Ghost Adventures: Moon River Brewing Company

I finally had a chance to watch Zak and crew's investigation of Moon River Brewing Company last week. (Or, rather, the episode of it that was aired last week.)

SAVANNAH: THE MOST HAUNTED CITY?

I was sort of put off when Zak said something about Savannah being one of the most haunted cities and the guy he was talking with corrected him and said, "No, Savannah's the most haunted city."

Savannah's beautiful and I'm not going to bag on it, but I'm not convinced it's the most haunted city. What about Charleston? St. Augustine? Boston? Salem? New Orleans? Gettysburg?

However, I did some research. Savannah does have the right to make such a claim since the American Institute of Parapsychology named it America's Most Haunted City in 2002.

(However, I'm wondering if the organization's biased at all. I tried to figure out where it might be located. The "contact us" page lists a P.O. Box for somewhere in Georgia. Not to discredit the AIP. I'm just always skeptical about who's behind what.)

HOKEY: POSSESSION AND WORD-DATABASE GUN

I was sorry to see them utilizing that word gun again like they did in the Castillo de San Marcos episode. Hokey, hokey, hokey.

And as far as Nick's so called possession...maybe more a matter of acting for effect. (Which is also why I think they use the word gun.)

Which is a shame. They'd probably have a decent shot of coming up with some good evidence if they played it straight. When TAPS investigated there I remember the creepy shadow figure they caught down in the basement behind the pool table. I was really hoping the Ghost Adventures guys wold get something like that too.

EXTRA, EXTRA

Click here to read a great recap of the show by Julie for Ghost Hunters Investigations.

Click on the clip below to watch a scene with the hokey word-database gun.

Ghost Tour de France

With the Tour de France well underway, I thought it'd be interesting to take a ghost tour of France. The trouble is, I had a hard time finding ghost stories from France!

LOST IN TRANSLATION?

I figured finding ghost tours in France, or ghost stories from France, would be as easy as finding them for England. It doesn't seem that the French have embraced the concept of ghost tours in all their historic places as readily as the English have, though.

Paris had one, but the rest of France seems like an untapped market for anyone looking for a place to branch out into paranormal tourism.

Still, I did find a few places that would make fun Haunt Jaunts if you happen to make it to France. (Not to mention they just look like neat places you might like to visit period, ghost enthusiast or no, if you're ever over there.)

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL HAUNTED PLACES DIRECTORY

• Disneyland Paris - The children's section has had reports of "mysterious vortex of energy" haunting the area.
• Monts d'Arree - The locals have a spot they deemed the Gates of Hell because of all the ghost sightings. Legend has it a little girl was sacrificed by devil worshippers there. Her ghost, along with a demon dog, are the ones most frequently reported. (Interesting to note: A nuclear reactor was built on the site, so if you find that start looking for ghosts!)
• Basilica at Domremy - Joan of Arc's ghost is thought to haunt here.
• Versailles - Marie Antoinette's entire court is said to haunt the gardens of Trianon.

FROM SHADOWLANDS HAUNTED PLACES IN FRANCE

• Best Western Bretagne Montparnasse - Stay in Paris and have a hauntingly good time with a ghost said to wake you from your dreams to find a bright, wispy blue hand and arm over your face.
• Paris Catacombs - On the Shadowlands site it says there was a video camera found with footage showing a terrified man running from something unseen, but the man was never found. Sounds like the Blair Witch Project to me. But of course with so many bones, all of which were transplanted from other cemeteries, there might be a restless spirit or two lurking down there...
• The Eiffel Tower - Did an angry boyfriend throw his girlfriend to her death after she refused to say yes to his proposal of marriage? Her ghost is said to be heard first laughing, then saying no, then screaming as she falls to her death.

FROM GHOSTS AND THE PARANORMAL

• Brissac Castle - This is one of the castles in the famed, fairytale land of the Loire Valley. It's dubbed "The Giant of the Loire Valley" because its seven stories make it the tallest of France's castles. Said to be haunted by Jacques de Breze's wife, Charlotte and her lover, who were killed together.

FROM GHOSTVILLAGE.COM

• Mysteries of Paris Ghost Tour - I wasn't kidding when I started off saying the French haven't caught on to the boon of paranormal tourism yet. The cities first ever ghost tour just opened this past Spring. That blows me away given all of its history. I think of all the ghost tours in our oldest cities, which are just babies compared to Paris. But it was comforting because it explains why I had such a hard time finding ghost tour info for other French cities --they likely don't have ghost tours yet! (I smell opportunity for any of you ex-pats or wannabe ex-pats.)

Roadside America: A Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions

After I posted my entry about haunted travel sites yesterday, I came across yet another travel site: Roadside America, an online guide to offbeat tourist attractions.

Its focus isn't necessarily restricted to haunted places, though. It's a smorgasboard of things.

WHAT YOU CAN FIND ON ROADSIDE
AMERICA

As travel sites go, they have pretty standard features, such as a listing of hotels & motels. But of course they put their own unique spin on it.

When you click on a state, it takes you to a page with a listing of links to hotels & motels by city. In the sidebar on the right, it also lists "Quirky Tourist Attractions" within the state.

But then they've compiled some very bizarre attractions. This is defiitely the site to visit if you've ever wanted to map out a route to see Muffler Men, Smiley Water Towers, Two-Story Outhouses, or Tiny Churches.

PARANORMAL LISTINGS ON ROADSIDE AMERICA

This is what caught my attention about Roadside America: their Mystery Spots and Roadside Creatures sections.

I didn't find anything really amazing I didn't already know about, but it is a neat concept.

OTHER NOTABLE ROADSIDE AMERICA FEATURES

Two other things I liked about the site were their Sight of the Week and their My Sights Route Planner (you can "create your own bizarre road trips" and save them on the site).

HauntJaunts.net & Other Haunted Travel Sites

In yesterday's post I mentioned how HauntJaunts.net is not a one-of-a-kind, there are other haunted travel sites out there. What are they?

I listed them yesterday, but they're worth noting again:

THE OTHER HAUNTED TRAVEL SITES

• A Ghost in My Suitcase
• The Haunted Traveler
• TravelParanormal.com

NOT SUCH A NOVEL CONCEPT

It was in late 2007 when I first thought instead of doing Haunt Jaunts: A Travel Guide for Restless Spirits as a book like I'd initially seen it as that I'd set it up as a website.

One of the first things I did was check out the Internet for any similar sites already in existence. That's how I found A Ghost in My Suitcase.

At first I was bummed. "Someone else has already had this idea? Drat."

But as I cruised around on the site, I realized his vision and mine were two different things. He was using the website to promote his book of the same name. His shtick was 50 haunted places in 50 states.

My vision was bigger than that. I wanted to be a sort of paranormal yellow pages. A place people could turn to when looking for restaurants, hotels, or attractions with ghost stories attached to them. If the allegedly haunted place had a website, I'd link to it, as well as include its physical address and phone number.

Also, I liked the idea of not only breaking Jaunts down by state, but also by venue and giving them catchy names. (Hence, Apparition Attractions, Eerie Eateries & Pubs, Spooky Stays, etc...)

"There might just be room on the web for both of us!" I realized.

COMPETITION OR...?

Then this year as I've set about getting things set up in earnest I stumbled across the other two sites: The Haunted Traveler and TravelParanormal.com.

My first reaction was similar to the one I'd had upon discovering A Ghost in My Suitcase. Then I checked them out.

Each offers something unique. The Haunted Traveler's site does list some Haunt Jaunts and gives a history behind some of them, but his main deal is his spirit photography. (Which is amazing, I must say. I haven't checked into how much his work costs, but talk about hauntingly beautiful...)

And then TravelParanormal.com lists all the 50 states, but it's more of a compilation of news and articles related to cities within the state.

ONE MORE HAUNTED TRAVEL SITE

There's one more haunted listing site that my friend Brenda sent me not too long ago: The Shadowlands Haunted Places Index.

This has the most thorough listings of all of them. Not only does it have all 50 states, but also includes listings for haunted places outside of America.

However, it still isn't the vision I had. If I''m not mistaken, it would (and I think does) list somewhere like Waverly, whereas I wouldn't.

I only want to list Jaunts where people can go freely. (You may have to pay for a room or something like that to stay at a Jaunt, but it's accessible to the public.) I didn't want to get into listing abandoned places and all that, no matter how good the ghost story.

COMMON THEME + DIFFERENT APPROACHES = MORE CHOICES

As I see it, we each offer a different flavor. It's kind of like pizza: not all of them taste the same. Some people like the sauce at one place better than another. Or the crust. Or the way the meat is sliced. Everyone has their favorite based on how it suits their palate.

I think the same applies for finding ghosts via haunted travel sites: one might appeal to one ghost enthusiast more than another. At least there's some choice.

Of course, that doesn't stop me from hoping HauntJaunts.net will explode. I can see it now: the Domino's or the Pizza Hut of the ghost community.

Okay, okay, it may sound crazy.But it doesn't hurt to wish big, does it?

Haunted Cruise Tour of New England and Canada October 17-22, 2009

Recently one of my Google Alerts included a press release that caught my eye for three reasons: (1) it was about a cruise (something I love to do), (2) it was about a cruise in New England and Canada (places on my Bucket List), and (3) it involved ghosts.

Mark Nesbitt, who's penned quite a few ghost books (most notably his "Ghosts of Gettysburg" series), will "headline this unique cruise of New England and Canada October 17 -22, 2009" aboard Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas.

Cruisers can expect to be treated to spooky stories from Nesbitt while onboard, but the main draw is sure to be his port excursions.

What are the ports? There are three: Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine, and Halifax Nova Scotia.

Nesbitt will lead a spooky tour of Portland, a haunted trolley tour in Bar Harbor, and a ghost walk in Halifax.

But the ghost touring doesn't end when the cruise does. Nesbitt is also offering a ghost tour of Boston followed by an overnight in Boston's haunted Park Plaza Hotel.

And what does all of this ghost touring, haunt jaunting New England cruise fun cost?

• Cruise rates: $514.39 (interior cabin), $664.39 (ocean view cabin), $794.39 (balcony cabin).
• Port excursions in Portland, Bar Harbor, and Halifax: $65 (for all three, which is not too shabby as far as excursion rates go).
• The extension in Boston with the ghost tour and stay at the Park Plaza: $120.

Interested in signing up? You have to book through Cruise Holidays of Alexandria, 866-368-7327, and put down a $250 deposit (refundable up to one day before final payment is due).

Haunting sailing!

Ghost Conferences for the Rest of 2009

A while back I wrote about HauntedCon, but this week I got to thinking about other ghost conferences coming up for the rest of 2009. Where were they and when? (I knew I'd seen some others during my travels around various websites, so...)

I decided to do a little investigating and put together a list of what I came across. This is what I dug up.

Whether you're a ghost hunter or ghost enthusiast like myself, maybe one of these conferences will be near you. Could make for a fun (not to mention informative, educational, and possibly entertaining) little haunt jaunt!

1. June 19-20: 2009 Haunted America "Lucky 13" Conference. Where: The "haunted" Lincoln Theater in Decatur, Illinois. Cost: $60 (for both days.) Click here for more details. (Something I thought was neat was that one of the sponsors is Ghostology with Brian and Anna Marie, a show I mentioned in a blog not too far back. I have a feeling they might be the next breakout paranormal hit with their new show due out this fall. Of course, if they're not, you'll have this blog to quote me on...)
2. August 6-7: Paracon 2009, the First Annual Canadian-American Conference. Where: Sarnia, Canada. Cost: $37.50 USD - $72 USD. Click here for more info.
3. August 14-16: The Ohio Paranormal Convention. Where: Dayton, Ohio (Hara area). Cost: $35-$65. Click here for more info.
4. September 24-26: HauntedCon 2009. Where: Hotel St. Michael, Prescott, Arizona. Cost: $99.99-$284. Click here for more info.
5. October 2-3: 2009 Chicago Ghost Conference. Where: The Portage Theater, Chicago, Illinois. Cost: $50. ($30 for students.) Click here for more info.
6. October 8-11: Univ-Con 8 2009. Where: Pennsylvania. (The website hasn't been updated with all 2009 info as of this posting, so I'm not sure if Univ-Con will be held at Penn Stater again.) Advance tickets are on sale though for $25 plus a .99 cent surcharge. Click here for more info. (Click on the Univ-Con 2009 graphic to purchase advanced tickets.)

Thoughts about Ghosts

I don't know if ghosts exist or not. I've had some weird encounters (for instance, the Shilo Inn and Harry's), but I didn't have any kind of recording devices on me to capture any evidence. (And at that time I didn't know about EVPs and such so even if I had had something, I wouldn't have thought to use it.) But, as I've stated before, those kind of encounters sparked my interest in haunt jaunting.

However, yesterday as I watched stories emerge about James von Brunn's shooting at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, I thought about the guard who died. Stephen Tyrone Johns, age 39.

I'm 38. This year I was confronted with my own mortality. (Though it was cancer, not a gunman, whose barrel I stared down.) In fact, Haunt Jaunts the blog and HauntJaunts.net were born out of my will to live. (I explain about all that in the About section of the website.)

I once wrote about attachments and how I believe if I did end up as a ghost I'd probably haunt the house I grew up in. But most importantly I theorized that one becomes a ghost and ends up haunting wherever or whatever they were most attached to in life.

I thought about this again listening to all the hate that fills James von Brunn's heart. (Though he probably doesn't view it that way. He'd probably argue he just feels extremely strongly about his beliefs.) I couldn't help but think, "Wow. With that much animosity, that's the kind of guy who would end up as a ghost...and maybe the not too pleasant variety."

See, the way I view it is he has unresolved issues. Ones that made it necessary for him to feel he needed to take action. Since he's most likely going to leave this world before his vision of perfection comes to pass, he's not going to be a happily departed soul.

Where will he end up haunting? Or what?

And what about that guard who had no way of knowing when he went to work that day that it would be his last? That the old man he thought he was helping by opening the door would shoot and kill him? In years to come will we hear ghost stories from the U.S. Holocaust Museum?

It gives me a new perspective to keep in mind if I do come across ghosts or spirits on my next haunt jaunts. It's something Jay and Grant from Ghost Hunters say all the time, but that I didn't fully appreciate until now.

Ghosts (if there are such things) were once people too.

They had dreams, desires, emotions, and maybe destinies they felt they'd left unfulfilled. When we encounter them it may be normal to feel alarmed, but we shouldn't be frightened. We should extend them respect (most ghost hunters are pretty good about this) and remember to be as compassionate as possible. In fact, we should treat ghosts as unseen people who deserve the same level of respect that we'd like to receive.

Haunted Landmarks

Today I stumbled across a pretty good article on Digg called "Someone Grab Scooby-Doo: The World's Most Haunted Landmarks."

What I liked most about the article: the pics and details of the ghosts supposedly haunting each haunted landmark.

What I didn't like about the article: I was surprised some places were left off. (Stanley Hotel, Myrtles Plantation, Waverly Sanatorium...)

So what were the haunted landmarks listed in the article?

1. Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh, Scotland
2. The Whaley House - San Diego, CA
3. Bran Castle - Transylvania, Romania
4. Alcatraz - San Francisco, CA
5. Borley Rectory - Essex, England
6. Winchester Mystery House - San Jose, CA
7. Pollepel Island - Hudson River, NY
8. The Queen Mary - Long Beach, CA
9. The Bell House - Adams, TN
10. Rayham Hall - Norfolk, England
11. The Tower of London - London, England

I also learned of a few new places I wasn't previously familiar with (Borley Rectory, Pollepel Island, and Rayham Hall).

Speaking of learning things...I also learned Edinburgh Castle has a canine graveyard, which I didn't previously know, or that there are only two in Scotland.

Which made me wonder: How many canine graveyards does the U.S. have? How many do other countries have?

I like articles that make me think! (Duh. I suppose that's what everyone appreciates about a good article, right?)

But something else I want to know: why was it so slanted towards England and the USA? Besides Romania and Scotland, no other countries made the list. I know darn well there are other haunted landmarks out there.

Maybe the author is saving them for a follow-up article? If not, for any of you more worldly Haunt Jaunters out there, I'd sure appreciate an article on more international haunted landmarks. (Either for HauntJaunts.net's travel articles or to be referred to an already published one.)

Examiner.com's Haunted Places and Haunted Sites Examiners

I recently signed on with Examiner.com to be a Nashville Getaways Examiner, but was excited to find several Haunted Places Examiners for me to follow in the process.

WHAT'S EXAMINER.COM?

It's a newer site dedicated to promoting cities by providing writers a platform to share their expertise or passion about where they live on all manner of subjects. Their catch phrase is: Examiners are credible, passionate, knowledgeable writers.

They have Examiners for everything ranging from Arts & Entertainment Examiners to Careers & Workplace, Bars & Restaurants, Pets, Politics, and Relationship Examiners. (It was actually because a Google alert let me know Seattle Marriage Advice Examiner Becca Campbell referenced one of my old Families.com articles that I became familiar with them.)

And I'm glad I did. Not only because they're allowing me to write about Nashville Getaways, but now I've found other people (Examiners) interested in the same thing as me! Haunted Places!

HAUNTED PLACES AND HAUNTED SITES EXAMINERS SO FAR

Examiner.com hires more and more writers every day so I'm sure this list will be expanding, but here's the links to two of the Haunted Places and Haunted Sites Examiners already on board.

1. Debe Branning, Arizona Haunted Sites Examiner
2. Vince Wilson, Baltimore Haunted Places Examiner

"WHY AREN'T YOU A HAUNTED PLACES EXAMINER, COURTNEY?"

Excellent question! They asked if I wanted to be a Nashville Haunted Travel Examiner, were willing to work with me on that, but I declined. I wanted to broaden my horizons to Getaways because Wayne and I will inevitably be getting out and about more again now that I'm getting better and closer to being done with my cancer treatments. That way I can write about our Haunt Jaunts here, while also tweaking them for the Getaways blog too.

Also, I didn't want to taint Haunt Jaunts the blog. Since I do use it as my travel blog also, albeit for more than just Nashville, I wanted to keep it sort of its own thing.

However, I'm looking forward to becoming more acquainted with the Haunted Places and Haunted Sites Examiners!

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