Haunted Travel

It seems like everywhere you go there rumors of paranormal phenomena in a certain building or location, usually because a place looks creepy. Most of these claims however, prove false. For those who are looking for a good scare or want to have a first hand experience, this can be very disappointing. Dangerous to, if you don't have permission to be at the supposed haunting site in the first place. Besides hanging out in local cemeteries, where can you go?

There are actually more options out there than people think. Many hotels or bed and breakfasts are claim to be haunted. Those places tend to be quite proud of that fact and cater to those who enjoy a good ghost story. There are also ghost tours in various places for people who want the story and not the experience. With these you usually ride around from place to place and learn the history along with stories of the paranormal happenings. Then there are ghost tours that walk you through the haunted areas. You get the same information, but you also get the warning, "you may experience something".

The whole town of Jefferson is said to be very haunted, including the Jefferson Hotel, which is claimed to be the most haunted hotel in all of Texas. Whether or not this boast is true I can not say, I haven't stayed in all the hotels in Texas who report paranormal activity.

Many people who stay claim to have been woken up repeatedly throughout the night. Knocking on walls and headboards, doors opening and closing, faucets being turned on and off, and actual sightings of ghost have all been reported. A woman who was hired by the owners to stay at the hotel while they were gone was nervous about staying overnight, so she got a room next to the only other guests. The occupants of both rooms were apparently woken up around 3 a.m. by the sounds of furniture being moved around upstairs. Another reported indecent, happened to two older women who were sharing a room. They kept waking up to the sound of running water, which turned out to be the sink faucets. Each time this happened they would turn off the fixture and climb back into their beds.

Other Tours offered by Haunted History Tours:

• Voodoo Tours
• Vampire Tours
• Cemetery Tours
• French Quarter History Tours
• Scandal Tours
• Garden District Tours
• Garden District Ghost Tours

Those who are looking for something a little spooky, but otherwise benign, may want to try one of the Haunted History Tours in New Orleans. Their Ghost Tours take you for a walk through the Historic French Quarter showing you various haunted locals and tell you the stories that are believed to have contributed or caused the hauntings. Stories like that of the LaLaurie Mansion, who's namesake was a female serial killer. A fire in 1834 reviled several slaves bound in the attic showing signs of torture. After her home was attacked by a mob of outraged townspeople, it is believed she fled to France.

The Tower of London was built in 1078 by William the Conqueror. With almost a 1000 years of history, it has severed many roles, including that of a royal palace and a prison. Because of it's status as a prison, It has a bloody past, uncountable lives were lost within its walls. Multiple accounts of being touched, grabbed, pushed, pulled and hit have been reported. Some even claim unseen hands tried to push them down stairs. Guards say they have seen ghostly apportions in several places, some of which are said to be children. A few of the spirits are believed to be Henry VI, Margaret Pole, Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey, others remain nameless.

No list of supernatural destinations would be complete with out mention of the Catacombs of Paris. It is estimated that the catacombs hold the remains of about 6 million people. Around the year 1200 space was running out in Paris' cemeteries, so the older graves were exhumed and the bones were placed in the roofs and walls of buildings in the graveyards. Eventually the bones of the long dead would be put in the Paris underground. The walls are lined with skulls, and various shines were created with the remains. Very few intact skeletons were found, as different rooms are dedicated to one or two types of bones. The catacombs have been a tourist attraction since 1874, and in that time a lot of paranormal activity has been reported. If you wish to find a ghost what better place to look than among the remains of 6 million people.

The Delta Queen was originally used as transportation mainly between Sacramento and San Francisco from 1927 to 1940 by the California Transportation Company. When the highway linking the two cities was built, the riverboat was docked, no longer needed. During WWII the US Navy requisitioned the vessel for duty in San Francisco Bay and dubbed it the USS Delta Queen. In 1946 the ship was bought by a company based in Ohio, which made trips up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The riverboat is supposed to be haunted by Mary B. Greene, or Ma Greene as she was widely called, a woman who was it's captain in the 1940s. Many travelers on board have claimed to have seen her, though nothing harmful has ever been reported. Most believe she's still trying to take care of her beloved ship.

Built in 1903, as a family destination, the Rawls Hotel was a built as a small two story establishment in Enterprise, Alabama. When the owner died in 1925, it was passed to his nephew. Improvements were made that included 2 three story wings. Many guest claim to have seen full ghostly apparitions, including that of children. Why the spirits of children are present is unknown, as no children have died there. Some speculate that the children are nothing more than residual hauntings. Other spirits and apparitions have been reported, including claims of seeing the original owner still walking the halls. It is apparently common to hear footsteps, closing doors and hushed conversations in empty rooms.

The Heceta Head Lighthouse is built on a plot of land called The Devil's Elbow overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Florence, OR. Construction began in 1892 and finished a few years later. Two homes were built on the property for individual who ran the lighthouse along with his assistants. Today the lighthouse is a bed and breakfast and is apart of a state park. Many ghost are said to haunt the property, including that of a child who passed away and was buried on the grounds.

The details of the child's death are unknown but believed to have something to do with cliffs the lighthouse overlooks. It is rumored that the child's mother was so grief stricken, she passed away a short time later. Many claim to hear one or the other crying. What most visitor find disturbing however, is the sound of a child laughing when there is no children staying at the bed and breakfast.

The mother's name is believed to be Rue, but she is more commonly known as the Grey Lady. She seems to appear quite frequently, surprising guests and employees alike. She has been spotted looking down on people from the attic window and wandering around the grounds. One employee claimed she startled him so bad he backed into a window, breaking it. He did pay for the damage but he will only work on the outside now.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not these destinations should be considered. Rich, though somewhat tragic histories surround these places and are worth a look. You don't need to travel to find ghost stories, but sometimes the unknown coupled with the paranormal can add a wonderful experience to a trip or vacation. No matter your reasons for going, you'll have a good story to tell, as well as another place you can say you have been.