01:01 Oct 16 2011
Times Read: 566
America's Five Most Haunted Hotels
Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell
Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs, Ark.
Photo: Courtesy of the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa
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If you're into things that go bump in the night, there is no better time of the year than Halloween to stay in a purportedly haunted hotel.
Paranormal tourism not only gives traveling ghost hunters a chance for an encounter with something otherworldly, ghost tours routinely provide a wealth of knowledge about the history of the town and establishment as well.
See more on Yahoo!’s Halloween Guide
MainStreet took a look at five of the most haunted hotels in America and their spooky stories. If you want to stay in a haunted hotel, book soon because Halloween will sneak up on you like a ... well, like a ghost.
Read on if you dare:
The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa
Eureka Springs, Ark.
Ghost tour leaders on the nightly excursions through the hotel tell visitors that the professional ghost hunters from the television show proclaimed this luxury hotel-turned-school-turned-cancer-hospital-turned-hotel as the third most haunted building they had ever investigated.
The hotel is one of the only places the team supposedly caught a full-bodied apparition on infrared camera. Those aren't the only cameras capturing spirits though, as guests routinely share photos of ghostly faces and orbs - round balls of light thought by some to be spirits. Many of the photos can be seen on the website or in the "ghost book" at the front desk.
One of the most playful ghosts to inhabit the grounds is Michael, a young Irish stonemason who came to America to help build the hotel. According to legend, when he leaned over the landing to see a pretty girl passing by, he fell to his death near room 218, one of the rooms with the most reported paranormal activity.
Another part of the hotel that is haunted involves the area on the 4th floor in which Dr. Baker, who wasn't actually a doctor, lived when he converted the hotel to a cancer hospital. Under his care in the 1930s and 40s, it is thought that nearly 300 residents died there. Baker, along with some of his patients and nurses, have reportedly been seen roaming the halls as ghosts. One patient has been seen numerous times fumbling for her keys outside of room 419. Recently, a little girl who was visiting the hotel with her parents began talking to someone in their room who the mother could not see. The parents concluded from the girl's description and reported conversation that she had seen Irene Castle, a famous ballroom dancer of the 1920s who was later depicted in a movie by Ginger Rogers. Castle frequented the hotel in her later years and died at her nearby home in 1969. Perhaps she is one of the spectral dancers who have been heard in the ballroom late at night.
The hotel also houses a former morgue where autopsies were performed and bodies were stored, with some reportedly taken and hidden on the grounds to conceal the actual mortality rate at the facility. Believers typically have some sort of experience at the hotel, say staff members and skeptics - well, they have been known to leave in a hurry in the middle of the night.
The Buxton Inn in Granville, Ohio
Photo: Courtesy of the Buxton Inn
2. Buxton Inn
Granville, Ohio
Audrey and Orville Orr, owners of the Buxton Inn since 1972, said they never advertise their inn as haunted, but the stories of the ghosts that inhabit the 199-year-old building have gotten around, resulting in recognition by TripAdvisor.com as one of The 10 Most Haunted Hotels in America.
Orville Orr said that when he and his wife first purchased the property, they didn't even want to talk about the strange happenings at the hotel, being of a conservative background. Even when he saw the apparitions for his own eyes, he says he didn't want to believe it. "I couldn't understand it."
The inn was originally a tavern and has operated continuously since 1812, on a major road heading west through which many supplies were traded and travelers passed. By 1972, there was talk of razing the building for a parking lot, but the Orrs stepped in and completed a full authentic restoration of the four buildings and 25 guest rooms.
Major Buxton was one of the owners and operators of the inn from 1865-1902 and can periodically still be spotted on the first floor of the main building. Ethel "Bonnie" Bounell was an owner from 1934-1960 and her favorite scent of gardenias can still sometimes be smelled wafting through the hallways.
The Orrs have long made peace with their permanent guests. "A psychic told us we don't want to get rid of them, they like coming back to visit," says Orville. The Orrs wish to respect their predecessors' dignity by not hyping the ghosts, but they don't mind when the curious come to see if they can experience them, too.
The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, Denver
Photo: Courtesy of the Brown Palace Hotel & Spa
3. The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa
Denver
Built in 1892 by a well-known Denverite named Henry C. Brown, the Brown Palace Hotel & Spa has been a temporary stop for every president since Teddy Roosevelt, with the exception of Calvin Coolidge. The Beatles even have a suite named for them, as they stayed at the hotel during a tour stop in the 1960s.
Many believe the hotel has a connection to the "unsinkable" Molly Brown, the Denver socialite who survived the 1912 Titanic disaster, but that is just legend, says hotel management.
While none of their purported ghosts are believed to be legendary singers or former presidents, one is believed to be Louise Crawford Hill, another Denver socialite who took up residence there in the 1930s when the top two floors were converted to apartments.
The front desk has reported calls coming from Room 904, the room Hill occupied during the times when ghost tour operators are telling the story of her scandalous affair. It wouldn't be so creepy if the 9th floor hadn't been under renovation at the time, with the wires all stripped from the entire top two floors.
Others have reported seeing a train conductor wearing clothes from the turn of the century walking through the lobby. He is believed to be a visitor who came to the hotel when a train depot operated near the hotel. Still other visitors have reported gas fireplaces turning on by themselves and music emanating from the restaurant late at night.
The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, LA
Photo: Courtesy of the Myrtles Plantation
4. The Myrtles Plantation
St. Francisville, La.
Many of the country's haunted places are in the historic southern states, and ghost hunters have long designated the Myrtles Plantation as one of the nation's most haunted. The plantation, built in 1796 by General David Bradford, was reportedly built on a former Native American burial ground and when Whiskey Dave's workers discovered them, he ordered them burned. That in itself is enough to bring on restless spirits, they say.
The most famous of ghosts who inhabit the Myrtles, however, is Chloe, a former slave who had a romance with Bradford's son-in-law. Scared of being banished from the home to the fields, the story goes, Chloe began eavesdropping on her lover's private conversations. Her lover and master caught her, drew a sword and cut off her ear. More desperate to show her worth to the family, she baked a poisoned birthday cake for one of the children, hoping to nurse the sick family members back to health. Instead, the wife and two of her children died.
Her fellow slaves, fearing retribution, lynched Chloe from a chandelier in one of the rooms, and since then is said to have been photographed numerous times at the inn, still wearing the turban she wore to cover her severed ear. The chandelier in that room has been reported to sway back and forth in the middle of the night for no reason as well.
Other ghosts, including children who died from then-incurable diseases, are also reported to roam the halls of the Myrtles. If you stay in one of the 11 guest rooms, make sure to book your spot on the ghost tour early and if you run across a woman wearing a turban or see balls rolling across the floor on their own, think nothing of it. The owners say their ghosts are harmless.
Hotel del Coronado, San Diego
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel del Coronado
5. Hotel del Coronado
San Diego
Built in 1888, the Hotel del Coronado was known in the late 19th century and early 20th century for a resort for anyone who was anyone and took months to travel the vast space between the East and West Coasts. The Hotel del Coronado even once had its own school to teach the children of their most long-term guests.
Since that era, some of those long-term guests have apparently never left, bringing their occupancy into the afterlife. One of the most famous of the hotel's ghosts is said to be Kate Morgan, a lovesick woman who checked into the hotel in 1892. She waited for five days for the love of her life to meet her; he never did and Kate was found dead at the bottom of an exterior staircase leading to the beach.
Since then, Kate's ghost has been reported on the beach and in the hotel, and when she is feeling particularly feisty she plays harmless pranks on guests, says the hotel's management.
Another hot spot for paranormal activity is the hotel gift shop, where crystal routinely flies off of the shelves and pictures fall off of the walls. The target seems to be souvenirs of the movie Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe, which was filmed at the hotel in 1958. Marilyn's ghost, perhaps? Hotel management doesn't think so. They believe whoever's ghost it is just doesn't like sharing the limelight with the 20th century beauty.
16:25 Oct 14 2011
Times Read: 568
CDs i like:
1.Trans-Siberian Orchestra, 2.Evanescence, 3.Him, 4. Christina aguilera, 5.Kelly Clarkson, 6. Lady gaga, 7.Pussycat dolls, 8.Sarah brightman, 9.Demi lovato, 10.Kesha, 11.Selena Gomez and The Scene, 12.Adam Lambert, 13.kerli, 14.Miley Cyrus Can't be tamed, 15.Almost Alice Sound track, 16. Nightmare revisited sound track, 17.Pink, 18.Britney spears, 19.Carrie underwood, 20.Nickelback, 21.Natasha Bedingfield, 22.Joss stone, 23.Sweeney todd sound track, 24.Daughtry, 25.3 doors down, 26.Kid rock, 27.We are the fallen, 28.Katy parry, 29.Avaril lavigne, 30.Shakira, 31.Jessica Simpson, 32.Ashlee Simpson, 33.Thirty Seconds to Mars, 34.Beyonce, 35.Kelly Rowland, 36.Alicia keys, 37. Kenny chesney, 38.George strait, 39.Michelle williams, 40.New kids on the Block, 41. Jordin Sparks, 42. Janet Jackson, 43.Michael Jackson, 44.Drowning pool, 45.Hilary duff, 46.Janis joplin, 47. Taylor swift , 48. Linkin park, 49.Timbaland,50.James ingram, 51.Avatar soundtrack, 52.Time Mcgraw, 53.Jennifer lopez, 54.Leann rimes, 55.Celine dion, 56.Pat green, 57.the Beatles, 58. Twilight sound track, 59. Bob Marley
01:52 Oct 14 2011
Times Read: 578
Movie i have seen so for.
1. Harry potter and the sorcer's Stone , 2.Harry potter And the Chamber of secrets , 3. Harry potter and the Prisoner of askaban , 4. Harry potter and the Goblet of fire , 5. Harry potter and the Order of the phoenix , 6. Harry potter and the half blood prince , 7 Harry potter and the Deathly hallows , 8. Twilight , 9. New Moon , 10. Eclispse , 11. Saw 1 , 12. Saw 2 , 13 Saw 3 , 14. Saw 4 , 15. Saw 5 , 16 Saw 6 , 17 Saw 7. 18. Death note , 19. Death note 2 , 20. Aladdin , 21. A nightmare on elm street , 22. Avater , 23. Face/off , 24. Honey i shrunk the kids , 25. Just Merried, 26. Little fockers , 27. My sisters keeper , 28. Scooby-doo 2 Monsther unleashed
29. the lost world: Jurassic park, 30. Yogi bear
31. Corpsebride,32. Nightmare befor chrismas, 33.Big fish,34.Sweeney todd, Sleepy hollw,35. Alice in wonderland, 36.Edward scissorhands, 37.Charlie and the chocolate factory, 38., M.I.B, 39.Wild wild west,
01:42 Oct 14 2011
Times Read: 578
The books i have read So for:
Annie rice
1. Blood of gold
1. Vampire Diaires 2. Vampire sextte 3. Emily the strange books
James Patterson:
1.I, Alex cross ,2.Alex cross's trail ,3.Crosscountry ,
4.Double cross ,5.Cross ,6.Mary,mary ,7.London Bridges
8.The big bad wolf ,9.Four blind mice ,10.Violets are blue
11.Rose are red , 12. Pop goes the weasel , 13. cat and mouse , 14. Jack and jill , 15. Kiss the girls , 16 Alone come the Spider . 17.The murder of king tut , 18. Swimmsuit , 19. Sail , 20.You've been warned. , 21.Miracle on the 17th green , 22.Hide and seek , 23. The lake house. 24. Angel , 26. Kill me if you can , 27. The Gift , 28.Wtich and the wizard.
Stephenie meyer
1.The Host , 2.Twilight , 3. New Moon , 4.Eclipse , 5.breaking dawn
J.K Rowling
1. Harry potter and the sorcer's Stone , 2.Harry potter And the Chamber of secrets , 3. Harry potter and the Prisoner of askaban , 4. Harry potter and the Goblet of fire , 5. Harry potter and the Order of the phoenix , 6. Harry potter and the half blood prince , 7 Harry potter and the Deathly hallows
Lauren kate
1.Fallen , 2. Torment , 3 Passion
Lynne ewing
Daughters of the moon: 1.Goddess of the night , 2. Into the cold fire , 3. Night shade , 4. The Secret scoll , 5. The sacrifice , 6. The lost one , 7. Moon demon , 8. Possession , 9.The choice , 10. The Talisman , 11.The prophecy , 12 tThe becoming , 13. The final eclipse
Kami Garcia and Margaret stohl
1. Beautiful creatures , 2. Beautiful Darkness
P.c cast and Kristin cast
1.Mark , 2. Betrayed , 3. Chosen , 4. untamed , 5. Hunted , 6. tempted , 7. Burned , 8. Awakened , 9. Dragon's oath
Richelle mead
1.Vampire acamy , 2. Frostbite , 3. Shadow kiss ,4. Blood promise , 5. spirit bound , 6. last Scifiice , 7. Bloodline
17:06 Oct 08 2011
Times Read: 587
Since the 1960s, many aspects of the hippie counterculture have been assimilated by the mainstream.
In the 60's, hippies sought to free themselves from societal restrictions, choose their own way and find new meaning in life. This made hippies instantly recognizable to one another and served as a visual symbol of their respect for individual rights and their willingness to question authority.
Hippies often chose brightly colored clothing and and the styles for the most part were loose and non-constricting. Styles such as bell-bottom pants, vests, tie-dyed garments, dashikis, peasant blouses, and long, full skirts with nature-inspired patchwork or non-Western clothing with Native American, African and Latin American prints. Much of hippie clothing was self-made in defiance of corporate culture, and hippies often purchased their clothes from flea markets and second-hand shops. Natural and foreign ccessories for both men and women included Native American jewelry, head scarves, headbands and long beaded necklaces. Tie-dyeing was very fashionable in the West in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as part of hippie style and still is today.
Hippie culture spread worldwide through a fusion of rock music, folk, blues, and psychedelic rock; it also found expression in literature, the dramatic arts, fashion, and the visual arts, including film, posters advertising rock concerts, and album covers.
Eventually the hippie movement extended far beyond the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and appeared in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico, Brazil and many other countries.
Neo-hippies, some of whom are sons, daughters and grandchildren of the original hippies, advocate many of the same beliefs of their 1960s counterparts. Drug use is just as accepted as in the "original" hippie days, although most neo-hippies do not consider it necessary to take drugs in order to be part of the lifestyle, and others reject drug use in favor of alternative methods of reaching higher or altered consciousness such as drumming circles, community singing, meditation, dietary practices, and yoga and dance.
The neo-hippie movement also inspired festivals and workshops that advocated alternative lifestyles, clean and sustainable energy, and unadulterated foods. Nambassa is also the tribal name of a trust that has championed sustainable ideas and demonstrated practical counterculture and alternative lifestyle methods since the early 1970s.
The neo-hippie movement has also morphed into the 'Green Movement.' The Green movement is a political and social movement which advocates goals common to Green parties, including environmentalism, sustainability, nonviolence, and social justice concerns. Supporters of the Green movement, called Greens, adhere to Green ideology and share many ideas with the ecology, conservation, environmental, feminist, and peace movements.
Some simply advocate ecological living is a life philosophy. Proponents of ecological living aim to conduct their lives in such a way that they have an all-encompassing awareness of earth and its processes. Each choice made under such a way of life requires a consideration of the consequences of the choice, and the way that the decision will affect the environment and all living things within it. Ecological consciousness and care for the earth are of paramount importance in the decision-making process
14:14 Oct 02 2011
Times Read: 598
Lady Gaga's meteoric rise to superstardom can be attributed to her catchy songs, shocking costumes, and wild media antics..
But her perseverance is arguably the personality trait that has benefitted her career the most..
This week, L.A. Reid, "X Factor" judge and former president of Island Def Jam, confirmed reports that he stalled Lady Gaga's music pursuits early in her career. Reid signed the "Born This Way" singer to IDJ but released her from her contract within a few months..
Reid explained his dealings with Gaga during an interview with Access Hollywood. "One day this artist came to my office. She played piano. She had white gogo boots all the way up to here, thigh high boots. She sat down at that piano and she played and she sang and when she was done I said, 'You are an amazing artist, and you will change music.' And I signed her. Her name was Lady Gaga," Reid said..
But when Reid heard Gaga's demos three months later, he had a change of heart. "It was a work in progress, and I was having a bad day," Reid said. "I said, ‘You know, I really don't like it. You know, let her have her freedom. Let her have her career. Let her go find it.' It was the worst thing I've ever done.".
Lady Gaga cried for an entire day after receiving the news, the artist said during an interview for the MTV special, "Lady Gaga: Inside The Outside.".
But she got over it, ultimately landing a record deal with Interscope Records, a company that supported her artistic vision and helped her become one of pop music's biggest stars. .
Lady Gaga is one of many of today's household names that were also rejected by major labels before landing big breaks. 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, and Beyoncé were also met with similar setbacks..
Alicia Keys had been signed to Columbia Records for two years before her recording contract was terminated and she pursued other options..
"Sony (Columbia's parent company) hadn't really figured out what to do with her, lots of changes had taken place at the company, and Alicia wasn't happy there," Peter Edge, the A&R executive who later brought her to Arista Records, told Hitquarters.com. Edge said Alicia and her manager were savvy enough to get out of their deal..
Things were much more traumatic for 50 Cent, who also initially had a deal with Columbia Records. 50's conflict with the label wasn't the creative process -- it was the rapper's personal dramas that created the tension..
According to 50 Cent, Columbia Records abandoned him after he was shot nine times..
In a 2009 interview with U.K.'s "Daily Mail," 50 Cent described the impact the executive decision had on his psyche. "Being dropped by my record label hurt more than being shot," he said. "I was shot in May 2000 when I was sitting in a car. You don't actually feel each bullet hit you. The adrenaline is pumping and you're trying to get out of the way.".
50 Cent said the blow to his ego was far more painful. "I had just signed to Columbia Records and they dropped me because of the shooting. I could deal with every bullet wound but I can't take that.".
Within two years, however, the rapper born Curtis Jackson had found a better label home on Interscope Records, teamed with both Eminem and Dr. Dre. 50's Interscope / Shady / Aftermath debut, "Get Rich Or Die Trying," released in 2003, definitely lived up to its title, making 50 Cent one of hip hop's most successful rappers to date..
Arguably, the most shocking of all the artist firings is the one that involved mega superstar Beyoncé, who was previously in the girl group Destiny's Child..
Before calling themselves Destiny's Child, the Houston-based group was known as Girls Tyme. In 1990, they actually competed on "Star Search," but lost. Within a few years, they joined Elektra Records..
The group moved to Atlanta to work on an album, but the label decided to cut its losses, and dropped them..
Matthew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and manager of the group, said that when the then quartet lost its recording contract with Elektra, it made them work harder..
"That was the defining moment, when they were dropped by Elektra," Knowles said when speaking to students at the University Of Southern California last January. "I quit my job and everyone thought I was nuts.".
Knowles clearly knew what he was doing. Destiny's Child made its debut on the soundtrack for the Will Smith blockbuster "Men In Black," released on Columbia Records, the label they would ultimately join. Alicia Keys also made her debut on that soundtrack..
Not only did Destiny's Child set sales records for girl groups, it also spawned Beyoncé's solo career, which includes a series of multi-platinum albums..
"American Idol," "X Factor," and "America's Got Talent" contestants should find some comfort in knowing that the star grooming process involves massive amounts of rejection. They should learn to take it in stride..
L.A. Reid's explanation for why he let Lady Gaga go was revealed during a week full of shocking admissions as outtakes from the televised Michael Jackson trial circulated throughout the media. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame announced the nominees for its 2012 induction ceremony. Beyoncé admitted that her heightened sense of smell during her pregnancy is causing her to hate her husband's cologne. And the reps for country icon Randy Travis said the singer is recovering after taking a recent fall on stage..
For more information on this week's stories, see the links below. Be sure to check back next week for another roundup of music news..
THIS WEEK'S TOP 5 MUSIC NEWS STORIES.
1) Thriller -- The Michael Jackson trial filled with shocking testimony..
2) I Wanna Rock -- Guns N' Roses, Heart, Cure nominated for Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame..
3) Rebound -- Randy Travis rebounds after passing out on stage..
4) Irreplaceable -- L.A. Reid remembers dropping Lady Gaga from record deal..
5) Least Favorite Things -- Pregnant Beyoncé no longer loves Jay-Z's cologne. .
Lady Gaga photo credit: Ethan Miller, Getty Images .
Destiny's Child photo credit: Jeff Kravits, Film Magic, Inc. .
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