Where to Find Ghost Hunting Tours

On my post about ghost tours, Autumnforest (from Ghost Hunting Theories) made a comment about how she advises people interested in ghost hunting to try a tour on for size first. She even stated how her group, MVD Ghostchasers, conducts ghost hunting workshops four times a year.

This is a wonderful idea. More and more I'm seeing such groups offer opportunities like this. Sometimes you have to join the group (usually it's a modest annual fee to do so), but other times you only need make a reservation for the night of the hunt. (Again, usually there's a nominal cost involved, about equal to what a dinner and/or movie out might cost you.)

Another nice thing about ghost hunting with an established group is they often provide access to equipment it might otherwise cost you a small fortune to buy. That way you're not pouring money out for a hobby you discover you have no interest in.

WHERE TO FIND A GHOST HUNTING GROUP NEAR YOU

1. Try the Shadowlands List of Local Ghost Hunters, Investigators and Researchers
2. Check out the Society for Paranormal Investigation's list of ghost groups
3. Scan Ghostvillage.com's list of Paranormal Investigators
4. Search for ghost hunting meetup groups in your area on Meetup.com (Alternately, you can find ghost tracking groups on Meetup.com also)

However, some haunted sites that draw tourists on their own also offer ghost hunting. Sometimes it's in conjunction with a paranormal group, sometimes it's with a ghost tour company. Sometimes it's just offered by the place itself.

PLACES THAT OFFER GHOST HUNTING TOURS

1. One Feather Productions - Spirit Adventure Tours (conducted in a variety of areas, including Sedona, Tombstone, Santa Fe, the Oregon Trail, Gettysburg, St. Augustine, and Great Britain).
2. Preston Castle - Overnight ghost tours conducted in conjunction with Ghost Trackers Paranormal Research Group (Tour offered June-November).
3. The Whaley House - A 90 minute investigation led by the San Diego Ghost Hunters.
4. Walking Ghost Tour and Ghost Hunt - Look for ghosts in Old Town San Diego.
5. Queen Mary Paranormal Investigation Tour - Try your hand at hunting for ghosts aboard this famed ship.
6. Lizzie Borden B&B Weekend Paranormal Retreats - These are offered in conjunction with Haunted Times and there's only one weekend left for 2009, September 4-5. (Click here to read a blog I wrote about other locations where Haunted Times holds ghost hunts.)
7. Haunted Tours at Historic Fort Wayne - Take a tour of the fort, learn its history, then stay and search the grounds for evidence of what still lingers.
8. Copper Queen Hotel - Every Thursday night the hotel offers guests to do more than stay the night in Bisbee.
9. Old Montana Territorial Prison - It's a tour where they turn the lights out and take you to five of the hottest of the prison's hot spots. They encourage you to bring your camera, video recorders and other ghost hunting devices to see what evidence you might capture.
10. Haunted Detroit Tours - The tour guides come equipped with digital camera, infra-red thermometers, and EMF detectors for your three hour ghost hunting adventure of Metro Detroit.

Become a Ghost Tour Beta Tester

Here's an interesting opportunity for some of you Haunt Jaunters out there: a start-up company specializing in ghost tourism is looking for ghost tour beta testers.

This opportunity came to my attention because of a comment left on one of my postings about paranormal tourism. My interest was piqued and my curiosity prompted me to contact the poster.

Which I'm glad I did because she made me aware of a new company she's launching. I'm sure it'll be profiled more later, but for now I can write about how she needs beta testers to test her product.

WHAT YOU'LL BE BETA TESTING

It's a self-guided tour package which will be going up for sale in southeast Wisconsin. From what I gather, it's a collection of Haunt Jaunts you follow at your leisure. (See why I was intrigued?)

WHERE YOU'LL BE BETA TESTING

The southeast Wisconsin area.

WHEN BETA TESTERS ARE NEEDED

Between July 26 and August 8.

WHO TO CONTACT TO BECOME A BETA TESTER

Susan Scot Fry of the Caper Company susanscotfry@yahoo.com.

TALK ABOUT YOUR BETA TESTING EXPERIENCE

If you do this, I hope you'll leave a comment and let me know how it went.

Or, better yet, if you'd like to guest blog about your experience, I'd love to have you do that too. Just drop me an email at admin@hauntjaunts.net or leave a comment here so I can get in touch with you about it.

State Tourism Offices Realize Haunt Jaunts Boost Revenue

Recently I wrote about how some historical organizations are using haunt jaunts as fundraisers. Now I've come across an article about how state tourism departments are realizing haunt jaunts as revenue streams.


ALABAMA'S "GHOST TRAIL"


Yesterday I read a great article by Marty Roney on MontgomeryAdvertiser.com called "Alabama's 'ghost trail' may scare up tourism dollars." It was about how the Southwest Alabama Regional Tourism and Film Office plans to promote Alabama's Black Belt with a "ghost trail."


It's going to be set up as a driving, self-guided kind of tour. They'll have a website featuring ghost tales starting with stories from Dallas, Perry and Wilcox counties. More stories will be added as they're gathered.

They're hoping it encourages people to frequent this part of the state, which is more economically depressed than other areas of the state. (Not sure if that means it's more economically depressed overall, or if it's just not attracting tourists. That may be about to change.)


MORE CITIES EMBRACING PARANORMAL TOURISM


The Southwest Alabama Regional Tourism and Film Office took its cue from other cities that have realized that a good ghost business brings in tourism bucks. Some of the cities listed in the article that enthusiastically promote ghost/paranormal tourism included:

• Mansfield, Ohio (Specifically mentioning the Ohio State Reformatory, which you might have seen in the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" or on an episode of Ghost Hunters.)


• Richmond, Virginia


• Cape Fear area of North Carolina


• Long Beach Island, New Jersey


• Houston, Texas

It'll be interesting to see if more and more tourism offices start promoting haunt jaunts or ghost trails or the like to attract visitors to their states. If not, they should seriously consider it. If there's one thing us ghost enthusiasts like to do, it's travelling to track down ghosts.

That means spending on gas, food, and sometimes even lodging at our destination. Not to mention if the haunt jaunt itself charges a fee, like many museums, prisons, and historic homes do. Oh yes, there's definitely revenue to be realized by catering to us haunt jaunters.

Recap of Haunt Jaunt to Gulf County, Florida

We're back from our Haunt Jaunt to Gulf County, Florida, otherwise known as Florida's Forgotten Coast. All I can say is, I don't know what was harder to find: a place to eat or a ghost.

WHERE WE STAYED

Actually, finding a place to eat wasn't all that hard. It just seemed that way because we stayed on Cape San Blas. The nearest food was in Port St. Joe, 20 miles away. (With the exception of a couple of smaller restaurants, one right across from where we stayed and the other in Indian Pass, maybe 10 miles away. But both were closed when we tried to frequent them.)

After swimming, body surfing, scalloping, snorkeling, and walking on the beach working up an appetite, driving 20 miles on a hungry belly made it feel like there was no food to be found.

WHAT WE DID, SAW, AND ATE

There isn't a whole lot to see and do in Gulf County. That's part of its appeal. If you want a nice, relaxed, laid back beach atmosphere, it doesn't get much more laid back than Gulf County.

In fact, on Cape San Blas it was even hard for us to get cell phone reception. (Wayne got better than I did. I could sometimes get one bar, but I couldn't really get a connection.)

However, besides just enjoying the beach, we did take in some sights.

ON CAPE SAN BLAS

We checked out the Cape San Blas Lighthouse (pictured above). I was really hoping for some ghosts there, but the woman (who's name I unfortunately did not get) who sort of stays out there and runs it and the adjoining Sleeping Beauty Gift Shop assured me there are no ghosts out there.

"I've heard all the legends but I can definitely say I've spent enough nights out here to know ain't nothing haunting this place."

IN PORT ST. JOE

We strolled around Port St. Joe's historic downtown area. Reid Avenue is akin to a Main Street area with shops and such. It's kind of in the process of being revived. There was an old theater that might have had some promising ghost stories, but it was all closed up and for sale.

However, we haunted Joe Mama's Wood Fired Pizza. (406 Reid Ave, Port St. Joe, FL) Man, that pizza was grub! We made sure to eat there twice during our visit.

IN APALACHICOLA

Also twice we headed over to Apalachicola. Dumb dumb me could've had a Haunt Jaunt t write about there if only I'd thought to check out another haunted travel site first, the Shadowlands Haunted Places Index.

I saw the Gibson Inn when we were walking around the town and had said to Wayne, "Maybe I should get a picture of that place and go inside and ask if they have any ghosts."

But it was hot, we were both thirsty, and Wayne wasn't much in the mood for my "ghost shenanigans" as he calls them. All he wanted to find at that moment was a cold drink.

The next day I checked that index and saw that, yep, the Gibson Inn was listed. Apparently a ghost of a captain haunts room 309 and a lady ghost (thought to be one of the Gibson sister's who ran the hotel in the 1920s) haunts the second floor. As well as sometimes messes with the phones.

Oh well, missed out on that one.

But I can recommend Up the Creek Raw Bar for delicious, fresh seafood. Not to mention it was very reasonably priced. We ordered a dozen oysters on the half shell, a pound of steamed shrimp, a cup of crab soup and a dozen clams in a butter/wine/garlic sauce all for $30. (And that included two teas, sweet of course!)

Also, there were two other big pluses about Up the Creek: (1) it was a doggie-friendly dining establishment, and (2) it boasted an amazing view. We had left Murph back at our digs on Cape San Blas, but had we brought him he would've been welcome to enjoy the view of the water with us on the back deck. And they would've even provided him a fresh bowl of water if he was so inclined.

IN MEXICO BEACH

I would've haunted the volleyball courts they had here if we'd known about them earlier. Sadly, we didn't discover the much more happening St. Joe Beach and Mexico Beach scenes until the end of our visit when we headed to Toucan's our second-to-the-last night for dinner.

Again, no ghosts here. But Toucan's made for a great place to eat. We were seated at a table right next to the beach. (On their outside covered patio. We enjoyed the sea breeze keeping the temps mild, laughed at the sea gulls begging for scraps, and our entertainment was watching the surfers ride the waves.)

If we were more the drinking/bar types, their upper deck is apparently the hip hoppening place to hang at nights.

THE FORGOTTEN COAST IS NOT THE MOST HAUNTED COAST

After having been to more active haunted beach jaunts like St. Augustine or even Charleston, I can safely say Gulf County and the Forgotten Coast is not a happening haunted destination.

However, if you want great fresh seafood, in particular oysters, or if you're looking for uncrowded, unspoiled beaches that also happen to be pet friendly, Gulf County is the place for you.

Haunt Jaunts on Vacation

As I wrote last week, we're heading out on a Haunt Jaunt to Gulf County, Florida.

For those who have been following me, I just wanted to give you the heads up that my posts may be sporadic, or even nil, until we get back. (Sort of depends on if we really have an Internet connection where we're staying. I'm not sure I'll make a trip somewhere just to find one if not...)

Hopefully if I don't relate any Jaunt info from the road, I'll have some good entries for when we return!

P.S.

There will be one post, either Friday or Saturday, relating to ghosts that I'll make. But it's not a Haunt Jaunt...just something neat I want to share.

Haunt Jaunts as Fundraising Venues

Increasingly I'm noticing a trend in some of my Google Alerts: stories about Haunt Jaunts as fundraising venues. Especially for historical societies and foundations.

This weekend I came across another one. How the Vaughan-Smitherman Museum in Alabama recently did a ghost hunt as a fundraiser. Specifically, The Friends of the Vaughan-Smitherman Museum held a Paranormal Weekend in conjunction with Southern Paranormal Researchers.

HOW IT WORKS

Oftentimes the venue's historical society (or preservation society, whatever name they might give it) teams up with the local paranormal investigation group. The paranormal investigators, along with members of the historical society, offer a night (or sometimes a weekend) of ghost hunting.

Both groups advertise the event, and usually so does the venue. As you might imagine, it generates a lot of local press. Which is great for all involved.

Also, experienced and novice ghost hunters are usually both welcomed (and encouraged) to attend the events. This offers a really great DIY opportunity for fans of shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures to experience the action for themselves.

RECENT AND UPCOMING HAUNT JAUNT FUNDRAISING EVENTS

I think the first one I came across was a dinner at a restaurant where the money would benefit something. Trouble is, I don't remember either the restaurant or the cause... (Sorry!)

But I do remember the Haunt Jaunt that would benefit Historic Fort Wayne's preservation society, which I wrote about in a previous article. Their next events will be on these dates: 8/16, 9/19, and 10/31.

Most recently I wrote about PARA's upcoming event at Fort Mifflin on 9/5. I went to their website today and saw their May 16 and 17 events raised over $6,000 for the fort. That just goes to show if you pair a great location with a ghost hunting fundraising event, you can raise some pretty decent money!

And here's another one I stumbled across: The Preston Castle Foundation (yes, as in the Preston Castle that was recently the focus of an investigation on Ghost Adventures), in conjunction with Ghost Trackers Paranormal Research Group, offers Overnight Ghost Tours. The cost is $100 per person and can be attended on the following dates: 7/25, 9/26, and 11/28. (There was also one for 8/22 but it's sold out.)

Don't be surprised if you see me post more of these as they come up. I think it's a pretty neat idea.

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?

Planning a Haunt Jaunt to Gulf County, Florida

I'm planning a Haunt Jaunt to Florida's Gulf County for July. When I was blogging at Families.com I wrote about Cape San Blas, a dog-friendly city in Gulf County. I've wanted to go ever since (and so has my pooch, Murphy). Wayne finally agreed that's where we can take our next family vacation! Sort of a getaway to celebrate the end of my hitchhiker haunting me. Yes!

I'm now in the planning stages. I have to find us a place to stay. (Would be nice if it'd be a Spooky Stay, but I don't think Murph would appreciate it that much.)

I'd also like to check out some haunted places, if there are any, while I'm there. (Naturally. I couldn't very well call myself a Haunt Jaunter if I didn't, could I? Plus, it's more material for the blog and the website.)

Speaking of the website, since I don't have all the Jaunts loaded into HauntJaunts.net yet, I can't turn there for help. So what do I do? Why, research of course.

While I'm at it, I thought it'd make a fun blog entry, too. A step-by-step look at how I plan a Haunt Jaunt.

STEP 1: CONSULT MY TRUSTY TRAVEL BOOKS

There might be newer Florida books out dealing with ghosts, but I've trusted and enjoyed these two for many years now: Haunting Sunshine and Haunt Hunter's Guide to Florida. Whenever I go somewhere in Florida, I first consult them to see if there any haunts in the area I'll be.

In Haunting Sunshine I found a story about Magnolia Hall in Apalachicola. In the book it was noted at one time it was a B&B, but that the state was going to turn it into a historic site. I found a Magnolia Hall Guest House at 177 5th St on a list of Apalachicola hotels online, but no link to a website.

So is it a Spooky Stay still? A Historic Haunt? I don't know. It'll be a mystery for me to solve when I get there...

The Haunt Hunter's Guide didn't list anything in the area. The closest would be Shell Mound down in Cedar Key and the Island Hotel, also in Cedar Key. That's too far from where will be to scope out,though. (Over 4 hours.)

Okay, those didn't turn up much. On to the next step...

STEP 2: SEARCH THE WEB

Alas, Haunt Jaunts is not a one-of-a-kind idea. There are other similar sites, we all just present it a bit differently. Which is great, because I can still benefit from something they might have listed that I don't know about. Like now.

These are the sites I checked out to see if they had any info on haunted places in Gulf County, Florida:

• A Ghost in My Suitcase


• The Haunted Traveler


• TravelParanormal.com

A Ghost in My Suitcase and The Haunted Traveler didn't even have any listings for Florida. TravelParanormal.com had a Florida button, but it didn't have any articles relating to Gulf County.

Drat. But all is not lost. There's still one more step.

STEP 3: ASK WHEN I GET THERE

There are several lighthouses in the area we plan on touring. Don't know if any have any ghost stories attached to them, but, much to Wayne's chagrin, it's a question I always ask whenever we're out sightseeing.

I'll also do the same when we go to dinner or hit the shops. The locals always the scoop...and I just may turn up some new Haunt Jaunts that haven't been covered to death yet!

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.)

First submissions in for HauntJaunts.net articles

I am so excited about receiving my very first submissions for travel articles at HauntJaunts.net.

I contacted Hope Clark at Funds for Writers to let her know about my call for submissions a couple of weeks back, and she included it in this week's Small Markets listings. But I also got a little bonus: advice from my hero, Hope. (I'm dazzled by all the successes and progress she's made with her different ventures and hope one day to be the same kind of success story!)

Anyway, in addition to some neat marketing tips, she also advised me to cut down some of my wording. She suggested I keep it around 300 words.

At first I didn't know where she meant. My Home page is pretty lean, and it's also "chunky." (Uses headers to make it more easily "digestible" by the Web reading eye.) But what I had forgotten was how long I'd made the guidelines...

I did that because I wasn't sure if people would understand what I was looking for. Turns out I needn't have worried. I didn't know what to expect (at worst an empty inbox), but no sooner did her list go out then I had 3 queries in my inbox. I was over the moon! And all of them understood exactly what it was I was after.

So I went back and edited the Submissions Guidelines page. Pretty soon I'll have specific articles to refer to for examples of what I'm looking for.

If you think you have something I'd be interested in reading, I've posted a condensed version of the guidelines below:

HOW TO SUBMIT

Looking for travel articles, short stories, and other articles relating to ghosts, paranormal activity, or haunted places up to 2,500 words.

Pays $5 up to 1,000 words. $10 over 1,000 words.

Submit IN THE BODY OF YOUR EMAIL (No attachments please) to submissions@hauntjaunts.net.

PHOTOS

Two submitters brought up an interesting dilemma for me. They had photos, which do have to be accepted via attachment. I told them I'll consider publishing those as well if I accept their articles.

Which I think will be my policy. If you have photos, let me know but don't send. If I accept your article I'll ask for them then.

If you have any questions, post them as a comment here of feel free to use the email above.

Anyway, I was pretty excited. Even more excited because when I logged on this afternoon there was yet another query!

Can Ghosts Follow You Home?

I was talking to a friend the other day about HauntJaunts.net and he said, "Ghosts can follow you home. You don't want to be messing with seeking them out, Courtney. That's bad stuff."

That's a concept I've seen addressed on some of the TV shows that deal with ghosts and haunted places. Some people perform little protection ceremonies before even entering a suspected haunted area. Others do it after, and ask that the spirits leave them in peace as they have tried to do while on their territory. Some combine both techniques together.

I always think it's respectful, if you think you're in the presence of a ghost, to introduce yourself, explain why you're there, and to ask that the entity respect your boundaries. Unless you really do something not to a ghost's liking, I can't see them meaning you any harm.

I also don't believe ghosts can, will, or would even want to follow you home. Mostly I believe they can't, though. I believe ghosts are attached to their surroundings. So much so that's what causes them to haunt there!

But as for regular, every day people who happen to show up? Why would they follow you home? If they didn't know you while they were alive, they couldn't form an attachment to you. Hence, there's no emotion invested in you, nothing at stake.

Although, I have to admit I've read a couple of interesting stories about such a concept, such as Janet Brown's The Ghost in a Yellow Dress or Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. The first dealt with a ghost following someone home, the second with a ghost haunting the buyer of a haunted suit off of eBay.

All fiction aside, I believe it's not a ghost you're dealing with if it follows you home. It's something worse. Could be something evil, perhaps even demonic, but you're run-of-the-mill ghost? Nah. There's no motivation for them to do such a thing.

Still, for paranormal activity that's sketchy and less run-of-the-mill (i.e. not your average bumps in the night/apparition sightings), it's probably best to say your blessings and perform protection ceremonies when adventuring to those.

HauntedCon 2009

Today I was perusing posts on the Haunted Times Yahoo Groups listing I recently joined and saw a post for HauntedCon. Of course that piqued my interest, so I clicked on the link and was taken to the HauntedCon 2009 website.

WHERE AND WHEN

HauntedCon 2009 will be held September 24-26 in Prescott, Arizona at the historic Hotel St. Michael.

I'm kind of hoping I'll get good news next week about my cancer. I used to live in Arizona and Prescott is one of my favorite places. I'd like to attend this conference! Not only because of the location, but because of who all they'll have there.

WHO WILL BE THERE

Guests they'll have there include:

Chip Coffey from Psychic Kids and Paranormal State
Demonologist John Zaffis
Christopher Moon of Haunted Times Magazine and Telephone to the Dead
Michelle "Babs" Babiarz from the PSI Network
Stacey Jones of the Central NY Ghost Hunters
Scotty Roberts, author and Intuitive Tarot Consultant
Mark Mihalko, cryptozoologist and Haunted Times Literary Director
Tim Meunier of River City Paranormal Investigations
Brian Cano & Chris Mancuso, paranormal investigators and urban explorers
Michelle Belanger, vampire author and energy worker

...just to name a few.

Looks like the Paranormal Activity Search Team (P.A.S.T.) of Arizona and Haunted Times Magazine (who are co-sponsoring the HauntedCon) have really gone to a lot of trouble to attract some neat guests.

They don't have the full agenda up on the site yet, but I imagine they will before long.

COST

They have several ticket options to choose from.

Thusday only or Friday only tickets = $99
Saturday only (with buffet dinner) = $124
2 day Thurs & Fri only = $182
2 day with Saturday = $194
3 day (Thurs, Fri, Sat) = $284

This is for the conference only. It doesn't include the cost of any hotel stay.

Ghostvillage.com

This past weekend I spent a lot of time adding books to Haunt Jaunt's Emporium. Among them was The World's Most Haunted Places: From the Secret Files of Ghostvillage.com by Jeff Belanger.

I'd heard of Ghostvillage.com, had even clicked through from some Google search I'd run on something or another, but hadn't ever really checked it out. (I think I'd meant to the time I clicked through, but I believe I didn't dawdle because I was on the hunt for something...)

Anyway, I finally tooled around there a little bit more. I found out Mr. Belanger has written a ton of books, a couple of which I'm sure also got added to HJ's Emporium this past weekend like Our Haunted Lives, the Encyclopedia of Haunted Places, and what I believe is his newest book, Who's Haunting the White House. But he's got tons more.

The site's really neat --not to mention among the most popular of its kind. Well, on their home page they declare they are "the most popular paranormal destination according to Google.com and Amazon.com."

Paranormal? Destination? Perfect item for Haunt Jaunts!

And I can see why it attracts so many visitors. There are forums, blogs, a listing of Haunted Events, even a listing of some Haunted Places and Haunted Hotels and B&Bs under its Directories tab.

Pretty cool stuff. I have a feeling I'll be referring back to Ghostvillage.com a lot.

Oh, they also have a newsletter. I made sure to sign up for it.

Anyway, not a conventional Jaunt, but heading to ghostvillage.com is definitely one worthy of making!

Getting HauntJaunts.net Up and Running

There is still a lot of work left to do, but HauntJaunts.net is well underway.

ABOUT

Just as Haunt Jaunts the blog is a travel blog for restless spirits, HauntJaunts.net will be a travel site for restless spirits.

THE CONCEPT

Several years ago I had an idea that I'd write a book called Haunt Jaunts: A Travel Guide for Restless Spirits. I'd really enjoyed using Joyce Elson Moore's Haunt Hunter's Guide to Florida to explore Florida when my husband and I first moved there in 1999. Wayne and I ended up having some neat weekend excursions thanks to that book, which I came to think of as our "haunt jaunts."

Anyway, then I started thinking about how I could write a book, what I'd have in it, but... something just didn't seem to gel. There are tons of regional ghost books and what I had in mind just wasn't wanting to manifest in "book" form. It didn't feel right, I couldn't visualize it, etc. But it didn't dawn on me to do a website until a couple of years later. When it did, well...have you ever had an idea gnaw at you, keep you up at night, light your fire, basically consume you? That's what happened to me.

I had put the plans into motion to create the site last February. But then in March my mom got sick, I ended up having to move her in with me, that turned into a full time job, then she passed away, then I got sick, found out I had cancer, started chemo...It was a rough year.

But now that I'm feeling better (and have a second shot at life right now), I decided to take the plunge and create the site.

WHAT HAUNTJAUNTS.NET WILL OFFER

First and foremost it will be a listing of Haunt Jaunts, or travel destinations that allegedly have ghosts or paranormal activity. Jaunts are broken down and cross-referenced in two ways: By Region and By Venue.

By Region lists Jaunts by state, then alphabetizes them by city. By Venue is broken down into three categories: Apparition Attractions, Eerie Eateries & Pubs, and Spooky Stays.

I'll also be doing something I've always wanted to do: have a publishing venture! On a monthly basis I'll publish travel articles and short stories with a ghostly slant.

There's also The Book Shelf, which will feature books about ghosts and haunted places. (Both fiction and non-fiction.)

"WILL YOU ABANDON THE BLOG?"

No way! If anything, it'll get used more. I plan to do book reviews, author interviews (both authors whose pieces I accept for publication as well as those who have written ghost books), and I'll make editorial comments each month when I publish new stories and articles.

I'm really excited about this, having a lot of fun, and I hope my enthusiasm will catch on to the ghost loving community and we all end up having a whole lot of fun talking about, learning about, and exploring the plethora of Haunt Jaunts out there.

Introduction - Here there be ghosts

What is Haunt Jaunts?

Simply put, it's a travel blog for restless spirits.

I've had the idea for a while now. When my husband Wayne and I moved from Phoenix, Arizona, to Jacksonville, Florida, we took a day trip to St. Augustine. As we drove past the fort (officially known as the Castillo de San Marcos), I remember whispering to him, "Here there be ghosts."

We didn't go in that day. We just walked around the town, then went to eat at Harry's. We were seated upstairs and after we ordered I went to use the bathroom. (There are two, one downstairs and one up. I used the upstairs one.)

That's when I met my first ghost.

Well, not "met" exactly. Experienced would be a better word.

THE BATHROOM INCIDENT

I was all alone in the bathroom, but I got the oddest sensation I wasn't. It's hard to explain. There was a chill in the air, and it felt as if there was a presence lingering. Watching. Waiting. I remember as I washed my hands looking in the mirror and scrutinizing the area behind me. I swear it felt like someone was right behind my shoulder, but no one was. I have never hustled out of a bathroom faster.

When I was once again back at the safety of the table, I felt foolish. I sort of laughed to Wayne that something odd had happened in the bathroom. But since nothing had really happened, I'd just had a weird feeling more than anything, there wasn't much to tell. He just shook his head and the matter was forgotten.

THE GHOST BOOK

A few months later, though, I came across a book, Haunt Hunter's Guide to Florida. It's broken up into regions. Region Two caught my eye because it was where we lived. A couple of the places listed we'd either been to or had passed by, but some I hadn't heard of. Like "Site 13 - 46 Avenida Menendez."

"What's that?" I wondered, knowing we'd likely been by it. Avenida Menendez was one of the main thoroughfares through St. Augustine.

So I started reading and learned that at one time it had been the Chart House restaurant, but before that it had been a house. One that had a history of fire and a woman named Bridgett died during it. The author had talked to former restaurant owners who shared some experiences with odd happenings they'd seen. But the line that almost stopped my heart was, "Psychics came in, and they said there was an obvious presence in the ladies' room upstairs."

I pleaded with Wayne to take me back to St. Augustine that weekend. I had to know if Harry's was at 46 Avenida Menendez. (I knew it was, but I had to see it in person for myself.) Sure enough, we found that's exactly where it was...and I was convinced then that I, too, had experienced the presence in the upstairs bathroom.

Thus was born a new kind of travel regimen for us. I used Haunt Hunter's Guide to Florida as a travel guide to take us to other places in Florida where ghosts were alleged to dwell.

THE QUEST

I think part of me was on a quest to again have an experience like the one I'd had at Harry's. Because that wasn't the first time I'd encountered ghosts on my travels. In the couple of years leading up to that, I'd had some other ghost experiences at other places. One a pub in Phoenix and one a hotel in Salt Lake City.

Mostly I was hoping to put myself in a place where I'd perhaps see an actual apparition and have the "Holy Grail" of ghost encounters. But what happened was that Wayne and I ended up going around and seeing a bunch of really cool places and having a blast in the process.

THE BIRTH OF HAUNT JAUNTS

That's how I got the idea to chronicle our travels, and our travel dreams. Haunt Jaunts the blog will be a combination of places we've been, places we'd like to go, and interviews with others who have had similar experiences.

I welcome comments, be they suggestions for places to travel to that you've heard of where ghosts may live, or experiences you've had on your travels. Thanks for your interest!