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Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellaneous. Show all posts

Haunted Hiking Trails Across America

Hikers in America are facing a strange and mysterious phenomenon. They are disappearing without a trace, which leaves science speechless. The feeling that we are being watched in the woods may be very far from irrational after all. The fear that there is no one to see you when you are snatched by an evil unknown is indeed a fear that should be acted upon as we shall see investigating the incomprehensible disappearances of hikers across America.

Niles Canyon in Alameda County, California, has, unfortunately, had many hikers disappear in its vastly uninhabited spaces. Coincidentally there is reportedly a ghost who roams the park in a white prom dress. This girl is believed to have died in a car crash along Highway 84 on the way to her prom many years ago on February 26th. She hitchhikes rides from passer-by’s, asking them to take her to an address across the bridge, only to disappear once the driver reaches the bridge. Daring hikers travel the pitch-black highway in the hopes of seeing the Prom Dress Hitchhiker. A nursing student, Michelle Le, recently went missing in the park despite 450 volunteers canvassing the park to look for her.

Bluff Mountain, Virginia, is tragically inhabited by the ghost of a four-year-old boy. In the winter of 1891, he followed his older brothers into the dark woods by his small school. When he tried returning back he lost his direction and his body was not found until the following April by some hunters. Hikers using the sheltering nearby have many times reported hearing a little boy who then suddenly disappears.

As with many paranormal activities, this next one involves a Native American burial ground found in Robinson Woods near Chicago, Illinois. Chee-Chee-Pin-Quay (otherwise known as Alexander Robinson), chief of the Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa tribes in the early 19th century was buried here. And in 1955, two teenagers were murdered close to where he was buried. This has been accompanied by many reports of mysterious lights and sounds. Spooky.

Unfortunately, there have been many people who have disappeared in America’s national parks and wilderness under mysterious circumstances. Many theories have emerged, from UFOs, cults and serial killers. Many of these cases appear to overflow from an overactive imagination, yet there is a very real threat that something sinister can happen to hikers traveling on their own or small groups, isolated from the rest of society.
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Can You See Ghosts? – Take the Test

Do you have a unique awareness that is completely unrelated to your five senses? Do you sometimes know things, yet you cannot explain how you know them? It is said that some individuals are so exceptionally sensitive to their environment, they can perceive what most cannot– disembodied spirits. Perhaps, you are one of these “exceptional” people. All cultures have legends, told in hushed voices, as the tellers look fearfully around. They speak of spirits who cling tenaciously to this world. They are no longer of this earth, yet they remain among the living; sadly unaware they are dead. In the “scare you to death” movie, the Sixth Sense, this was the explanation given for ghostly visitations. According to the movie, a few “gifted” individuals are capable of perceiving these ostensibly unwelcome spirits. Unfortunately, since I missed the first few minutes of the movie, Bruce’s lack of respiration came as a heart stopping revelation to me, just as it did to poor, wretched, dead Bruce Willis. Oops, sorry, I forgot, his heart had already stopped. Are you a ghost magnet such as the mendacious, beleaguered semi-heroine of Ghost, Whoopi Goldberg?

Are spirits powerless to move on because of a thirst for revenge, a desire to protect the living, or, perhaps, because of a horribly brutal death? We have no definitive answers for these questions. Sane, responsible individuals have reported encountering these displaced spirits. Eleanor Mondale (daughter of the former vice-president) insists a ghost visited her one night at the vice-president’s house (Evans & Huyghe, 2000). It is said, that Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield did not “leave the building” when their terms expired. They are still there, alarming unsuspecting guests. Why do some visitors see the illustrious former presidents and others do not? Are you one of the special people who could see Honest Abe or feel his ghostly presence? Let’s take the test and see. Hush. Wait. Did you hear that noise?

The “Can You See Ghosts” Test
Have you ever known the phone was going to ring before it rang?

Yes___ No___

2. Have you ever felt a sudden chill in a room, when there was no apparent reason?

Yes___ No___

3. Have you ever seen anything that could not be explained by science and logic?

Yes___ No___

4. Have you ever felt you were being watched when you were alone?

Yes___ No___

5. Have you ever had a vision or a dream that came true?

Yes___ No___

6. Have you ever had a successful session with a Ouija Board?

Yes___ No___

7. Do you have an open mind about the supernatural?

Yes___ No___

8. Would you refuse to spend the night in a “haunted” house?

Yes___ No___

9. Do you meditate?

Yes___ No___

10. Have you retained the childlike ability, simply to “accept” new experiences without distorting preconceptions?

Yes___ No___

11. Are you more likely to make decisions using your “gut feeling” than your “thinking logic?”

Yes___ No___

12. Have you ever been told that psychic ability runs in your family?

Yes___ No___

13. Do you wear black 90% (or more) of the time?

Yes___ No___

Scoring your test:

Give yourself one point for each “yes” answer. As for question “13,” I was just kidding. I wear black much of the time…but then, now that I think about it, there was that time I was alone in my 100 year-old farmhouse, and I heard… Perhaps, I will share that in the next book.

Understanding your Score:

Scores 1 – 4

Your psychic ability has not been fully developed. Perhaps, your personality is rational and pragmatic and you prefer to see “phenomena” that can be explained by logic. However, if you are interested in improving you psychic ability you can practice meditation and open yourself up to new experiences. There are on-line sites that offer information about and guidance in the fascinating world of the supernatural, which has a virtual Ouija Board. Werner Heisenberg (Physics and Philosophy: The Revolution in Modern Science) wrote, “… many new elementary particles may be created from the available energy and the old particles may have disappeared…” In other words, something dies and something new is created from its residual energy. Makes sense to me. Is this a possible explanation for the presence of ghosts…if, indeed, they exist? See, logic and reason…

Scores 5 – 8

You are coming along quite nicely. Your score indicates that you are open to unique experiences and you esteem an open, inquisitive mind. You may have experienced the supernatural. Perhaps, you would like to enhance this area of your personality by learning more about spirits. Here are several fascinating sites:

http://www.rockymountainparanormal.com

http://www.torontoghosts.org

Scores 9 – 12

It is certainly possible that you have psychic ability. Your score is very encouraging. You, as well as the last group, may have experienced the supernatural. It would be a pity if you did not learn more about this enthralling subject and about your innate ability. Look at the sites listed and perhaps take a ghost tour, plan a vacation to spots that are rumored to be haunted and read some scholarly books on the paranormal. Good ghost hunting!
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Top 5 Ghost Tours

1. Venice, Italy

In addition to being one of the most­ romantic and beautiful cities in Europe, Venice also is envelop ed in mystery. The legends that haunt the canals of this City of Water range from sea monsters to jilted lovers to Marco Polo's wife.

Tours of Italy offers The Venice Ghost Walking Tour, a ghost tour of the city. This tour offers you a chance to hear some ghostly legends and see the city's most important landmarks and hidden byways.

The tour begins at the Rialto Bridge, after which you'll tour the city's maze of canals and campi. You'll hear stories about a prison where inmates suffered in rat-infested cells that frequently flooded with the tides. Next, the tour goes to the Street of the Assassins, where numerous murders and dirty deeds took place. The tour then explores a "campo" (Italian for an area of land or a field) that used to house many of Venice's cemeteries. The tour also takes visitors through a secret, hidden passageway, once used as an escape route from palaces.

Along the way, you'll see the Bovolo staircase built by an extravagant, wealthy Venetian who climbed the staircase on horseback to gain access to his private apartments in his palace. This elaborate staircase is a stunning piece of the many architectural wonders of Venice.

One of the most chilling sites on this tour is the area called Milione, named after the memoirs of Marco Polo. Here, you'll hear the tragic tale of Polo's wife. Polo spent 25 years traveling; for 17 years, he worked for the emperor of China, Kublai Khan. Although never officially documented, Venetians have long told the tale that Marco Polo fell in love with Kublai's daughter, Hao Dong. He soon married this beautiful girl who was noted for her enchanting voice, and she followed him during his many years of travel.

Upon return to Venice, however, Hao Dong was mistrusted due to the fact that she looked very different from most Venetians. She would voluntarily lock herself inside, finding solace in her song. Placed under close observation by the Catholic Church for marrying a non-Christian, Marco Polo was soon imprisoned by the Genoese. Lucia, one of Marco Polo's sisters, cruelly told Hao Dong that he had died. Saying nothing, Hao Dong set fire to her clothing and threw herself out of a window into the canal. To this day, legend has it that you can hear Hao Dong's mournful melody on the banks of the canal. Some also claim to see a figure holding a blue flame floating in the night sky.

The tour ends with a breathtaking view of the main bridge of the Grand Canal. The tours costs 20 euro for adults. You can also arrange for a private tour for a more intimate and personal experience. This tour is popular, so book well in advance.

2. Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh is a city notorious for its ghost sightings. In fac t, ghost tours are a popular w ay to take in this historic city situated in southeast Scotland. Along with being a cultural and political center in Scotland for centuries, Edinburgh is also notorious for its legacy of murder, plagues, and torture, which make it a prime location for haunting.

Mercat Tours, one of the premiere ghost tour operators in the city, offers several different walking tours to explore some of the most gruesome legends of this Scottish capitol. The most popular is the “Ghosts and Ghouls Tour,” a tour that combines dramatic storytelling with historical accuracy. On Mercat Tours, you’ll get both a good overview of the history of the city as well as entertaining ghost tales. Specializing in the Old Town area of the city, university-trained historians lead these tours, telling haunting tales and exploring the city's most chilling enclaves.

On the tour, you’ll explore the Royal Mile of Old Town and the haunted vaults beneath South Bridge. Constructed in the late 18th century, these underground vaults were abandoned by the 1830s and have remained virtually unchanged for 200 years. Because 18th century Edinburgh was so crowded, the vaults housed families in rooms the size of a small bedroom with no ventilation or windows. Lighted by fish oil lamps, the vaults were barely habitable; the stench of waste from garbage and chamber pots overwhelmed the area. The tour leads visitors through Edinburgh’s haunted underground vaults where, according to legend, the memories of all who have lived in the area are absorbed in the passageways. Visitors report hearing unexplainable sounds and shifts in temperature.

It seems like you can’t walk more than a few steps in Edinburgh before running into a site purported to be haunted by this city’s ghoulish past. This is perhaps due to the fact that 17th century Edinburgh was extremely overcrowded, and disease and plague ran rampant. Also, much like many other haunted cities, Edinburgh was not without its notorious murderers. Deacon Brodie, the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson’s "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," lived in the city, and his residence is featured on a Mercat Tour. Legend has it that, much like his literary counterpart, Brodie was a mild-mannered citizen by day and savage killer by night.

You’ll also have the opportunity to check out cemeteries that serve as the final resting places for some of the most famous Scots, including Adam Smith, author of "The Wealth of Nations." You’ll also learn about the body snatchers who used to frequent these cemeteries to gather freshly deceased corpses to sell to surgeons-in-training.

This tour lasts approximately an hour and 30 minutes. Be sure to book well in advance because tickets frequently sell out. At the end of the tour, you also have the option to extend the tour and visit Megget’s Cellar for a complimentary drink to soothe your nerves.

3. Prague, Czech Republic

Writer Angelo Ripellino once rem­arked, “When I seek another word for mystery, th e only word I can find is Prague” [source: Banville]. Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic and the ancient capitol of Bohemia, is indeed a mysterious and magical city that provides an ideal setting for ghost stories. Prague’s dark, intertwining, narrow alleys and ancient bridges are said to be home to some of the most unusual ghosts and spirits in Europe.

Prague Experience Tours offers the Prague Ghost and Medieval Mysteries Walking Tour. The tour takes visitors through some of the most historically significant and paranormally active areas of this Central European capitol.

One of the most famous tourist attractions in Prague is the beautiful Charles Bridge. This bridge across the Vltava River, with origins dating from the 14th century, not only links both sides of the city but is also home to some ghostly inhabitants. The bridge is lined with statues of saints said to bless those who cross it. However, legend has it that not all of the saints rest safely in the next world. St. John of Nepomuk took the confession of Queen Johanna, wife of King Wenceslas IV. When St. John refused to tell the king what his wife had confessed, Wenceslas had the priest tortured and thrown from the bridge to die. According to legend, for the next 300 years, St. John roamed the area around the bridge until his soul was captured in his statue in the 17th century. If you touch St. John’s statue, it’s rumored that if you have a secret, no one will discover it.

In addition to St. John of Nepomuck’s wandering spirit, 10 lords who were executed during the Middle Ages also haunt the Charles Bridge. The lords’ heads were placed on spikes on the bridge, and they're now said to sing ballads of sadness to scare away anyone brave enough to cross the bridge at midnight.

After crossing the bridge from Old Town, the tour comes to the Little Quarter. A Swede who lost his head during the 30 Years War can be seen on his horse carrying his head in a burlap sack. Next, the tour explores Josefov, the former Jewish ghetto of the city. Rabbi Loew and the Golem of Prague dominate the legends of this area. In the 16th century, Loew created the Golem, a figure molded out of clay from the Vltava River, to help save the Jews from accusations of murdering Christian children. Loew brought the Golem to life by reciting Hebrew incantations and released it onto the community. The Golem grew larger and larger, and the Emperor begged Loew to destroy him. After protecting the Jews from murderous attacks, Loew put the Golem in the attic of the Old-New Synagogue, where its body is said to rest to this day. Loew ordered that no one should ever enter the attic; even the Nazis were unable to penetrate this area of the Old-New Synagogue.

The Old Jewish Cemetery, which contains over 100,000 bodies, is said to be teeming with ghosts. The oldest existing Jewish graveyard in Europe, the cemetery was used from 1439-1787. Although the Nazis attempted to destroy all Jewish cemeteries, Hitler ordered that this one be preserved because he intended to construct a Jewish museum in Prague after he had exterminated all of the Jews in Europe.

One of the more popular walking tours in Prague, the ghost tour attracts many visitors, particularly in the high tourist season. The tour costs 200czk (about $12.50). Organizers of the tour state that many tourists are afraid to walk the streets alone after learning of the ghoulish, mysterious history of this ancient city.

4. Gettysburg, Penn.

During the American Civil War, the quiet town of Gettys burg, Penn., witnessed unparalleled death and destruction. Approximately 51,000 people -- enough to fill a football stadium -- were wounded or killed in this three-day campaign [source: Nesbitt]. Some died immediately by canon fire; others suffered for weeks, enduring primitive surgeries and the mental anguish of knowing that they were doomed to leave their loved ones behind. It's no surprise that an area so saturated in human suffering continues to be haunted by the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

In addition to the sheer amount of suffering that occurred during that short three-day period, experts claim the area around Gettysburg remains haunted because of the large amount of quartz-bearing granite in the area. Some people believe that quartz absorbed the energy of the dying and suffering and occasionally releases this energy, resulting in supernatural experiences [source: Nesbitt]

The Ghosts of Gettysburg Tours of the battlefields and town of Gettysburg, Penn., may be one of the only tours based on a popular six-volume book series, "The Ghosts of Gettysburg." Mark Nesbitt, a licensed Battlefield Guide and National Park Service Ranger, penned the series after researching thousands of stories relating to haunting in Gettysburg. In 2007 and 2008, this tour was voted the "Best in America" by Haunted America Tours.

On the tour, visitors have experienced everything from touches, smells and sounds to spotting orbs or unusual figures lurking in the distance. Nesbitt reports that one group saw a large, blue column of light descend from the sky and engulf a monument on East Cemetery Hill. Additionally, two tour groups watched -- for a full 45 minutes -- hazy figures donned in Civil War regalia move around a Civil War era home.

Another phenomena that tourists frequently experience is the infamous phantom battalion -- Nesbitt reports six documented sightings. The battalion appears to people, marches around in formation, then vanishes. The woman in white, who may be the spirit of a nun who came to minister to the wounded, now lurks in the Spangler’s Spring area. In the area around Gettysburg College, tourists claim to see individual soldiers, sometimes escorting ladies, walking in a blue haze, as well as hearing ghostly noises in dorms and fraternity houses. In an administrative building of the college, a former Civil War hospital, people report visions of gory hospital scenes featuring wounded soldiers suffering from disease and amputation.

Tens of thousands of visitors take the Ghosts of Gettysburg tour each year. Tours cost between $8 and $8.50 per person. Costumed guides carrying candle lanterns offer four different tour routes as well as a bus tour to sites too far afield. Additionally, in conjunction with the Gettysburg and Northern Railroad, the ghost train tour takes visitors through a haunted engine house to listen to recordings of EVP (electronic voice phenomena -- recorded voice of the dead) obtained during paranormal investigations of the engine house.

5. Charleston, S.C.

Fe w American cities are as beautifully preser ved and historically vibrant as Charleston, S.C. In fact, not much of the city’s architecture and ambience has changed since its founding in 1670 and its heyday in the 18th century as one of cultural and social capitols of the American South. But the Holy City, as it's called due to the large number of church steeples that dot the skyline, has a menacing and mysterious side.

Not only was Charleston home to some of the most wealthy socialites and politicos in the American South, but nearby Sullivan’s Island was the port of entry for nearly forty percent of U.S. slaves. Nearly half of all African Americans can trace ancestors who arrived through Sullivan’s Island [source: Lee]. Additionally, pirates were executed in Charleston.

Bull Dog Tours, the only walking tour company in Charleston granted exclusive rights to go anywhere other than the sidewalks at night, guides tourists through some of the cities haunted sites, including the Old City Jail, Dungeon, and the oldest graveyard in Charleston.

The Unitarian Church graveyard is one of the oldest cemeteries in the city. Senior tour guide Stephen Beard recollects that while leading a group of 20 people, he counted heads before departing the graveyard. A woman asked Beard if the group was going to wait for the other woman in the graveyard. Knowing that he had counted correctly, Beard looked back in the graveyard and saw a woman in a white dress -- only he could see straight through her body to the trees behind. The group watched her for moment, then ran.

The Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon on East Bay Street was the final destination for many of the pirates that stalked the seas in the 18th century. Before he was executed for his crimes, Black Beard the pirate was jailed within the walls of the building. Many pirate hangings took place here. Additionally, the north side of the Old Exchange Building served as a slave market.

Visitors to the site report poltergeist activity -- angry ghosts acting out by making loud noises or throwing things to scare those trespassing their territory. Additionally, ghost tourists and guides have claimed they've been choked by ghosts. Visitors on the ghost tour have blacked out, felt extreme temperature shifts and have reported they were touched by an unseen hand. Guides say a recent tour guest was scratched by a ghost. The marks on his back were red, raised and clearly new, with no damage to his shirt.

The Old City Jail served as the County Jail for Charleston from 1802 until 1939. The area that now houses the jail was set aside in 1680 for public use and included a hospital, asylum poor house, and “workhouse” for runaway slaves. Workhouse is a bit of a misnomer since slaves were essentially worked to death to pay for their crime. Torture and execution took place at the site -- people were burned at the stake, branded, and killed by drawing and quartering. The jail was frequently overcrowded, housing inmates at sometimes three times capacity. It’s estimated that 10,000 people died at this site.

One of the more infamous inmates of the jail included Lavinia Fisher, the first female serial killer in America. A few pirates waited their execution at the jail. During the Civil War, the jail housed the survivors of the 54th Mass, one of the only official African American regiments in the U.S. army and the subjects of the film "Glory."
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The Haunted Railroad Crossing

Just south of San Antonio, Texas, in an unremarkable neighborhood not far from the San Juan Mission is an intersection of roadway and railroad track that has become somewhat famous in the catalog of American ghost lore. The intersection, so the story goes, was the site of a tragic accident in which several school-aged children were killed - but their ghosts linger at the spot. And the curious from all over the country come to this section of railroad track to witness firsthand the paranormal phenomena they've heard takes place there.

The story - at least 20 years old - is the stuff of urban legend and its details vary from telling to telling, but this is essentially it:

Back in the 1930s or 1940s, a school bus full of children was making its way down the road and toward the intersection when it stalled on the railroad tracks. A speeding train smashed into the bus, killing 10 of the children and the bus driver. Since that dreadful accident many years ago, any car stopped near the railroad tracks will be pushed by unseen hands across the tracks to safety. It is the spirits of the children, they say, who push the cars across the tracks to prevent a tragedy and fate like their own.
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HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS FOR KIDS

Anytime a child has an accident, it's tragic. The last thing that you want to happen is for your child to be hurt on a holiday, it would forever live in the minds of the child and the family.

There are many ways to keep your child safe at Halloween, when they are more prone to accidents and injuries. The excitement of children and adults at this time of year sometimes makes them forget to be careful. Simple common sense can do a lot to stop any tragedies from happening.

Help your child pick out or make a costume that will be safe. Make it fire proof, the eye holes should be large enough for good peripheral vision.


If you set jack-o-lanterns on your porch with candles in them, make sure that they are far enough out of the way so that kids costumes won't accidentally be set on fire.


Make sure that if your child is carrying a prop, such as a scythe, butcher knife or a pitchfork, that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on.


Kids always want to help with the pumpkin carving. Small children shouldn't be allowed to use a sharp knife to cut the top or the face. There are many kits available that come with tiny saws that work better then knives and are safer, although you can be cut by them as well. It's best to let the kids clean out the pumpkin and draw a face on it, which you can carve for them.


Treating your kids to a spooky Halloween dinner will make them less likely to eat the candy they collect before you have a chance to check it for them.


Teaching your kids basic everyday safety such as not getting into cars or talking to strangers, watching both ways before crossing streets and crossing when the lights tell you to, will help make them safer when they are out Trick or Treating.


Make Halloween a fun, safe and happy time for your kids and they'll carry on the tradition that you taught them to their own families some day!
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Ghost Weather Station - Software


Ghost Weather Station (GWS) is a free desktop application developed by Jonathan Moore and used by thousands of people, which allows Ghost Hunters and Investigators to receive the current lunar and weather conditions. This comes in handy if you need to record the current conditions for your investigation report.
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Ghost Hunter - Software


Download

This is the perfect computer program for anyone into Ghost Hunting or any other types of hauntings.This program lets you record detailed information such as: DATE OF OCCURANCE, TIME OF OCCURANCE, LOCATION, GPS INFO, HISTORY LOCATION, TELEPHONE NUMBERS, NOTES, COMMENTS, SIGHTING INFO, SOUNDS, ODORS, TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES, and more.This program features:Unlimited number of records (investigations), Print Charts, Print records, Search, Sort, Built-In Help File, Import and Display Photo's for each investigation and more.

Note: AVAST Virus software reports a FALSE virus report with this software - You MAY not be able to use this product if you are using AVAST
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