There?s more to experience on a real haunted Vacation than most people can fit into one normal vacation ? sun, sand, ancient historic sites, secrets of the dead and past, unique nature-based experiences in exotic locals, and non-stop ghostly haunted and paranormal thrills. All this sounds something like the latest Indiana Jones Movie doesn't it?
But a real haunted adventure should be just that ... shouldn't it? I'm not saying everything you investigate is going to be the pinnacle of what will be defined as the most positive proof that real ghosts, or cryptids and hauntings are real. But of course any haunted investigation vacation should have some great expectations.
SO WHERE DO YOU GO TO HUNT AND DOCUMENT REAL GHOSTS?
Story by Scott Meyers
To travel the world and foreign lands to discover all that is strange weird and paranormal in nature is my dream. But like anything in life it all starts with first steps. Using the internet of course to seek out a great haunted city or local to hunt ghosts in is the best way to start. No matter if a location has been over saturated with investigations, their is always a chance to confirm or find new evidence or proof that ghosts are really real.
You should begin by searching this site and others on the internet for the best haunted web sites that can lead you to a haunted hotspot or your dream paranormal experience. This really helps in keeping the nightmares out of the way and gives you some knowledge of what your ghost filled adventure might have in store barring any unforeseen other side interference of course.
Stories on the internet are filled with real and fraudulent claims of ghost stories and paranormal experiences. But the detective in all of us brings out the search for the real truth behind these ghost stories and urban myths. Always someone whether professional or not may uncover the definitive proof that will set scientist on their ear.
Whether your real interest lies in UFO's, Bigfoot, Ghosts, Nessie or the Bermuda Triangle we all can take or plan that dream vacation from our own computers.
Scaring up a different kind of vacation' Some turned on digital recorders to capture "electronic voice phenomena," known to aficionados as EVPs. Others snapped photos, seeking the fleeting image of a spirit.
Dave Schrader of Circle Pines and Tim Dennis of Burnsville are leading groups as large as 220 people on trips to haunted hotels, spooky cruise ships and, this year, an abandoned prison.
Their booming paranormal vacation business didn't happen in a vacuum. In the past three years, TV lineups have become rich in supernatural offerings. At the moment, at least a dozen shows serve up ghosts, hauntings and mediums in one form or another.
It was against this backdrop that Schrader and Dennis started their online radio show in January 2006.
The weekly two-hour broadcasts of "Darkness Radio" made them celebrities among fanciers of otherworldly mystery. The show features interviews with the stars of the TV shows, along with demonologists, mediums and authors.
--Post Gazzette
All good vacations have one thing in common, careful planning. Just because you are going away on a pleasure trip does not mean you do not have to do a little bit of homework.
1. Involve every member of the family in the planning stage, including children. Adults often think they know what their children want to see, but rarely bother to ask them. To ensure that children feel part of the vacation, let them help in the planning.
2. Research before making reservations. When you pick your destination, read up on it. Find out what there is to do and see, where to stay, how to get around and the best way to get there.
3. Libraries, travel agents, and tourism organizations can also provide abundant information.
4. If money is a concern, make a budget and stick to it. Decide how much you want to spend.
5. Divide that amount by the number of days you plan to stay. Be sure to keep a certain amount for any unexpected expenses.
6. Know what your rights and responsibilities are as a travel consumer. Read and understand the fine print in any travel agreements you sign.
7. Plan a few specific activities for your vacation. Curb any impulses to plan for every hour of your trip, but also do not leave the time completely unstructured. You don't want to waste your vacation wondering what to do.
Where to go to experience the real Paranormal Happenings!
Roswell
UfO enthusiast Flock to Roswell, New Mexico, USA, In July 1947, which have since become the subject of intense speculation and research. There are widely divergent views on what actually happened, and passionate debate about what evidence can be believed.
The United States military maintains that what was recovered was a top-secret research balloon that had crashed. However, many UFO proponents believe the wreckage was of a crashed alien craft and that the military covered up the craft's recovery. The incident has evolved into a widely-recognized and referenced pop culture phenomenon, and for some, Roswell is synonymous with UFO and likely ranks as the most famous alleged UFO incident.
The real hunt for Bigfoot
Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is a figure in North American folklore said to inhabit remote forests, mainly in the Pacific northwest region of the United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia. Bigfoot is sometimes described as a large, hairy bipedal hominoid, and many believe that this animal, or its close relatives, may be found around the world under different regional names, such as the Yeti of Tibet and Nepal and the Yowie of Australia.
Bigfoot is one of the more famous examples of cryptozoology, a subject that mainstream researchers tend to dismiss as pseudo science because of unreliable eyewitness accounts and a lack of solid physical evidence. Most experts consider the Bigfoot legend to be a combination of folklore and hoaxes, but there are a number of authors and researchers who do believe that the stories could be true.
Big Easy Ghosts and Spirits
New Orleans its status as a world-famous tourist destination is due in part to its architecture, music, cuisine, its annual Mardi Gras, and other celebrations and festivals. The city is often referred to as "The most unique city in America". Haunted by the soul of Marie Laveau the Greatest Voodoo Queen ever and tainted by tails of the haunted mansion and Madame Delphine Lalaurie.
Located in Southeastern Louisiana along the Mississippi River. The city is bordered by Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the east and is coextensive with Orleans Parish. It is named after Philippe II, Duke of Orl?ans, Regent of France, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. New Orleans is known for its multicultural heritage as well as its music and cuisine and is considered the birthplace of jazz and considered the most Haunted City in America. With Being Voted the best and Most Haunted City , Best ghost Tours and Most Haunted Hot spot in America.
The loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness is the second-largest Scottish loch by surface area after Loch Lomond. At Drumnadrochit is a Loch Ness Monster exhibition centre, which contains information on the legendary creature. Boat cruises operate from various locations on the loch shore, giving tourists the chance to look for the monster. The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid (a legendary creature), claimed to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness, the most voluminous freshwater lake in Great Britain. The creature's "scientific" name, chosen by the late Sir Peter Scott in Nature, is Nessiteras rhombopteryx (Greek for "the wonder of Ness with the diamond shaped fin").
Gettysburg Ghosts
There are as many ways to explore our area as there are interests of the visitors who come here. For those interested in seeing the battlefields of Gettysburg, some relax on an air-conditioned bus listening to a recorded story. There are those who drive in their own car with an auto tape tour and others hire a Licensed Battlefield Guide to ride with them to explain the three famous days in 1863.
The hearty take the National Park Service self-guided walking tours or join the crowd of a park ranger led tour. And the adventurists enjoy touring the 40 miles of battlefield roads by bicycle or galloping across the 5,700 acres of field by horseback.
Further understand the courage and hardships of the soldiers by visiting our ten Civil War related museums or take an authentic Civil War house tour by day and a haunted ghost tour by night. Live theater includes a personal visit with "President Lincoln", Civil War plays and ghost stories. Throughout the year you can talk to the soldiers in encampments and reenactments.
Finding A Real El ChupaCabra
Chupacabra (also chupacabras, from Spanish chupar: to suck, cabra: goat; goats sucker) is a cryptid said to inhabit parts of both of the Americas. It is associated particularly with Puerto Rico (where it was first reported), Mexico, and the Southern United States, especially in the latter's Latin American communities of Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. The name translates literally from the Spanish as "goat sucker." It comes from the creature's reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, especially goats. In New Orleans they call it the Grunch.
Physical descriptions of the creature vary. Eyewitness sightings have been claimed as early as 1990 in Puerto Rico, and have since been reported as far north as Maine, and as far south as Chile. Though some argue that the chupacabras may be real creatures, mainstream scientists and experts generally contend that the chupacabra is a legendary creature, or a type of urban legend. It is supposedly a heavy creature, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail.
See The Real Haunted America First!
Haunted Hikes: Spine-Tingling Tales and Trails from North America's National Parks (Paperback) by Andrea Lankford ....
Any guidebook can give you trail miles and directions, but only Haunted Hikes captures all the strange doings in your favorite back country places with tales of ghosts spooks and strange places and encounters.
Combining the popularity of ghost stories with the traditional aspects of a park trail guide, these creepy hikes lead courageous climbers and armchair adventurers through some of the scariest, most mysterious places in North America. Thoroughly investigated, yet often tongue-in-cheek, these tales behind the trails include the chupacabra that roams the swamps inside the Big Thicket National Preserve, the execution-style shooting of two General Motors executives at Crater Lake, and the pair of disembodied legs that have been seen running around inside the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center. A fright factor rating is listed for each hike, along with information on trailhead access, maps, and hike difficulty levels. From the wheelchair accessible to multi-day treks into the wilderness, the included trails cover a wide range of hiking abilities and even feature a haunted Louisiana bayou best reached by canoe or kayak.
Andrea Lankford "OFFICIAL HAUNTED HIKE WEBSITE" www.hauntedhiker.com/
THE TOP TEN HAUNTED HIKES
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park
Maryland
The Gold Mine Trail begins at the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center near Potomac, Md., outside Washington, D.C., and passes by the site of an explosion that killed a miner in 1906. After the accident, spirits known as "Tommy Knockers" were said to haunt the dark recesses of the mine. The mine closed two years later, after a night watchman encountered "a ghostie-looking man with eyes of fire and a tail 10 feet long" crawling out of the shaft. 301-739-4200; nps.gov/choh
Yosemite National Park
California
A wind with a weird name is the spooky thing here. The Miwok Indians believed Yosemite's spectacular waterfalls were haunted by an evil wind called Po-ho-no. The wind, they said, entices the unwary to the roaring brink of the falls and then pushes them off the edge. "Which explains why the National Park Service has fortified the falls overlooks with so many safety railings. The topside views have been as deadly as they are sublime," Lankford says. 209-372-0200; nps.gov/yose
New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve/Wharton State Forest
New Jersey
"Since 1735, hundreds have seen or heard a yellow-eyed creature with a bat's wings, a dragon's breath and a kangaroo's tail that, according to legend, makes the Pine Barrens its home," Lankford says. To improve your chances of spotting this UBE (unidentified biological entity), she suggests hiking a section of the Batona Trail, a 49-mile route connecting Batsto Village and Ong's Hat. "This path ventures deep into prime New Jersey Devil habitat." 609-894-7300; nps.gov/pine. Or609-561-0024; www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/wharton.html
Virgin Islands National Park
St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
The idyllic Jumby Beach and many park trails are haunted by mischievous spirits the locals call "jumbies." Men, they say, have the most to fear while on the self-guided nature trail to Annaberg Sugar Mill Ruins. "This historic plantation site is stalked by a female jumby who is looking for love in all the wrong places," Lankford warns. 340-776-6201; nps.gov/viis
Mammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
With more than 150 documented paranormal events, Mammoth Cave is one of the spookiest natural wonders of the world. "On the Violet City Lantern Tour, park rangers guide you into the cave using old-fashioned kerosene lamps," Lankford says. "And during such trips, rangers have reported seeing apparitions resembling the slave guides who led visitors into the cave before the Civil War." 270-758-2180; nps.gov/maca
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Colorado
"Nature's giant sandbox is also a flying saucer hotspot," Lankford says. Since the 1950s, visitors claim to have seen black triangles, cigar-shaped red orbs and multicolored lights hovering over the park. "For the best UFO-watching, climb to the top of 750-foot Star Dune on a moonlit summer night," Lankford says. 719-378-6399; nps.gov/grsa
Oregon Caves National Monument
Oregon
Kids will especially enjoy the fright factor at this gem of a park. "Tour the cave to see 'moonmilk,' which is made by space aliens or cave gnomes, depending on whom you ask," Lankford says. "Hike the Big Tree Trail where, in July 2000, a psychologist witnessed Bigfoot spying on his family. And spend the night at the cozy yet creepy Oregon Caves Chateau where Elizabeth, the ghost of a jilted bride, startles guests." 541-592-2100, ext. 262; nps.gov/orca
Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona
Park employees have long told stories of the North Rim's "Wailing Woman," Lankford says. "Wearing a white dress printed with blue flowers, she floats along the Transept Trail between the lodge and the campground on stormy nights ... crying and moaning over the son and husband she lost to the canyon." 928-638-7888; nps.gov/grca
Blue Ridge Parkway
Virginia
In November 1891, 4-year-old Ottie Powell vanished while collecting firewood in the forest. Five months later, a hunter found his body near Bluff Mountain, where a memorial for Ottie can still be found. "Backpackers say the toddler's ghost haunts the Appalachian Trail leading to Bluff Mountain and that his youthful spirit annoys those brave enough to spend a night inside the Punchbowl Shelter," Lankford says. 828-298-0398; nps.gov/blri
Big Bend National Park
Texas
"If you hear peculiar noises while camping in the Chisos Mountains, you're not alone," Lankford says. Chisos means "ghosts," and park rangers say hikers often report hearing "things" in the nightly winds. "Among the ghouls wandering this desert range are a betrayed Indian chief, a troop of long-dead Spanish warriors and a ghost steer seeking revenge against the cowboys who branded him with the word 'murder.' " 432-477-2251; nps.gov/bibe
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinat ... ikes_x.htm
Getting your Ghost Haunted Foot on the Road.
Here is a sample of the Haunted Vacation checklist you should follow before you leave your own haunted house or apartment behind. You can tailor this list to suit your own home and community. The idea is to put it in writing and check off each item before leaving on vacation.
Let immediate neighbors, friends and family know your departure date and estimated return date.
If you live in a manufactured home community like some do, give your park manager the dates you?ll be gone and phone numbers where you can be reached. Be sure to let management know the name and vehicle description of any deliveries or home/lawn caretakers that are expected while you are gone.
Ask a couple of neighbors to keep an eye on your home or apartment and to report suspicious activity to the police. Arrange to give at least one neighbor a key to the home.
If your community has a neighborhood watch group, make sure to let them know you will be gone for a specified time.
Stop mail, newspaper and other deliveries. Ask neighbors to pick up any flyers or papers that are tossed on the driveway or porch.
Also ask a neighbor to park a car in the driveway to give the impression someone is at home.
Notify the post office to hold mail until your return.
Since a thief can get into any home by removing a window air conditioner, it?s a good idea to fasten the unit to the sill or the window frame.
Don?t discuss your travel plans in public places. A stranger could overhear you, follow you home and return when you?re on vacation. The fewer people who know about your trip, the safer your home will be.
Keep valuables out of sight. Small valuables such as jewelry or cash should be stored in a safe deposit box. If possible hide larger valuables in an inconspicuous places so they can?t be seen by a thief.
Place a few motion-sensitive security lights at the rear of your home as well as lawn lights in other dark areas. Thieves love a poorly lighted home, so good lighting around the home is a great deterrent.
Consider installing an alarm system and motion detectors. Do-it-yourself systems are available at home supply or electronic stores. Or buy a professionally installed system.
Trim the shrubs located near windows and entries before you go on vacation. Burglars love to hide behind them.
Arrange to have your lawn mowed by a landscape service or neighbor. A poorly maintained yard can signal thieves that the owners are gone.
Ask a neighbor to set out trash on collection day and then retrieve the empty trash cans and recycling bins the same day.
A few days before you leave, set and activate timers for lights and a radio or TV to be sure they are working properly. Don and I like to use several electronic timers and set them so they turn lights on and off at different times of the day and evening.
Unplug all electrical items, except lights on timers and radio, so they don?t get destroyed by lighting.
Use up food in the refrigerator or give it to a neighbor.
Set your automatic sprinkler system to water the lawn according to local watering restrictions.
Never leave a message that you are gone on vacation on your answering machine message. It?s like leaving an open invitation to thieves.
Close all blinds, draperies and awnings to keep out as much sun and heat as possible.
Close and lock all windows. Easy to install window locks are available at hardware and home supply stores.
Make sure you have good locks! Good door locks help keep thieves out. Experts recommend installing dead bolt locks and a reinforcing strike plate with three-inch screws.
Place security bars (or even a piece of broomstick or a dowel) in the track of all sliding glass doors so they can?t be opened. Don?t forget to lock your storage shed with a heavy-duty lock.
Be sure to turn off water valves to the washing machine, toilets and sinks before leaving. A neighbor of ours forgot to do this and came home to two inches of water throughout the home due to broken water line. Not a pretty sight.
To prevent mold and mildew, set the air conditioning thermostat at 85 degrees. If you have a humidistat set it at 60 percent.
Disable or turn down the ringers on phones so unanswered rings won?t be heard from outside.
Just before you lock the front door, take one last tour of the house to make sure everything is as secure as you can make it.
While there is no foolproof way to protect your home and property when you?re on vacation, most accidents and burglaries can be avoided. Don and I follow a vacation checklist like this one and haven?t experienced a single problem when we are gone. As the old saying goes, ?An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.?
Ghosts Tours
New Orleans Ghost Tour
The Big Easy is often referred to as ?the most haunted city in the USA? and after a two-hour walk through the city you may be inclined to agree. New Orleans has enjoyed a colourful history that encompasses ghosts, vampires and voodoo. This tour includes a visit to a haunted bar.
Appalachian GhostWalks
These "lantern-led" tours will bring the Southern Appalachian region's Cherokee Indian, Frontier, Revolutionary and Civil War history to life for all ages. Each guide is a highly trained and certified ghost hunter presenting a unique blend of science, history, and folklore. Your choice of "Haunted Historic GhostWalks" include:
Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town founded in 1779 where you'll learn about the former President, Andrew Jackson's encounter with the infamous "Bell Witch" of Adams, Tennessee - the subject matter of the motion picture entitled "An American Haunting"; in addition, we offer Historic Erwin and the Nolichucky Settlement beginning 1760; in Johnson City we have three tours including the East Tennessee State University campus, Tipton-Haynes Historic Site, as well as a hiking adventure entitled "Legendary Buffalo Mountain"; our Historic Blountville, Rogersville, and Greeneville Tennessee GhostWalks detail ghostly true stories from the Civil War. Also available is our tour of Historic Abingdon Virginia GhostWalk just a few minutes drive from Bristol.
Dracula Spectacular
The country is Romania, the place - the Carpathian Mountains. What's happening? A lone horse rider is frantically struggling to make it to the Castle before nightfall. We all have our own images of Dracula and the Undead. This eight-hour tour offers an unforgettable opportunity to visit Bran Castle, more widely know as Dracula?s Castle, plus other sights such as Peles Castle and the Sinaia monastery.
Concrete Shoes on the Vegas Mob Tour
Take a two-hour tour to discover the fascinating history of Las Vegas and learn about the city?s connections with the underground world of the mob. Visit sites where murders, strange disappearances and mob activity occurred and hear tales of Sin City?s colourful past, as well as learn the truth about notorious gangster and casino builder Benjamin ?Bugsy? Siegel, mob boss Sam ?Momo? Giancana and Tony ?The Ant? Spilotro amongst others.
Angels and Demons in Rome
Based on the novel by Dan Brown, this Angels and Demons walking tour will help you discover the Illuminati and their secrets, while seeing some of Rome?s most famous sites. The tour includes a cruise up the Tiber River and expect to see the Pantheon, Piazza del Popolo and Castel Sant? Angelo.
Spellbound Museum
See rare, authentic and fascinating supernatural curious and oddities from around the world! We're Salem's most unusual and mysterious museum...catering to "savvy" travelers!
190 Essex Street Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-0138
Hours: October 1 through 31, Opens 10:00am
www.spellboundtours.com
Visit Salem's only museum featuring authentic supernatural curios and oddities from around the world! See a rare Vampire Killing Kit, America's only "Ghost Gallery", Voodoo artifacts from Africa and New Orleans, the bizarre "Feejee Mermaid", chilling medical oddities, Voodoo and Day of the Dead altars. You can also purchase the book "Ghosts Among Us" by Mollie Stewart, at our museum. and much more. Don't miss Salem's most unusual and mysterious museum!
As Voted Number 1 Salem Ghost Tour by the readers of Haunted America Tours 2007
Join licensed ghost hunter and supernatural expert, Mollie Stewart, or her professionally trained ghost hunting investigators, for a nightly tour in search of the ghosts in Salem!
Creepy Beasties in Edinburgh
Take a look at Edinburgh?s dark side, including tales of witchcraft, plague and torture. Visit the dark scenes of mayhem, horrific torture murders and supernatural happenings as you walk along eerie alleyways and creepy courtyards of the old Town. Listen to stories of executions, ghosts and witchcraft and the notorious 19th century trade of body snatching. Beware the ?jumper-ooters? who make ghastly appearances on route!!
Famously Dead ? Hollywood?s Dearly Departed
No city in the world has a more colourful and sordid history than Hollywood. And nowhere else have so many famous (and infamous) people moved over to the ?other side? ? some in very bizarre and cruel circumstances. This thoroughly entertaining tour takes participants past the location of the Manson Family?s murder of Sharon Tate and the Chateau Marmont ? scene of John Belushi?s final party.
Ghosts of Gettysburg
Over the years since the battle, stories of scores of sightings, stranger than reality, have emerged from the quaint houses and gentle fields in and around the town of Gettysburg: Stories of sightings of these soldiers, moving again in battle lines, across the fields where they once marched. . . and died; tales of visions through a rip in time into the horrible scene of a Civil War hospital; whispers of a look at men long dead held eternally captive by duty. These apparitions -and more- come back to remind us, in one way or another that they are not to be forgotten for what they did here.
Haunted Haight Walking Tour
The Haunted Haight Walking Tour is an evening journey through the local "haunts" of San Francisco's famous Haight-Ashbury district. Your host, a long time resident, ghost historian, active member of The American Ghost Society & founder of The San Francisco Ghost Society leads this two hour walking tour and lets you discover the many ghosts, witches and macabre history of Haight-Ashbury. You also learn what ghost hunters do and all about parapsychology! Price includes a detailed guidebook with map, flashlight and "spooky" goodie-bag filled with tricks and treats! Come join this unique tour and learn all about The Haight-Ashbury like never before!
Pain in the Neck ? Vampires in ?Frisco
Keep your crucifix handy as you encounter Mina Harker, a Vampress who was made by Count Dracula in London in 1897, and banished by him to the United States. She has been living in San Francisco for over 100 years and will tell you her story as you explore the Gothic side of Nob Hill.
Walking with Spirits in Venice
Walk the dimly lit deserted alleys and lanes of Venice at night as your guide tells your stories of past and present day ghosts. Join the Venice Ghosts Walking tour for a unique insight into the city of canals.
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine
WALK ~ RIDE ~ SAIL
Ghost Tours of St. Augustine was developed in 1994 by Sandy Craig, a native resident of St. Augustine. Sandy's heritage roots go back 400 years in St. Augustine, to the first Spanish settlers who arrived in this ancient city. She is of Minorcan descent, a cultural group of people migrated from Minorca, Spain who still inhabit St. Augustine. Maybe this explains her interest with the old spirits of St. Augustine. She's been know to say, "When I pass away, I want to stay here like everyone else and have people tell fascinating stories about why I just can't leave this wonderful city."
"A Ghostly Experience" walking tour had its beginnings in 1994 when Sandy, owner of Tour Saint Augustine, Inc., decided school groups staying overnight needed a fun, educational activity in the evenings. She met with local writer and historican Karen Harvey and developed a tour based on legends of ghosts and other strange experiences that occurred right here in St. Augustine. She guided groups of school children along narrow brick lined streets at night searching for the supernatural. As you can imagine, "A Ghostly Experience" was a huge success, and due to popular demand, the tour was expanded to include the public.
Scandalous Sydney
Ever wanted to ride in a haunted Cadillac hearse? Discover Sydney?s bizarre and bloody past, oozing with convicts, crime scenes, sex, drugs and rock ?n roll, scandals, celebrities and much more. This ?Weird Sydney? history and ghost tour is informative and will tell you everything you need to know about the famous and infamous who shaped the city.
Monuments by Moonlight
The spectacular monuments of Washington DC are not to be missed and the city is at its most beautiful after sunset. Visit the Iwo Jima Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the hauntingly sad Vietnam and Korean War Memorials.
http://www.hauntedamericatours.com/hauntedvacation/
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