Yesterday was a tragic day in Paris and my heart goes out to the people there. Many others are posting about it and so I leave it in their capable hands. My heart aches for all the needless, senseless violence in the world today. I send light and love to them all.
So that being said, I’m going to do something that is a bit strange. I do a lot of research for my books and sometimes it takes me to strange places on the internet. If anyone ever reads my browsing history they would shake their heads and wonder if they should be worried about me. Sometimes in that research I get sidetracked by things that interest me personally. Like haunted places. Many of you know I do believe in spirits, ghosts, things that go bump in the night.
I was raised in a haunted house. I’ve lived in several other haunted houses. They fascinate me. So I’m going to take you on a tour of haunted places…..yeah, I know you are probably saying “Jackie, you should have done this for Halloween!” I was a bit busy at that time doing the final edits on my book, A Case of Deceit, so I’m a bit late. I think you may still find this post interesting. At least I hope so.
Let’s start the tour…….
Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada
The Banff Springs hotel in Alberta Canada, was built over 125 years ago by the Canadian Pacific Railway, as a luxury stop off point for train travelers. Don’t let its picturesque surroundings fool you though, it’s rumoured to be one of the most haunted in the country.
Terrifying reports include the sighting of a bride who fell down the staircase breaking her neck after panicking when her dress caught fire. Her apparition has been seen on the staircase and in the ballroom dancing, with many reporting the flames from the back of her dress.
The main story that is told by locals is that of the family that was murdered in room 873. The door to this room has since been bricked up, but the family that lost their life in this room are still seen to this day, often in the hallway outside the room.
Perhaps the most popular of all the reports is the former bellman, Sam Macauley. He served at the hotel during the 60’s and 70’s, and is still seen to this day. He likes to help guests up to their rooms, dressed in his 60’s uniform, often turning on lights and opening locked doors. If you try and make conversation or tip Sam, he vanishes.
(via http://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/21-most-haunted-places-in-the-world)
Island of the Dolls, Mexico
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the Island of the Dolls is downright creepy. Image by Esparta Palma/CC-BY-2.0
Just south of Mexico City, the uninhabited Island of the Dolls (isladelasmunecas.com) has a sad history mixed with creepy phenomena. The legend is that a girl drowned in a canal surrounding the island and sometime later, dolls began to wash ashore on the island. Julian, the island’s only inhabitant and caretaker for some 50 years, hung the dolls from the trees to please her spirit but was later found drowned in the same spot as the girl. The island is now a tourist attraction with people bringing dolls to hang in order to appease the spirits. The creepiness of the island no doubt adds to the hyperbole of reports claiming the dolls sometimes move their heads and arms, open their eyes or whisper to each other.
Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/off-the-beaten-track/best-of-off-the-beaten-track/content/travel-tips-and-articles/ten-lesser-known-haunted-places-of-the-world#ixzz3rV5ar7AH
Pioneer Park
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Colorado’s most famous spooky spot is the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, which inspired the Stephen King novel “The Shining.” But the snowy ski town of Aspen has its share of things that go bump in the night.
Pioneer Park, or the Henry Webber House, is one of the few old structures left in Aspen. It was built in the 1880s and is supposedly haunted by the wife of the builder, Henry Webber. According to theAspen Times, Harriet Webber died suddenly in 1881, only a year after the couple arrived in the then-mining town and set up a shoe business. Harriet’s last words were allegedly, “Henry will know,” spurring rumors that her death was a murder or a suicide. In fact, she died of strychnine overdose, which doesn’t rule out the possibility of an accident: The poison was sold as an over-the-counter anxiety cure at the time. Henry Webber went on to marry his wife’s niece — with whom he may have been having an affair — a mere four months later. (Photo Credit: National Park Service)
(via http://www.livescience.com/52629-10-spooky-haunted-houses.html)
Bourbon Orleans Hotel (New Orleans, LA)
New Orleans is home to voodoo and mystery, and this is the hotel you’ll want to stay in if you’ve got a yen for the Creole paranormal.
The hotel itself features beautiful period pieces, as well as a number of different ghosts, from a confederate soldier to a little girl chasing a red ball.
(via http://www.placesyoullsee.com/10-of-the-worlds-most-haunted-hotels/3/)
The Last Chapter 