Ghost Hunting at the Crescent Hotel

When It comes to ghosts, one could call me an open minded skeptic. Maybe they exist, maybe not. I'd like to think they do but have not been convinced one way or another.

Anyway, you can bet I'll be snapping random shots with my fingers crossed every time I visit a supposedly haunted place like the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. If any place in the country has a right to be haunted, it's this one.

You may have heard of "Orbs." Most will dismiss them as specks of dust, but I like to weigh the evidence. On my very first shot in the hotel I saw this "orb:"

Just above the black ledge you'll notice a little white spot. Could be just dust, BUT I've never gotten this in places that are not thought to be haunted. Also, out of curiosity, I took a few shots from outside of the hotel and got this:

This was the only outdoor shot with an orb. I can understand the indoor orbs being dismissed as dust, but not this one. Also, it was a clear night, so it couldn't have been mist.

Oh, I almost forgot. I did see one undeniable ghost. Are you ready for it? ............................................

Oh, sorry. That's just the cat's water dish. The hotel has two cat residents who are allowed inside and out of the hotel lobby. Here's their exit:

And here is one of the cats...

.......sitting where these upstanding folks once posed for a photo:

And here's Steph and I standing in front of the Crystal dining room, where we had a delicious breakfast.

I'm Back, and Refreshed!

As you may know, Steph and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary last weekend. We decided to make it a tradition to visit the Crescent Hotel every year on March 14th, the day we tied the knot. We had a blast!

For those who are interested, I'll be making several posts over the next few days to tell you all about our trip.

To start things off, we decided to spend the night in Hot Springs as a sort of halfway mark to Eureka Springs.

As soon as we checked into our hotel, Steph spotted a magic show she wanted to see. The magician's theater was litteraly right next door to our hotel downtown. It was nice being able to walk from shop to shop to show and so on.

Maxwell Blade and his magic show were a real treat. He moved his show from a larger theater down the street, to this more intimate setting. I've always loved smaller settings for shows be it concerts or magic shows.

The show was very light hearted and family friendly, while maintaining a dark and mysterious allure. Later in the show, Steph and I were even brought up on stage for a demonstration. We couldn't resist a photo opp. later!

Here's a few more pics we took around town, starting with a view from our hotel balcony:

Check my Flickr page for the rest of the Hot Springs photos!

This weekend I'll tell you all about our stay in the creepy Crescent Hotel.

Dogpatch USA

Does anyone remember Dogpatch USA? It was a hillbilly themed park in north-east Arkansas. I went there once when I was a kid and now can only remember fragments of the trip.

The park has sadly been abandoned for years now. It closed its doors in 1993, I believe. For years, I didn't know about its closing, until we passed by and saw its condition.

It is sad, but there is a haunting beauty to it all. Check out these pics:

So do any of you remember Dogpatch? There's a ton of pics around the Internet showing the park in its abandoned state, but none of its heyday.

If you have any pics or memories to share, please, do. I would love to see them!!

The Haunted Crescent Hotel

A lot of people will immediately dismiss the possibility of ghosts, saying "NO, there's no such thing." I'm a bit of a skeptic myself, but the door is certainly not closed.

Ever heard of the Crescent Hotel? Yeah, I know a lot of hotels say they are haunted just for the publicity. If any hotel is truly haunted, it has to be this one.

I visit the Crescent Hotel at least once a year, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It's one of the most historic and beautiful hotels in one of the country's most beautiful towns. I've tried to convince my fiance to have our honeymoon there next spring, but apparently she's less of a skeptic than me. Last year, we had the pleasure of taking a "Ghost Tour" of the hotel, where we heard tons of fascinating stories about the place; some very, very disturbing.

We were told about a man by the name of Norman Baker who took over the hotel in the 1930s. He was a self-proclaimed doctor who believed he had discovered a cure for cancer. In those days, it was harder to know some one's background, so as far as his patients were concerned, he was a real doctor.

People flocked to Baker at the old hotel for a chance to have their cancer cured. They had no idea that Baker's "cure" was only a combination of watermelon seed, brown corn silk, alcohol, and carbolic acid. Baker's patients, not having any real treatment would only get worse. When the patients got to the point of crying out in pain and agony, Baker put them in an area of the hotel where people near by couldn't hear their cries of pain.

The tour guides also told us that the cruel doctor would do autopsy-like experiments on people who had not yet died. We were told that hundreds of innocent people died agonizing deaths, trying to be cured of cancer by Baker. Some say that years later, when the hotel was being renovated, human remains were found in some of the basement walls. Baker hid his victims there along with his corruption.

If that's not enough reason for a hotel to be haunted I don't know what is.

A few years ago, my brother, my dad and I were all on the 3rd floor of the hotel. All three of us suddenly felt a bit dizzy, only for a second or two. This could have been our imaginations, but I thought it odd that we all felt the same way at the same time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDYnU-oMPVI

http://www.prairieghosts.com/cresc.html

Gone Fishing...

...fishing for inspirations that is. I'll be away for a few days to cool my creative jets and hopefully pick up some artistic inspirations along the way. Our destination? First we'll spend a while in Eureka Springs, one of my favorite places in the world. It's pretty much the melting pot of all of my interests, be it the town's rich, artistic background, or it's fascinating haunted history.

Next stop, Branson Missouri. If you're not familiar with Branson, you're missing out. There's a seemingly endless amount of attractions here, including music and variety shows, museum, shops, theme parks, and much much more. If only we had more time.

Anyway, I'll be back soon!