| Thursday, September 09, 2010 | SUBSCRIBE | COMMUNITY LINKS | ADVERTISING INFO | TO REACH US |
 |
|
| HOME | | | HAPPENINGS | | | DECORATING | | | SPOTLIGHT | | | COLLECTING | | | AUTO | | | FASHION | | | TRAVEL | | | EVENTS | | | AUCTIONS | | | CLASSIFIEDS | | | PHOTO GALLERY | | | BLOG |
 |
|
12. Wild West Museum, Virginia City, Nev. - Hundreds of authentic artifacts, murder scene recreations, and genuine preserved human skulls (including that of the Apache Kid). 11. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Snowflake, Ariz. - Site of the 1975 Travis Walton UFO abduction that inspired the movie, "Fire In The Sky". www.travis-walton.com 10.Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, Newport, Ore. - Haunted by the ghost of a sea captain cast adrift and left for dead by his mutinous crew in 1874. 846 SW Government St., Newport, OR 97365, (541) 265-5679, www.yaquinalights.org 9.Highway 375 (Alien Highway), Rachel, Nev. - Site of numerous UFO sightings; closest public access to the government's restricted "Area 51". Nevada State Route 375 from Crystal Springs to Warm Springs 8. Upper Multnomah Falls, Multnomah Falls, Ore. - The spirit of a young Indian maiden who jumped to her death from the 542-foot high falls as a sacrifice to save her tribe from an epidemic is still felt; under certain conditions, her face is visible in the falls. Located approximately twenty miles east of Portland on I-8, along the Columbia River Gorge. 7.Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, Calif. - Stairs rise up to the ceiling, doors open to nowhere, and groupings of 13 items abound (windows, coat racks, etc.); every Friday the 13th at 1:00 p.m. (1300 hours), a large bell is rung 13 times. 525 S Winchester Blvd, San Jose, CA 95128-2588, (408) 247-2101, www.winchestermysteryhouse.com 6. USS Hornet Museum, Alameda, Calif. - Often called the most haunted ship in history: during 27 years of service, over 300 people lost their lives aboard this aircraft carrier (which also had the highest suicide rate in the Navy); visitors can easily find themselves all alone below decks on the self-guided tour. 707 W Hornet Ave., Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 521-8448, www.uss-hornet.org  5. Arizona State Prison Death House, Florence, Ariz. - The adjoining cell block is said to be haunted by the ghosts of condemned prisoners; guards have heard screams from empty cells. 1305 East Butte Ave.,Florence, AZ 85232, www.carpenoctem.tv/haunt/az/ 4. Hotel del Coronado, Coronado, Calif. - The ghost of pregnant guest who committed suicide has been hanging around since 1892. 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118, (800) 468-3533, www.hoteldel.com  3. London Bridge, Lake Havasu Cit, Ariz. - Some have observed the ghost of a British Bobby patroling the bridge at night. Other ghosts are said to walk the bridge's narrow alleyways and hidden courtyards. 402 English Village, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403, (928) 542-2697, www.sirgothic.com 2. Oregon Vortex, House of Mystery, Gold Hill, Ore. - Indians called it "Forbidden Ground"; many visitors become receptive to paranormal experiences where nature and physics don't behave normally; a tourist attraction since 1930. 4303 Sardine Creek L Fork Rd., Gold Hill, OR 97525-9732, (541) 855-1543, www.oregonvortex.com 1. Alcatraz Prison, San Francisco, Calif. - Take the night tour, spend some quality time alone in the "Hole," then visit the prison hospital. It doesn't get any spookier. Alcatraz Island tops this list of haunted historical places for reasons beyond the obvious. The island's history as a forbidding federal penitentiary, isolated from San Francisco by 1-1/2 miles of ever-churning currents, is well documented. Most visitors who tour the old prison do so during the day, sharing that experience with thousands of others. But the night tour is special and, many say, "creepy." Depending on the time of year, only one or two boats ferry these evening tourists, meaning you can be one of just hundreds on the "Rock" - virtually alone as compared to daytime hours. At times, you can literally walk down a cell block without seeing another soul or enter one of the Cell Block D isolation cells - the "Hole," - close your eyes, and imagine being incarcerated. Cell 14-D, in particular, has a history of sudden, intense feelings and strong vibrations and tingling reported by many who've spent more than a few minutes inside. It is also significantly colder than even the adjoining isolation cells, which collectively are the coldest part of the prison. Indeed, this is a fitting last stop after completing the audio tour, before heading upstairs to the prison hospital (which is only open to the public during the night tour). In following this sequence, you can trace the steps of so many Alcatraz prisoners before you. Often when convicts were released from the total darkness of the "Hole," their mental faculties had deteriorated to the extent that they would be carried bound and screaming to the prison hospital to regain a measure of their sanity. Others emerged with serious physical illnesses after spending as many as 19 days on the cement floor. Some men never walked out of the "Hole." Most days, darkness has fallen by the time the door to the prison hospital opens to tourists. It is considered one of the most haunted places on Alcatraz because many prisoners spent their final days there dying of disease or injury. While you can wander at will from room to room, you'll find several spaces, including the operating room - with its bare metal table beckoning you to lie down (if you dare) - dimly lit by only a solitary floor lantern, leaving its nooks and crannies deep in the shadows. Shrieks from visitors who accidentally bump into each other along the perimeter further accentuate the overall sensation of eeriness. Park rangers are on hand to give talks, answer questions, and relate stories, such as the tale of the 11 years that Robert Stroud - the "Birdman of Alcatraz" - lived in the hospital (his room has been preserved). Gangster Al Capone spent the last one of his 4-1/2 years on Alcatraz in the hospital, on the edge of insanity, undergoing treatment for an advanced case of syphilis. He passed most of his time in the ward playing his banjo. He had endured three trips to the "Hole" during his time at Alcatraz: two 10-day stretches and one full 19-day term. Each time, he emerged in worse condition, physically and mentally, eventually admitting that the "Rock" had broken him. On occasion, the sound of banjo music can still be heard in the desolate building. Is it the ghost of Al Capone? Or another of the many ghosts that continue to haunt Alcatraz? Even the most stoic of park rangers will admit that peculiar things happen at Alcatraz that just cannot be explained. For information visit www.alcatrazhistory.com. |
|
