in person but unable to make out when I first reviewed the footage. That night back in 2007 I kept thinking I could see a dark figure inside the secured courtyard next to the chapel. I am sure there is something there now so I will go ahead and post it. I panned to it twice and even zoomed in at one point. To me it looks like a person in period clothes with a rifle and a tall hat common to the uniforms at the time of the battle.

For sure no one was back there as the gate was padlocked and the Texas state trooper was about 10 feet behind us on guard. Decide for yourself.

notice the soldier and also the shudder on the window flapping like crazy with no wind (see trees).

Next up for us will be The Skirvin Hotel

2012-02-21T01:17:00.003-06:00

This summer will be...
The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City
Not only is it one of the absolute best hotels in Oklahoma City, the downtown Skirvin Hotel is one of the metro's most historic establishments. But is it haunted? That's the question so many want to know. Well, here is a brief history of the Skirvin Hotel with information on the ghost stories and reported hauntings. Also, get information on some other reportedly haunted places in OK.

William Balser "Bill" Skirvin, a Land Run participant and wealthy Texas oilman, moved his family to Oklahoma City in 1906. He invested in oil and land, increasing his wealth considerably, and in 1910 decided to build a hotel on one of his properties at 1st and Broadway after an investor from New York City offered to buy the lot in order to build the "biggest hotel" in the state. Oklahoma City had only one luxury hotel at the time, and Skirvin thought it was an excellent investment.
Skirvin approached Solomon A. Layton, a famous architect in the area who had designed the Oklahoma State Capitol building, and plans were finalized for a 6-story, U-shaped hotel. But in late 1910, just as construction of the 5th story neared completion, Layton convinced Skirvin that OKC's growth justified 10 stories rather than 6.

September 26, 1911, Skirvin opened the newly completed luxury hotel to the public. The lobby was decorated in English Gothic, and the wings of the hotel contained a drugstore, retail shops and a cafe. The hotel had 225 rooms and suites, each with a private bath, telephone, hardwood furniture and velvet carpet.
According to many accounts, the hotel became a center for well-known businessmen and politicians over the next 10 years. Skirvin began to expand the hotel, slowly at first, building a new 12-story wing and then eventually raising all wings to 14-stories by 1930. This increased room total to 525 and added a roof garden and cabaret club as well as doubled the lobby size.

As much of the country was hit with a depression, the oil boom in Oklahoma City kept the Hotel going strong, and despite failed extension attempts and family problems, William Skirvin operated it until his death in 1944. Skirvin's 3 children sold the property to D.W. James in 1945.

James immediately began modernizing the hotel extensively, adding numerous amenities such as room service, a beauty shop, a barber shop, a swimming pool and a house physician. The Skirvin only grew in prominence as it hosted Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. But by 1959, suburban sprawl was severely hurting downtown OKC, and James sold the Skirvin hotel to Chicago investors in 1963. It was then sold again in 1968 to H.T. Griffin.

Griffin spent millions remodeling the Skirvin Hotel, but business continued to suffer and Griffin filed for bankruptcy in 1971. After changing hands a few times, the hotel underwent more renovation in the 1970's, then again in the early 1980's, and it eventually closed in 1989.
In 2002, the city of Oklahoma City acquired the property and put together a financing package to "renovate, restore and reopen." The Skirvin Hotel finally reopened on February 26, 2007.

The Skirvin Haunting
The primary ghost story of the Skirvin Hotel centers on a young maid nicknamed "Effie." According to the legends, William Skirvin had an affair with Effie, and she became pregnant. In order to avoid scandal, he supposedly locked her in a room on the 10th floor, originally the top floor, where she grew desolate when she was not allowed to leave, even after giving birth. She is said to have jumped, her infant child in her arms, out of the window.
It was not uncommon over the hotel's existence for guests to complain about an inability to sleep, often due to the incessant sounds of a child crying. In addition, according to some, a nude Effie is known to appear to male hotel guests while showering, and her voice can be heard propositioning them. Staff members have reported everything from strange noises to things moving by themselves.
The Effie legend is a popular one, but there is no historical evidence for it. Though William Skirvin is said to be a noted womanizer and the 10th floor was likely a popular spot for gamblers and prostitutes in the 1930's, writers Steve Lackmeyer and Jack Money did extensive research for their book "Skirvin" but found no evidence of an Effie. The only recorded suicide at the Skirvin was that of a salesman who jumped from his window.

Some personal experiences

Yes, it is haunted!
My mom, daughter and I stayed there last night. I didn't know anything about the "ghost" until this morning. My daughter and I were exploring the hotel last night and I heard a baby crying but my daughter couldn't hear it at all. Then about 10 p.m., my mom and I both heard a noise that neither one of us had ever heard before in our lives. At that point we weren't really scared because we didn't know anything about a ghost. But we couldn't sleep at all. Things just seemed really creepy so I googled it this morning. I have no doubt there is some spirit there.—Guest Julia
Valentines Day.
I surprised my boyfriend with a stay there last night for valentines day and during the night, probably around 11:30 pm, all the lights in our room went on and off like three times, but all at differnt times so it obviously wasnt a power surge. Defently creepy.—Guest Cailtin
I worked there
my niece and I worked there in 2007 and had on occasion had wierd things happen. On one occasion my niece was in the employee cafeteria and in the hall something called her name out. She ran up and down the hall looking for someone and could not find a soul. On another occasion I was in room 316 doing a turndown service and the radio kept turning to a jazz station. Everytime I turned it back to the easy listening station it would turn back to jazz. that is untill I asked whatever it was to stop. Needless to say I dreaded going back in that room again.—Guest dot dillon
Crying baby!!!
My husband and I are from OKC, we've heard that the Skirvin was haunted, but never thought anything about it. We had a room on the 11th floor and it was really nice, it was freezing cold no matter what we set the temp to, but everything seemed normal. Then around midnight we were watching tv and I could hear someone screaming, my husband walk down the hall but never heard anything from the rooms around us. The sound became louder and we figured out the noise was being carried through the air vents and it was no doubt a screaming infant. Being a mom, I was so upset by the sound I made my husband go floor to floor with me to find this poor child and see if we could help in anyway, but each floor was freakishly silent, we returned to our room and again the crying and the faint sound of a woman's voice coming through the air vent. So just out of curiosity I did an Internet search of the Skirvin and immediately saw the title "Skirvin crying baby". We packed up and went home! scary!—Guest Tlehman

The Legend Grows
Nevertheless, the tale of Effie continues to be told, and many are convinced that the Skirvin Hotel is haunted. In January of 2010, members of the New York Knicks basketball team even told the New York Daily News they were unable to sleep the night before a game with the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I definitely believe there are ghosts in that hotel," said center Eddy Curry. Forward Jared Jeffries added, "The place is haunted. It’s scary. Also the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls reported doors slamming shut on their own and strange sounds outside their rooms.

2012-01-22T02:57:00.002-06:00

January 11-14, 2012.

In Hollywood to pitch a new TV show based on our future haunted vacations

"Our Haunted Family Vacation"

Chloe had to miss the trip to take tests to maintain her straight A's

rooftop view

Can't say much, we don't want to jinx it. But we have a great prospective contact/producer who contacted us and put us with a wonderful management company/executive producer , together we are pitching the show to at least 8 national networks. Hopefully with a little hard work, luck, and excellent professional network pitches from R. and C. we can share our family, friends, very real paranormal experiences from our unusual vacations and have some fun with this unbelievable opportunity.

We will let everyone know when and if it becomes a reality.

Either way thanks to R. and C. !

Our Hotel (the famous Rock and Roll) hotel made famous by the Stones, Who, and Led Zep in the 70's for the wild parties and tossing TVs and such off the roof and out the sofas out the windows.

Conner wishes

Kim wishes

Mels Drive-in

Our daily dinner dive

Leaving for day one of meetings with the BIGS.

Outside studio Kim still takes care of RHI buisness

Driving to another studio

Beverly Hills

On the way to a pitch

Lifetime and TLC

Conner dressed up for a change

Kimberly and Chloe

Universal Studios

Casual outside MTV

MTV lobby

MTV Lobby

C. (the Master Pitchman)

R. (The Man who can do anything)

MTV

Typical Hollywood

Conner on midday break

Colin's Midday break

Outside view of our hotel next to the famous "Comedy Store"

Our Hotel

hotel art

hotel art?

Inside the Whiskey A-GO-GO where Van Halen among others made their start

Conner at guitar center

Colin's favorite

Colin wishes!

Our Hotel lobby with the best customer service we have ever experienced

Roof top pool scene of many wild parties back in the day.
I was temped to toss a sofa of the roof but Kim assured me I'm not a rock star. Yet...

Can you spot the Queen Mary?

More To Come...

Springville Inn 280 mile northeast of Los Angeles, CA

2011-10-30T02:39:00.007-05:00

ur Latest trip in August to The Springville Inn near Los Angeles, Ca We were asked to appear in Fresh Takes on Family Hobbies and Traditions sponsored by Subway Restaurants.

And here is the final product..

We arrived at LAX and were driven to the Springville Inn by the California blond bomber.

A great guy and a lot a help.

It was built in the early 1900 and has a long history or

reported haunting. Specifically a women in white, a young girl, and a couple of old gentlemen all associated with

the time when the area was part of a gold mining town.

We spent two nights investigating the first night outside alone with no cameras or production staff just to get a feel and the second day and night with all the production staff that included 2 camera men, sound guy, producer, director, and a couple of helpers as well as the staff of the hotel.

We had the two floors of the restaurant and bar completely at our disposal.

The night we arrived we tried out our ovulus which uses various electronic variables to allow a spirit manipulate to

form words from a 10,000 word dictionary. We had some success that night with it as well as some crazy emf readings

with our emf detectors.

But I am skeptical as to whether or not we were really communicating with a spirit or just

had random words that happened to answer some of our questions.

The next morning bright and early we were taken on a tour of the Inn and Restaurant by the owner and mangers

We were fitted with mics and told not to look at the cameras the away we went.

We were shown the main hot spots that were reports of various types of paranormal activity were experienced.

All the time followed around by the production crew and cameras.

We investigated most of the day with not much action.

From the Inn's website:

For nearly 100 years, The Springville Inn has been a treasured part of local history.

The Springville Inn caters to four very special and unique guests. They are residents who have watched over the Inn for almost 100 years. They are not demanding or critical, they never offer their opinion on how to run a country inn, they are not malevolent, they do not disturb the quiet of night and their enjoyment is not derived from scaring people. But, there is a definite presence about them. These bodiless, ethereal and lustrous creatures are The Ghosts of The Springville Inn.

Our ghosts predominately inhabit the original 1911 main building formerly known as the Wilkinson Hotel. They have never been seen or their presence felt in the hotel which was added on in 1972. Nor, have there been any experiences with them in the Grill Room which was added on to the main building in 1979. They exist as they have throughout the years in the main building, known as the Wilkinson Hotel in its heyday. Local historian, Jeff Edwards, has told us that there was no coroner or morgue in Springville, so upon ones untimely demise, their bodies were placed in the upstairs rooms of the hotel on ice to await transport by stagecoach or train to Porterville.

We can only speculate as to the true identity of our four ghosts as historical records are vague and incomplete. We do not know their given names but we refer to them lovingly as the "Young Man" who looks to be a handsome logger in his twenties who was likely working in one of the numerous mills of Mountain Home. The "Little Girl" who looks to be near eight years of age is appropriately clothed in a turn-of-the-century dress. The "Woman", beautiful and elegant with flowing blond hair in a long dress is seen floating on the balcony surrounding the Penthouse or wandering the second floor hallways in the main building. The "Old Man" who seems to keep to himself in the kitchen with a watchful eye has the most frequent contact with past and present employees. He generally only appears in the main kitchen of the Inn or the upstairs service kitchen. He is usually seen staring up or down into the dumbwaiter joining the two kitchens. He is not shy as he frequently makes himself seen by our chefs and kitchen staff.

According to sightings throughout the past and present, the Young Man moves fluidly with purpose around the bar and up what was the original grand staircase which brought guests from the lobby straight upstairs as you entered the building. He is known to be a flirt with a habit of brushing up against women to make his presence known. He is said to be a logger who was shot outside the Inn, in the streets of Springville. According to legend, guests carried him into the Hotel where he bled to death. Occasionally he has been seen walking hand-in hand with the "Little Girl", but not recently or by any current staff members.

Numerous employees and guests of the Inn have experienced the ghosts - some of whom appreciate their wanderings and some whom would rather not have an encounter with them.

A past employee washing dishes in the kitchen quit after witnessing the "Little Girl" watching her in the mirror which hung in the dish washing area. The owners quickly removed the mirror. The "Little Girl" has not been seen since...

We set up a mirror but didn't catch a reflection but did get some unusual spikes in response to questions with the K2.

That night we spend about 6 hours going through the whole property with lights on and off. We had some good responses to our k2 meter and emf and also picked up an evp but we cant make out the words. The sound crew had some really strange experiences with equipment shutting off or going haywire which was shown on the video they released.

some unusual shots

More

We also found later after reviewing the videos we took some shadow(s) moving back and forth across our laser grid when no one was present in the bar area upstairs. We also heard a few knocks in response to some questions when Conner and I were doing some isolation's in the area where the woman has been seen. But nothing worth posting.

This was the location of the laser grid shadows

Here is the shadow figure moving across our laser grid upstairs the second night. I had left my iPhone video recorder running on the table pointing at the bar while I was downstairs. I edited this 30 seconds out of the recording from my phone. I came up the stairs and picked up and turned off my video right after this shadow moves across the second time, but I didn't notice any movement or sounds when I came upstairs.You can also hear a glass being slid or dropped by the bar (not me). The sound at the end is me picking up the IPhone and stopping the recorder. I was alone at that time but the shadow is not me as the grid was on the bar shining against the wall a few feet away. The stairs are in the adjacent room next to table my IPhone was recording from and Conner and the camera guy were the only people (alive) in the building besides me. The shadow was between the wall and the laser grid placed 15' away.

Next day we hall ass to the airport and back to our normal life completely worn out.

Ghost Adventures pose

Can’t wait for the next one

My Ghost Story

2011-02-01T06:22:00.002-06:00

on-location shoot

28 January 2010

The producers contacted us and sent us to the Crescent Hotel January 28th through the 31st to shoot some reenactments to go along with our interviews for the show.

our room

Conner and Cole's room

morgue chimney

We hear Jesus loves me sung in stairwell

Backproblems whipping my ass

Cole prepares for his big shot at showbiz

We drove up Friday night arrived late.

We didn’t have time for any ghost hunting this trip.

Deer in the spotlights

Changing plans

Changing back

rethinking plans

The camera man/producer met us early Saturday morning to begin a long day of shooting reenactments of everything from driving to the hotel, all our experiences, and driving away from the Crescent.

Planning the next shot

Chloe and Kims bathroom reenactments

Chloe preps for a closeup

Chloe and Kims bathroom reenactments

Conner doubles as grip

moving outside

He was well prepared with a huge list of shots he had to get of us to coincide with our stories. The reenactments included the kids this time so we all had plenty of fun. We filmed for 12 -15 hours.

Conner doubles as grip

Lights turning off and on

latenight segments outside

It turned creepy during the latenight segments outside

breaking down equipment

Dinning room reenactment

It made for a very tedious trip. We crashed that night late and drove home Sunday morning.

Mist forms during the dinning room shoot

We did have a few unexplained events during the filming. A mist formed in the dinning room while we were waiting for Kim and Chloe to finish shooting upstairs. We heard Jesus loves me in the stairwell sung by a little girl's voice. We also had some really creepy feelings outside the hotel filming with lights in vacant rooms switching on and off.

original pics Chloe recognized possible ghosts

Chloe's ghosts?

Mist and face? forms during the dinning room shoot

After 15 hours of filming our entire segment titled "Bumps In The Night" Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, Arkansas, only lasted for 10 minutes when it finnally aired. However we were chosen for the season finale and it ended up being top rated MGS episode to date.

My Ghost Story Season 2 Episode 10 (Aired 11th Jun 2011)

My Ghost Story

2010-12-14T06:14:00.001-06:00

My Ghost Story

11 December 2010

A while back I was contacted by the Biography Channel's hit TV Show "My Ghost Story" about having my family appear on the show. They had come across this blog and were intrigued. We were asked to give our accounts of the trips we had taken to the Crescent Hotel, showing evidence we had captured along with an on camera interview of Kimberly and I describing whatever paranormal experiences we had. After sending them the pics they requested we submitted a brief statement and audition tape.

Conner's audition tape

All four of us were flown out to Hollywood leaving on Friday December 10th filming in studio Saturday and returning Sunday night. MGS sent us tickets and room reservations along with per diem for the weekend.

360 of plane ride to Hollywood

TV star looking to sign autographs at airport.

Outside hotel

Hotel view

Saturday morning, at the hotel (a mile or so from the studio) we were picked up by a driving service and arrived at make-up about an hour before we were to go on. While sitting in the "green room" I could hear the previous interview finishing up and the producer speaking with them as they walked off the set. I recognized her voice immediately as Annie Wilder, an author whose book, House of Spirits and Whispers, I had read a few years back which had perked my interest in the paranormal originally. After hearing her on a couple of radio shows promoting her books, I had befriended her on Facebook and we had messaged each other a couple of times about her books, this blog and ghostly experiences. Conner and her struck up a Facebook friendship as well. It was quite a surprise meeting her there of all people. I found her one of the nicest individuals you would care to meet.

After meeting the producers we were ready to go on set for filming our segments. The MGS wanted to make our stories were 100% honest and our evidence 100% unedited (they were). I went first. I sat in a old wooden chair facing 3 or four camera filming from different angles.

The producer sat off camera and went through a list of prepared questions dealing with our story. We had to answer the questions in a way as to repeat the question since the only voices on the final TV show would be mine and Kim’s. My segment took an hour to shoot and Kim’s a little longer. After shooting we were driven back to the hotel and our time was our own for the rest of the weekend. MGS told us they would be in contact with us for an additional on-location shoot in Arkansas. We explored Hollywood Blvd. and checked out the Santa Monica pier. We all had a great time and were treated 1st class by the MGS staff the whole trip.

The greatness of the Queen of soul!

Haunted Roosevelt

THE CRESCENT HOTEL in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

2010-08-24T23:22:00.004-05:00

2 nights

We took our 4th trip to the Crescent Hotel leaving early Friday morning and driving to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. This is probably our favorite haunted location to visit. This time we had the most paranormal activity we have ever experienced. Along for the trip this time was Conner’s friend and fellow Arlington Jaguar, Cole. This was his first trip to a known haunted location.

The whole drive there we filled Cole in on our past experiences (see first three post), and the history of the hotel. http://www.crescent-hotel.com/ Cole seem very excited along with all of us but I never expected things to happen as fast and as often as they did. Usually if we have one or two experiences the whole trip we consider it to be a successful haunted trip. The hotel started hopping this weekend 20 minutes after we arrived.

Rooms 205 and 215
We checked in about 3:30 in the afternoon on Friday. Kim and I stayed in room 215 with balcony access and Conner, Cole, and sometimes Chloe stayed in room 205 next door to room 203 from our first visit 3 years earlier. (Remember this, it becomes important later on)

As soon as Conner and Cole dropped their bags off they headed to our room to ask if they could go into town. They stood in our room watching us unpack and carried on with their best vaudeville comedy routine. Kim had about enough and jokingly threatened to lock Conner in the large wardrobe. No sooner had she said it the wardrobe door swung open so fast it hit Cole in the back. He jumped causing us all to jump. We grabbed the video camera and the emf detectors but it was too late. We were all shocked but laughed it off as a good natured ghost getting in on the joking around.

The wardrobe would continue to be found open and even closed throughout our stay. Not real spooky but most definitely paranormal. It has a latch on the front that doesn’t unlatch unless the doorknob is turned. We also would have phantom knocks at our door the whole weekend. Half the time we would jump up to answer the door we found nobody in the hall.

We found out a little later that a spirit of a man named Michael is said to roam that area and is fond of practical jokes as a way of flirting with ladies staying in the proximity of the hotel where he died. Apparently he died as a result of a fall during the construction of the hotel back in 1886 when he was paying more attention to some women than his job as a stone mason on the upper levels. He fell to his death landing in room 218, across the hall from us.

The kids staying in room 205 didn’t have any activity until they laid down that evening to catch a couple of z’s before we went ghost hunting later in the night. Conner and Cole were laying in each of the two beds in the room with the lights off trying to scare each other. Conner was chanting “spirits come” as a joke. All of a sudden he felt someone grab his arm and he jumped out of bed turned on the lights and ran to our room leaving Cole wondering what the heck he had gotten himself into. They burst through our door ready to explode with the news . I headed back with them to their room and we waited it out in the dark for 30 minutes or so but nothing further happened. At least in the room that night.

Later that night we wandered the hallways trying to catch some paranormal activity on one of our digital cameras or video recorders, or maybe a spike or two in the electromagnetic field with one of our emf detectors or a compass. Nothing, until we made our way to the basement. The basement now houses the New Moon Salon and hotel maintenance. But in the 1930’s it’s where the morgue was located during the Crescent’s history as a treatment hospital for terminal cancer patients. Thousands of cancer victims died at the hotel under the false hope the local natural springs would cure their ailments. Most lost their lives as well as their money.

While snooping around in the basement I noticed a shadow of what looked like a man standing next to a window in the locked up lobby of the New Moon Salon. I snapped a few pictures of it but the next day I think we debunked it as a shadow cast by a few very normal structures that would appear when a security light would come on periodically during the night.

The next day we woke early to a great breakfast buffet in the Crystal dining room. The Dinning room supposedly is haunted by a Victorian era man dressed in a black suit waiting indefinitely for a sweetheart who never shows. Later Kim and Chloe indulged themselves with the services of the New Moon Salon while Conner and I swam in the beautiful Crescent pool. Cole was in his room for a quick nap. 30 minutes of swimming and I look up to see Cole running out to the pool with eyes the size of dinner plates. Apparently after making a few calls he had just shut his eyes when he felt an unseen hand on his face and then a quick slap. He wasn’t hurt but he was shocked to say the least. He told us his story and we all had a good laugh. No harm done.

That afternoon we dropped the boys off in town and did a quick walk around ourselves with Chloe around the main street of Eureka Springs. They have very cool and unique shops. We discovered some great deserts at the ‘Peace, Love, and Cheesecake’. A little overpriced in my opinion but good enough to buy extras to take back to the hotel for a mid night snack. We got back and found the Ghost tour s at the Crescent had already sold out by 5:00 PM. Fortunately, for us we have been a number of times in the past. But still I felt bad for Cole who had to settle for us as his tour guides Saturday night.

As the sky darkened we noticed an electrical storm moving in. We have found in the past an oncoming storm is usually a precursor to a heightened night of paranormal activity. This would prove true as we began the most active night of ghost hunting we have had since we started four years ago.

The night began with Kim outside taking photos of the hotel until she got spooked and came inside. Then the normal occurrences of phantom knocks and doors opening and shutting on their own. A new element was thrown in when Chloe pulled out her Barbie with the extensive collection of miniature eveningwear any self-respecting 7 year old girl would bring. Kim went outside to get some additional night shots of the hotel. I grabbed Chloe up from her Barbie night-life in the middle of the floor. We walked up to the vending room. 5 minutes late we returned and the first thing we noticed was Barbie’s finest night gown was standing up on its end across from the pile of toys it had been when we left. We snapped a few pictures but caught no activity.

The boys and I wanted to try something new tonight so we decide to mimic something we have seen many times on one of the more unbelievable paranormal TV shows, using a glass to communicate with spirits. We never mess with Ouija boards because of the warnings of more experienced investigators against it. Using a glass is similar to using a Ouija board so we said a prayer for protection, just in case. All three of us placed a finger lightly on the top of a upside down glass resting in the middle of a clean table. We were careful not to move the glass ourselves. We were all shocked with the results. We would ask various questions and the glass would move as a response to the answer yes. The whole idea of two-way communication with the spirit world is freaky enough, but we were astounded when we were able to determine exactly the gender and history of who the spirits were in the room. We also found the spirit we were talking to was the same one Chloe had seen on our first visit. The whole process took over an hour and is too long and drawn out for this blog. I will transcribe it and put it in book form at little later date (In Haunted Family Vacations volume 5). We video'd the whole episode and without a doubt in our minds was the most profound experience we have had ghost hunting.

After that I went to my room to show Kim the video and the boys went to the lobby to chat with the desk clerk. By this time it was after midnight. I heard later what had happened…

While they were in the lobby Conner noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced up into the Crystal dining room and saw a man walk by the door dressed in a dark Victorian suit. He hollered to the others an ran in the dining room. The room was completely empty being closed for the since 9PM. The first thing he noticed was one chair out of place and facing the entrance. The other 30 or so tables all had the chairs neatly in places and service immaculately set out ready for the morning brunch. As soon as the clerk and Cole walked into the room the out of place char rotated and moved back under the edge of the table to match the rest. All three witnessed this.

Conner and Cole shot up to my room to grab the cameras and other equipment and told me about the experience. I went back down and confirmed the story with the night clerk. She said this sort of thing happens quite a bit at night but she is usually too freaked out to investigate it by herself. The boys and I went into the dining room and investigated. We found numerous emf spikes but determined this was due to the wiring under the floor. After 30 minutes or so we sat down at the corner table while Cole panned the room with the video camera. Conner started to doze off a little.

Then, while I was looking at him his chair slid sideways a foot or so and turned over dumping him on the floor. Conner was startled to say the least. Cole just missed catching it on video but you can hear the whole thing and he turns the camera back just as Conner is sprawled out after being tossed out of his seat. We didn’t catch any additional evidence in the dining room.

After a quick break we headed down to the basement to see what we could see. About 2 AM we started to hear some light music or singing apart from the elevator music in the lobby. A second or two later we all realized at once it was a little girls voice sing ‘Jesus loves me’. We could all hear it and could recognize the verses of the song but it would fade in and out and we had a hard time agreeing exactly where it was originating from. It was not a record or the lobby background music we were sure.

The next day we ate brunch, discussed the night before, and drove home. We are still attempting to get our minds wrapped around some of the experiences we had.

Next up THE CRESCENT HOTEL in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

2010-07-18T01:39:00.002-05:00

On our next haunted vacation we will be going back to the place that started it all. The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs. http://www.crescent-hotel.com/ It is widely considered the most haunted hotel in the United States.

Built in 1886 the former rehabilitation hospital turned women's university turned mountain resort hotel was made famous more recently by the SCIFI channel's hit show Ghosthunters when the TAPS investigators captured a full body apparition of a civil war era soldier. Here is the clip.

Along for the trip this time will be our friends Caitlin and Dana. Conner has invited one of his buddy's from our 2010 Jaguars, Cole.

Since we have had quite a few personal experiences at the Crescent in the past(see this blogs first three posts), there is a good chance Caitlin and Dana will be able to have some fun interacting with the 140 year old hotel's original guests. I coached Cole so I know he is a tough kid and can handle himself on the gridiron but he may find it a little different when you can't see the opponent. We will see if everyone is up for it.

To Be Continued...

The Adolphus in Dallas, Texas.

2010-05-17T23:50:00.006-05:00

Kim and I went to the The Adolphus hotel for a night alone with the spirits for our anniversary. (16 wonderful years).

Unfortunately for us the spirits didn't bother showing up for our little celebration. We had to make do with just each other which isn't so bad. The place is a grand old hotel with 100 + year history that has been updated with all the amenities of a five star hotel. The 19th floor is the receives the mos reports of haunted activity. We requested a room on the 19th floor but were given room 1503 on the 15th. The staff were excellent and thoughtful and the suite was great. We just didn't experience any paranormal activity walking the 19th floor, in our room, or anywhere at the Adolphus for that matter. Pretty slim pickings for a haunted excursion.

Maybe next time... if there is one.

Snagging some Robes...shhhh

Next Haunt The Adolphus in Dallas, Texas.

2010-05-12T15:23:00.005-05:00

A quick one night at the Adolphus in Dallas, Texas. On May 15, 2010.

http://hotel-online.com/News/PR2003_4th/Oct03_Adolpus.html

Lemp Mansion

2010-04-26T13:18:00.138-05:00

St. Louis, MO

April 20-23 2010

We went to St Louis to attend a Mark Knopfler concert and stayed at the Lemp Mansion. Built in the mid 1800's and reportedly one of the most haunted locations in the USA. We stayed in the Elsa Lemp suite while my mother and father-in-law stayed in the Louis Lemp suite and our kids, Conner and Chloe stayed in the Frederick Lemp suite. All three suite's were on the third(top) floor of the mansion. There were no other guests at the mansion during our stay so we had the place to ourselves after the restaurant shut down around 3:00 PM everyday. A brief history of the mansion can be found athttp://www.lempmansion.com/history.html Also worthy of mention is the outstanding service we received from the staff and owners. They overwhelmed us with their hospitality.

The first night we checked in around 2:00 PM and got settled in. The staff was gone by 4:00 leaving us alone with the run of the house. The owners left all the doors to the rooms open and all lights off when they left. Right off the bat it is a spooky feeling wandering around in an unfamiliar home looking for light switches. Especially the huge Lemp Mansion. Not to mention it is said to be one of the top haunted locations in the USA.

The most common strange experiences we had occurred in our suites. We each had times when we had keys, phones, and other items completely disappear from the location we left them in, only to appear later after a thorough search in the strangest locations (bathroom shelves, closet shelves, and inside never opened dresser drawers). This happened everyday, several times a day, the whole time we were there.

Every night we would wander the halls of the 30+ room mansion ghost hunting.

We used digital camcorders, digital cameras, audio recorders, k2 and EMF meters, and we even tried a few IPhone apps.

On the first night Conner and I decided to investigate the whole house room by room. We started at the bottom and went throughout the house to make sure no one else was there at about 9:30. We found many high readings with the EMF detector and it seemed there was too much wiring electrical issues to depend on the EMF detectors for paranormal hits.

We also took video and audio recordings most of the time. While at the bottom of the enclosed 4 flight staircase, I told Conner to go to the top and I would take a photo with my IPhone of him videoing me at the bottom. As he got to the top he was looking down at me as I was aiming the camera-phone at him and I felt something moving in my front right pocket of my shorts. A few seconds later I heard a rattle to my left at the maid's station trash/laundry box 6-7 feet away. We both looked over in time to see the EMF detector (from my front left pants pocket) slide into the hole in the top of box. It seemed to teeter for a second or two on the edge then fall in.

It had moved out of my pocket, across the room and into the box completely unaided by either of us and we both witnessed it from different locations. Unfortunately Conner was not yet filming when it happened so we were not able to document it other than a personal experience. We experimented a little and determined there was no way it could have fallen out of my pocket into the laundry box.

On the second night we heard footsteps and voices on the second floor around 11:00 PM and I was able to catch some of it on video. I heard some footsteps and began filming as I was headed down the stairs.

As I neared the 2nd floor landing you can hear a woman and a man's voice clearly arguing or discussing something but I was unable to determine what was being said. At the time there was no-one else in the mansion. Later in the night I heard a woman's voice, whisper in my ear my name. It was clear and unmistakable.

Around 02:00 AM, I went alone through the whole mansion room by room and around the outside of the building taking pictures and filming. Unfortunately, I didn't have any experiences other than being spooked while walking around a 150 year old dark mansion in the middle of the night alone.

We only captured a little video evidence, a couple of photos with some unusual objects in them, and a digital audio recording of some footsteps in the hallway out side our room. We did, however, have quite a few strange personal experiences.

3 pics shot in from same spot in hallway of 3rd floor on 2nd night

The third night we attended the Mark Knopfler concert with front row seats.

We sat next to and met Isaac (famous among MK fans for attending every show and his daily tour diary.) He blogged about us that night. see: http://gl.isaac.shabtay.com/2010/04/concert-day-fox-theatre-saint-louis-mo.html

We even got a mention in the official MK tour diary written by producer and keyboard player Guy Fletcher. (down toward the bottom of the page) http://www.guyfletcher.co.uk/index.php/getluckytour2010/22nd_April_-_Saint_Louis_-_Fox_Theatre

We had a great time and got back around 12:15 AM. Everyone sat on the porch for a while and I went up with Chloe to put her in bed with her clutching her new drums sticks (Thanks to Danny Cummings MK's drummer).

I had the keys to one of the Lemp brothers suites as well as my keys. I tried to open the door on the Fredrick then the Louis suite but couldn't get either unlocked with Chloe in tow. I went back to my opened suite and laid her on the bed and used the rest room. When I came back out I found Conner had come up with no key and walked right in his door to his suite and was laying on the bed. I am sure it was locked when I was trying 5 minutes earlier and I know Conner did not have a key. Some how the door was unlocked with no key. A little later Kim, her parents, and Conner were coming up the stairs and saw the light in the 3rd floor hallway switch on by itself lighting up the 3rd floor landing. Conner and Kim could see it turn on, but everyone heard the loud snap as it switched on. It happened a little later in the same fashion and I was able to catch it on video. I also captured a couple of light anomalies on dig camera a little later when I took three quick pics in succession. With everyone asleep I turned in when my IPhone battery suddenly drained about 3:30 AM.

We flew out the next morning back to Arlington.

Next Up Lemp Mansion

2009-11-11T15:19:00.002-06:00

Next up will be the Lemp Mansion. We will stay 3 nights in April while in St Louis for a Mark Knopfler concert. http://www.lempstories.com/audio/Matthews%20night%20at%20Lemp.mp3

Jefferson ghost tour

2009-07-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

Jodi the tour guide. for Jefferson's best Ghost tour.

Jefferson Hotel rooms 19 ,18 and 21. July 10/11, 2009

2009-07-14T22:08:00.001-05:00

We stayed in the Jefferson Hotel in Jefferson Texas, rooms 19 ,181 and 21. Took in laws and Conner's buddy Stevie. The wife and I in room 19 both nights, and kids with in-laws in room 18 the first and 21 the second. Reportedly the most haunted rooms. We used video, digital voice recorder. EMF and K2 meters, as well as digital cameras.

We took the walking ghost tour with Jodi and the ghost train ghost tour. Both very informative but caught no evidence.

On the night of the 10th my mother in law staying alone in rm 18 during the ghost tour, saw the bathroom door close on its own. She also noticed their little dog would go to the bathroom door then tuck its tail and run to the otherwise of the room and cower.

After the ghost tour around midnight on the 10th, I had the bath running and was preparing for bed when I looked up at the mirror and saw writing appear. I jumped up and called my wife in. we took several pictures with different camera in the foggy room of the mirror. The word HELP could be seen plain as day, also the on the bottom a J appeared but it looked more like an older smudge. We were very skeptical about it and wiped the mirror down thoroughly. The writing appeared again the next morning when my wife was in the tub. We wiped it down again. The writing showed up again in a different spot that night with HELP ME spelled out also with a J at the bottom (The J seemed to be in the same spot each time and did not look like the other HELP messages). At times we could fog the mirror and nothing would show up. We told the clerk at the desk about this the next morning and she told us she had heard many similar reports but usually it included "HELP ME, JUDY" or "HELP JUDY" OR "PLEASE HELP ME". May explain the J. Oh and also, her name was Judy.

Almost all night of the 11th. Conner, Stevie, and I did our own ghost hunt all over the hotel and the town. We found cold spots in the hotel lobby with rapping and noises responding to our requests. Behind the hotel by the river (where there was many hangings that took place, we received direct responses to our questions by the EMF detector lighting up.

We asked about 10 questions about years born and died as well as how he died and why. The whole session was videoed and the questions and answers left no doubt we were communicating with someone(something) that was born 1825, died by an unjust hanging in the 1860's because of something to do with the Civil War. This session began after I was playing Dixie on the harmonica until the EMF started lighting up and ended abruptly when a group of teens walked up on us. Later that night the three of us explored the famous Murder Row. Very, very creepy at 3:00 a.m. but no evidence.

Stanley Hotel, Colorado. June 2008 4 nights. Rooms 217 "The Steven King room", and 1209.

2008-06-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

Manor house room 1209 1st and 2nd night: No apparent activity in our room. Out side our room we would hear running footsteps up and down the hall. After a couple of hours of this around 10 pm, we started opening the door and checking to see whom it was. We were never able to catch anyone in fact later on we started checking the whole floor and the floor above and never saw anyone walking around. This would go on periodically through out our stay in the Manor house. We found out later there were only 5 or 6 rooms occupied at the time.

We stayed in 217 our last two nights. The Steven King room.

Much of our time in the room I felt like someone was watching us and would constantly catch myself looking behind. On the first night Kim was in the restroom and someone knocked on the bathroom door. Conner jumped up and knocked on the door from the outside thinking Kim was playing a game. When she came out she asked why we knocked two different times. We have no explanation of who knocked the first time as this was inside our room and there were just the 4 of us. We never did get any other evidence in the room. We walked down to The Concert Hall Building One afternoon and were lucky to find it open and completely empty. We experienced very heavy feelings inside. Kim was so freaked by the feeling she took Chloe and went outside to chase prairie dogs on the front lawn. Immediately after she left Conner and myself heard footsteps with the floor creaking very loudly on the floor above us. We would run upstairs to find we were still the only humans in the building. We captured this on Video and Digital audio both. Every night during our stay Conner and I would go “ghost hunting” for a couple of hours around 12. We were usually the only guests up and about. We even snuck down to the tunnels but didn’t experience anything. We captured some tapping and banging in response to ours in the Billiard room on video and digital audio. We also recorded several EVP’s on the top floors of both buildings. On audio, one has children humming and talking in the background the other on video and audio, has the word “child” when Chloe was asking if there was anyone here. The last night Conner and I were on the lobby floor, the night clerk was the only person around with two people still in the bar. The main hall, the billiard room and the music room were all empty with lights out. In the music room, Conner saw several shadows dart by him. He said he could make out the shadow of a full-sized woman in a dress. He was visibly startled. A minute or two later we started hearing what sounded like a party going on in the lobby or the adjacent halls. We turned on the video and the digital audio and searched the whole floor, the ballroom, billiard room, bar (now closed dark and locked up); all the while recording the sound of music, talking, and laughter. This went on for about 10 minutes all on tape. Afterward we found the night clerk, who told us the music might have been his satellite radio, but we have no explanation for the sounds of men and women partying. I am not so sure it was his radio either. I seemed to get louder inside the ballroom and the talking and laughter was really loud at times throughout all the rooms. Also caught the Mark Knopfler concert at Red Rock.

Excellent.

Conner and Trev just can't do it at the Rogers Hotel

2008-02-20T23:19:00.000-06:00

Rogers Hotel Waxahachie, TX. Room 409 and 408. February 16 1 night

2008-02-20T22:05:00.001-06:00

Recorded much evidence. Used digital audio recorders for the first time. They worked great.

Colin and Kim stayed in 409 and Conner Chloe and friend Trevor stayed in 408. Nothing in photos except an image on the entertainment center of maybe a face Watching Chloe running by in foreground. Recorded evps in basement of a child’s voice, a clear evp in basement lady’s bathroom (where a woman shot herself) of a women’s voice saying no when asked to open the stall door by Colin, a clear voice saying ha, and a voice saying I don’t want to when asked to make k2 meter light up again on the stairwell. We recorded 2 sessions

on digital audio of very loud bangs responding to our questions in 408’s bathroom and the roof storeroom we could all hear them in person as well as on our recording. Conner Trev and Colin recorded video a k2 session on the stairwell of unmistakable responses to our requests to light up the k2 asked number of times and light it up for yes to our random questions.Evidence was our best yet and in our view unexplained. Set up YouTube channel with evidence.

Our haunted vacations

Jefferson Historic Hotel

The Grove

Experience electronic voice phenomena (EVP)recorded at the grove by clicking here!

New Ideas in the works

Here is some of our equipt in the meantime.

Direct feedback from our 'My Ghost Story' show

Myrtles Plantation June 26th-30th

Myrtles Plantation is known as the most haunted house in the USA.

Our second trip to the plantation didn't let us down! Lots of amazing evidence collected! Most of it is at the bottom of our post.

I assure you it is haunted.

We left at 2:30AM to avoid the rush hour traffic and heat and arrive early to see the sights.

Not easy to get everyone up and ready to move... I can attest. But safe trip all the way there and arrived 8 hours later.

Not easy to get everyone up and ready to move...

I can attest.

But safe trip all the way there and arrived 8 hours later.

But safe trip all the way there and arrived 8 hours later.

But safe trip all the way there and arrived 8 hours later.

Spanish Moss hung from the trees everywhere.

Kim's parents (Dan and Betts), and Conner and Chloe stayed in the old slave quarters now known as the Caretakers Cottage.

Kim's parents (Dan and Betts), and Conner and Chloe stayed in the old slave quarters now known as the Caretakers Cottage.

It sleeps 4 with a full size bed, bath, and bunk-beds. It is isolated about 150 feet from the main house and very, very dark at night. CREEPY.

The porch of the caretakers cottage The isolation between the two of our quarters

DAN and BETTS

DAN and BETTS

Chloe searches for artifacts "BOOM BABY"

Unbelievable Chloe stayed in this very bunk the last time we were here and had written her name on the plank below the top bunk. It was still there.

Before this came this \/ I had lots of help with our equipment and luggage

Before this came this

\/

Kimberly and I stayed in the Bradford suite, two rooms with a living room and front door attached to a bedroom with a back door to the back porch that surrounds the plantation house. Directly under the stairs next to the main entrance.

As night fell, the room began to feel much heavierand brought back memories of our last stay here.

The stairs above our room, We would hear footsteps off and on all night our whole stay. It was unoccupied by living guest the entire time.

Now for the good stuff...

Check out our K2 communications ...

There is more to come but it just takes a little time compare our notes and go through all the possible evidence in each picture, video, DVR footage, and digital audio clip.

But here are a quite a few good bits of evidence to start with until I finish the review and complete this post.

Shadow figure at 4:00 AM with no light source and no one around

Shadow or full apparition right around 3:30 AM while I was doing a solo run around the outside of the grounds. Everyone was asleep and I'm sure no one was (living) was on the bridge.

This one hard to see but there appears to be a face of a girl in window shot at 3:00 AM with inside locked and empty

pic in complete darkness of parlor with a flash on IPhone

Chloe woke up and joined me

and seemed to have some luck with the EMF detector

mist near cottage after Chloe and I hear voices. Light is only light on north side of main house.

That changes later...

Cold spots in our bedroom within 15 feet and 2 minutes

And hot spots in our bedroom at same time

Cold spots and hot spots in our

bedroom within 15 feet and 2 minutes

A mist on back porch after Chloe

and I hear voices outside our room

Shadow form around fence for second time next night

Strange mists on DVR cams

K2 Meters going off and on as answers to our questions. This one we ask for just one to light up all the way with much success

And this too!

Not paranormal just creepy pic

I'm Still adding to this daily. But I will complete as soon asap.

Check Back soon!

Next up Back to the Myrtles Plantation

June 26th 27th and 28th

Myrtles Plantation is known as the most haunted house in the USA. Last time it didn't let us down!

Staying in the Bradford sweet and the Mother in LAW, Father in law, and kids in the Caretakers cottage. Hope it wont disappoint. (yeah I know law is in caps.)

April 23 2012 San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio Ghost Hunt 2 at the Emily Morgan Hotel

Our ever-increasing kit

The best in Texas

Check-in

Emily Morgan Hotel overlooking the Alamo.

We had a great view of the courtyard of the Alamo from our room on the 7th floor.

The Emily Morgan Hotel is known for being one of the most haunted places in San Antonio. Ghost hunters and supernatural thrill seekers come from all around the world to stay at the Emily Morgan Hotel. It didn't disappoint us.

Our view

An old Hospital turned Hotel built on the sight of the famous Texas battleground.

We also hunted most of the night and as we investigated we accumulated a number of strangers and followers who asked to join in.

At one point we ran in to the local official ghost tour and we out numbered them.

Together we asked for a sign in the basement and the ATM immediately started beeping like crazy. The only time it made a sound. Even when used.

Not easy to get everyone up and ready to move...

I can attest.

But safe trip all the way there and arrived 8 hours later.

The porch of the caretakers cottage

The isolation between the two of our quarters

Before this came this

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I had lots of help with our equipment and luggage

As night fell, the room began to feel much heavier
and brought back memories of our last stay here.