This was originally posted on my now defunct blog
The Tri State Tour Of Terror
June 2007
This trip was inspired because my daughter and I like to watch 'Ghosthunters'
THE PLAYERS
Moi- Chief Paranormal Investigator, Photographer, Trip Planner
Chloe - Assistant Paranomal Investigator Gerald - Driver and Chief Skeptic
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Jack - Comic Relief
Wednesday, June 6th
6:00PM We headed out, packed and ready for adventure. As an added bonus, it’s our first road trip in our new car. Not as roomy as the old Navigator, but the kids are older now and don’t have to take as much stuff (Ipods are small) and well, I threatened them. We headed North to our first stop, Tulsa, Oklahoma, to check out a strange place called “The Center of the Universe” and also to score free room and board at my parent’s house!
11:00 PM We rolled into Tulsa. My Mom had made a birthday cake for Chloe’s tenth bday, which is on the 12th. Yum....homemade pound cake filled with cream cheese and strawberries. Mom rocks!
Nothing scary here, but their cat, Emma did hide in a closet upstairs and woke us up in the night by banging the closet door trying to get out!!
Thursday, June 7th
10:30 AM We enjoyed a late breakfast at BBD with my parents. Chloe ate a cinnamon roll as big as she is and Jack had a bunch of iced coffee. With our bodies full of sugar and caffiene, we said goodbye to Mom and Dad and went downtown to check out “The Center of the Universe”. It is a decorative circular concrete and brick feature strip built into the pavement on a pedestrian bridge on Boston Avenue between 1st Street and Archer. There are cement planters surrounding it.
Rumor has it if you stand in the middle of the brick circle, something strange happens. Sure enough, it worked!! Your voice sounds so weird, it reverberates and sounds much louder than you are actually talking. Like you have a microphone on reverb. The effect is so unexpected, some people think this spot is mystical. Most likely, it’s just the way it’s built and the sound waves from your voice bounce off the cement planters or something.
CULTURE STOP!
Just south of the Center of the Universe is a strange sculpture called “Artificial Cloud”. It was sculpted in 1990 by Native American artist Robert Haozous and it depicts a statement about technology. Rustic metal and chains on the first level represent chains of submission on Indians by Westerners. A second level shows human figures without hands in an overpopulated environment and a sky filled with a mass of airplanes. The Cloud stands atop, symbolizing a threatened hope. It was made with mild steel and meant to corrode over time. Strange.
We give “The Center of the Universe” five out of five stars because we were able to find it easily and it did exactly what it was supposed to do!! As we climbed back in the car for the next leg of the journey, Chloe said, “This is going to be a great trip!”.
11:45 AM North, to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. It’s a pretty day and we pass green fields, flowered meadows and grazing cows. I’m feeling pretty relaxed and glad I’m not at work today.
12:15 PM Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Gravity Hill. Just South of town. Supposedly your car will roll up a hill by itself if placed in neutral. Legend has it that some African Americans were hung on this hill during the Tulsa Race Riots and the ghosts of these tragic victims will push your car up the hill.
We turned by the tractor dealership, down a deserted road over a bridge and train tracks as directed. We found the place, stopped the car and put it in neutral...and slowly started to roll...uphill! So nice, we did it twice!
It was pretty cool, not a really steep hill and probably just an optical illusion, but it lived up to it’s reputation, so...4 out of 5 stars. If it had been a little steeper or at night it might have gotten the full five.
CULTURE STOP!
Bartlesville, Oklahoma is home to the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Price Tower was built in 1956 and was commissioned by H.C. Price (the Price family was a wealthy oil family).
Wright designed an Arizona home for the senior Prices and a Bartlesville home for Harold, Jr. and his family. Bruce Goff, who was also a tenant at Price Tower, became the favored architect of Joe Price, designing a bachelor studio called Shen’en kan on his family's property in Bartlesville and two later additions following his marriage to Etsuko Yoshimochi. (PERSONAL NOTE: My paternal Grandfather helped build part of Shen’en kan) Unfortunately, Shen’en kan burned down several years ago.
Wright nicknamed the Price Tower "the tree that escaped the crowded forest," referring not only to the building's construction, but also to the origins of its design. The Price Tower is supported by a central "trunk" of four elevator shafts which are anchored in place by a deep central foundation, as a tree is by its taproot. The nineteen floors of the building are cantilevered from this central core, like the branches of a tree. The outer walls hang from the floors and are clad in patinated copper "leaves."
We really enjoyed our visit there. The elevators were tiny! (four of us were very crowded in one) and everything was a strange angle. Even the sewer grates, flower beds, ashtrays and windows are triangular. Price Tower once housed apartments and office space, but now is home to an Inn, a fine restaurant called “Copper” and an art gallery. It seemed so small in circumference for such a tall building. My Dad, who is an architect had suggested we check this out and I’m really glad we did.
1:15 PM Searched for a couple of other sites, such as Jessie Creek cemetery and Labadie Mansion, which are supposed to be haunted, but to no avail. Killed a little time at the local mall. Gerald and Jack won me a gummy candy thing in the shape of an athletic shoe at the arcade. That was pretty scary. Chloe bought a Webkin frog.
We meandered back downtown and found a cool shop called “Red Dirt Soap Company” and chatted with the owner. He makes his own soap and it was very cool. I bought some peppermint scented and we played with his cute black lab puppies.
4:00PM Waved bye bye to B-ville and headed east on highway 60 toward Miami, Oklahoma (pronounced My-am-uh).
We stopped in Nowata, Oklahoma and admired an interesting work of obsessive yard art by a man named Chris Barbee.
He has made a fence and a mailbox out of bowling balls. He has also made a rosary out of bowling balls and is apparently working on the letters of the alphabet. He’s up to ‘M’. I’ll give this one 4 out of 5 stars. It earned bonus points for weirdness, color, and creativeness but was marked down a little for the crappy gravel road we had to drive down to get to it. Chloe and I liked it, but Gerald and Jack weren’t really impressed. We cruised on...I saw two turtles in the road and a turkey. Chloe and I played the ABC game. I won, but just barely.
6:00 PM We arrived in Miami and checked into the Best Western next to the turnpike. The lady at the front desk asked if I had AARP (Excuse me?!) or AAA. I said, “No”, but she said that she’d go ahead and give me the discount. Lucky for her that she did, after that AARP remark. The room was a rip off at $75, but clean and adequate.
We explored Miami a bit and wondered if they had My-am-uh Vice and found a country radio station called “96.9 The Cow”. We had dinner at “Montana Mikes” where (a framed newspaper article on the wall bragged) Matthew McConahay had once dined. Ooooooh. Gerald and Jack had steaks, Chloe had a burger and I had grilled shrimp. Not too bad and the waitress was really sweet. No AARP discount, though. Now, onto our next ghostly pursuit.
9:00 PM The Hornet Spook Light.
This legendary light has appeared as a ball of fire for almost 140 years, varying in size from a basketball to larger. It spins down the center of this gravel road at great speed, rises up high, bobs and weaves to the right and left. It appears to be a large lantern, but there is never anyone carrying it. The light seems to retreat when it is pursued and never allows anyone to get to close to it. Does the light have some sort of intelligence? That remains just one of the many mysteries connected to this light.
No one has ever been injured by the light but many claim to have been frightened by it while walking down this road at night. Sometimes it just seems to come from nowhere and a few witnesses claim they have felt the heat from it as it passed close by them. I know someone who said it bounced off the hood of his car and another friend who claims it came inside their car!
A number of legends sprung up around the place. One of them claimed the light was connected to the spirit of two young Quapaw Indians who died in the area many years ago. Another claimed the light was the spirit of an Osage Indian chief who had been beheaded on the Devil's Promenade and the light was said to be his torch as he searched for his missing head. Another legend tells of a miner whose children were kidnapped by Indians and he set off looking for them with only a lantern to light his way. The light is said to be his lantern as continues looking for the children that he will never find.
I know a lot of people who have seen the Spook Light and I’ve always wanted to see it, so we drove up into Missouri and back down the state line and found ourselves parked on an old road in the woods as it got dark. A huge thunderhead loomed to the Northwest. We sat out on the road and waited, looking down into the darkness, seeing only fireflies and flash after flash of lightning. After an hour and a half, everyone was ready to call it a night except me. I really wanted to see that Spook Light, but I finally gave in and we sadly retreated to the Best Western. On the way back to the hotel, the heavens opened up. It rained so hard that we couldn't see the road. The wind blew, the lightening flashs blinded us and semi trucks whizzed by precariously. Ok...I had my scare. Safely back in the two double beds of the hotel, we watched a Severe Thunderstorm Warning on tv and were told to stay away from windows. Boom! The cable went out. We went to bed and luckily the storm passed over us quickly. I'd only give this one out of five stars, but just because we weren't there when the conditions were right. I'd go back and try again, however.
Friday, June 8th
10:00 AM Miami was a bust, but it couldn't dampen our spirits (pun intended) as we packed up and got sugared and caffinated thanks to Jack's convenience store run for a box of powdered donuts and the coffee maker in the room. The rain had brought with it a beautiful day, cool and clear with a high of around 70! We set off for more fun, heading east on Highway 20 and then South down 43, through the corner of Missouri and down into Arkansas. We weaved through the foothills of the Missouri/Oklahoma border, past fields of cows and bales of hay. Charming little towns nestled in the valleys with tiny white Baptist Churches alternated with chicken farms that smelled so bad we all screamed and buried our faces in our pillows.
We stopped for a potty break in Southwest City, Missouri. As we got out of the car an SUV pulled up next to us. A woman got out of the car, turned around and screamed at the top of her lungs, "DO NOT GET OUT OF THAT CAR!". The inhabitants of the SUV were three little kids, eating red suckers with no seatbelts or shirts. The bathrooms were all out of order. We just looked at each other and got back in the car. She was certainly scary!
11:15 AM Welcome to Arkansas!
We passed a restaurant called "The Hungry Flea". Is dog on the menu?! I don't get it.
1:15 PM We arrive at our accomodations in Eureka Springs after the beautiful scenic twisting and turning drive up. I called Dee, the owner and she said our condo would be ready in about an hour.
We were road weary and hungry, so we walked down the staircase, which dropped us right into downtown Eureka and settled on a place for lunch called simply "Food, Beer and Bull". The $6.95 special of a burger, chips and drink were just what we needed. The lady that worked there was picking on Gerald. She was really funny and she offered Jack a job before we left.
We walked up back to the condo and I wandered down the road a couple of doors to check out this gorgeous Victorian home. An older gentleman was out front working on the stone fence. He looked at me and said "Hey, you wanna see something?". Now, under most circumstances, I would have just dialed 911, but I know the people in this part of the country pretty well, so I said "Sure!". He walked me over to the side of the street and pointed downhill, and there, down about 40 feet, was a Momma deer lying in a small group of trees. He said "She's got twin babies and they live there and behind this house. They're not scared of people and they'll just walk up here, right up the front steps of the house and around back." I talked to him for a while and played with his cute dog, Little Buddy.
Our room was ready (The Border House --I highly recommend it) and it was perfect. A seperate bedroom with two beds for the kids, a queen bed for us, living room, tv w/ DVD, sofa, chair, and a good size kitchen with full stove/oven, microwave and frig. The frig was stocked with water, OJ, and muffins. The porch featured a giant hot tub and big fluffy robes were provided for all four of us. Jack donned a robe ala Hugh Hefner, hooked up his Xbox and started gaming.
Our ghostly reason for visiting Eureka Springs was to take the kids on the Ghost Tour of the Crescent Hotel. The Crescent was built in 1886, when wealthy Victorians flocked to Eureka Springs to bathe in and drink the healing spring water. It sits atop a hill, overlooking the town. Over the years the Crescent has served as a girl's school, a vacation spot for the wealthy and, in the 1930s, a Cancer Hospital. A man named Norman Baker, who had worked for the circus, and made millions of dollars by inventing a Calliope that was run by electricity instead of steam purchased the Crescent and dubbed himself a 'doctor'. He spent the next many years torturing and slowly killing cancer patients, all the time collecting money from their families, even long after some had died and been incinerated on site. They say that there were armed guards on the rooftops, a refrigerator full of bodies and an insane asylum housed in one wing.
People have claimed to see the ghost of a nurse pushing a gurney down the hall late at night and one of the rooms is haunted by Michael, an Irish stonemason who fell to his death while the Crescent was being built. Michael loves the ladies and will even reach out of the big mirror while a lady is looking at her own reflection. The spirit of a school girl who jumped to her death from the gabled roof is said to be seen leaping off and then disappearing. An gentleman in Victorian garb is said to appear in the dining room, awaiting his long lost love.
Ghosthunters (TAPS) from the Sci Fi Channel did a show on the Crescent. I bought it on DVD and we watched it in our condo to 'get in the mood'. Although they are there to disprove hauntings, they did catch a full body apparition in the basement (that used to be the morgue) on film. It was scary and pretty cool! Even the Ghosthunters believed that the Crescent is haunted.
I have stayed at the Crescent before, in the North Penthouse, which was "Dr." Baker's private quarters and it was more than a little spooky. One night when we were there my friends and I (me, Shaggy and Scooby) decided we would sneak down to the morgue (now the maintenance room) late at night. We quietly crept down the long dark hall in the basement and to the door. Angie turned the doorknob, but it was locked. Then we heard loud running footsteps coming at us from behind the locked door. We ran screaming down the hall! Was it "Sam", the angry ghost that reportedly lives down there or just an employee who was doing laundry late at night? We don't know, but we didn't go back!
Chloe and I passed a couple of hours wandering around downtown, shopping and taking some pics. We played outside one store that had a big bubble machine and had a blast. I showed her the springs and some of my favorite places. Chloe loved the trolleys. Back to the condo and a little rest and we were ready for the Crescent!
7:00 PM The Crescent
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We got to the Crescent a little early, so that we could enjoy a drink on the balcony bar (Called "Dr. Baker's Lounge") of the fourth floor.
It's a beautiful view of the town and the Ozarks, with thd "Christ of the Ozarks" statue on a distant hill.
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The Lobby
The ghost tour was crowded and they thankfully split us into two groups. The kids were enthralled! The tour lasted over two hours and took us around most of the old hotel, culminating in the basement, where the morgue once was. Jack was really into snapping photos, on the lookout for orbs. Chloe was enchanted with the stories and the history. I was so happy that they were enjoying the Crescent.
This is the place in the basement where the Ghosthunters videotaped the full body apparition! Ooooo!
We give the Crescent five out of five stars.
10:30 PM The tour was over and we were in need of food. Luckily, the Pied Piper Pub, which was only four blocks from our condo was still serving food. I had a grilled chicken sandwich and onion rings, Gerald had fish and chips, Jack had a burger and Chloe dined on grilled cheese. Our waiter was half lit and in a real good mood. He made me an appletini and he made wayyy too much, so he just brought the whole shaker. It turned out to be about two and a half appletinis, but they were pretty weak. Oh, well. We looked through the pictures on the camera while waiting for dinner, and the kids decided that they wanted to go back the next night to look around the Crescent some more. We returned to the Border House, the guys got in the hot tub for a little while and we all crashed. A few minutes later, Chloe joined us in our bed. Maybe the Crescent was a little spooky after all.
Saturday, June 9th
8:30AM I woke up, showered and went over to The Gryphon's Roost for a massage. I always get an amazing massage here, and this time was no different. Dana was a wonderful massage therapist, not only did she have that Ouch/Ahhh thing goin' on, but she used to work at the Crescent and told me stories about a roaming light orb the size of a basketball and the lights coming back on all by themselves when she was trying to close the spa there one night. If you've never had a hot stone massage, I highly recommend it. Ahhhhh....
11:00 AM Met everyone back at the condo and we went to lunch at Sonny's pizzeria. Gerald and I split a Shrimp Scampi pizza and the kids had cheese and pepperoni. It was yummy. The guys returned to the condo while Chloe and I shopped a bit more. We didn't buy anything but some candy and a cream soda at the chocolate store. A man had a monkey in the park downtown and Chloe got to play with her.
2:00 PM We returned to the room and relaxed and watched "Father of the Bride II" on tv.
5:00PM Time for some more sightseeing. We drove around Eureka, went out to see the "Christ of the Ozarks" statue, and went to a gift shop on the highway (bought a mood ring and some rocks!). I noticed a sign in town that was an insurance agency called "Bare and Swett". Okay...that qualifies as weird.
By the time we got to Ermilio's for dinner, there was an hour wait, but I knew it would be worth it, as they have fantastic Italian food. The restaurant is in an old house, so the bar is in the attic and they have all sorts of games. We played Connect Four and Trouble while we waited. Some older ladies were sitting with us playing Uno. They were on a Girl Trip and one of them had come all the way from Alaska. They were really cute. We recognized a couple who had been on the ghost tour the night before, and our kids played games with their daughter.
We were seated and yes, it was worth the wait. Gerald had a steak, I had linguini with clam sauce and the kids had fettucine Alfredo. What I especially love at Ermilio's is the roasted garlic that is served with your bread. You mash it up with some butter and spread it on the bread. It's delicious!
9:30 PM Back to the Crescent! Also saw the house next door that was featured on Ghosthunters.
The family from the ghost tour and the restaurant passed us riding in a horse and carriage and we all waved! We walked around a bit and took some pics. The battery started to die (Ghosts sucking out the energy.....perhaps!!!) We went up by the entrance to Dr. Baker's private quarters and took some pics. As we walked back down the stairs to the third floor, we heard a door. Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! We peeked around the corner, but it was just a lady trying to lock her door. We laughed and then her friend walked up. They were so excited and said "You have to come in and see our room! Our 13 year old daughters were being bratty, so we've 'haunted' the room to scare them! They don't even know we have a key". We entered their room to see magazines arranged in a strange line and clothes laid out in weird ways on rumpled beds. The words "So pretty, stay fer me" were scrawled on the bathroom mirror in white. Their shopping bags were dumped out in piles.It was very funny and we were all amused except for Chloe. I think she was a little worried that someone would try to do that to her someday!
10:30 PM We headed back to the Border House for our last night. We all fell asleep quickly. Chloe fell asleep and Jack carried her to bed.
The next day we drove home. It was a great trip!
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Chloe - Assistant Paranomal Investigator Gerald - Driver and Chief Skeptic
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Jack - Comic Relief
Wednesday, June 6th
6:00PM We headed out, packed and ready for adventure. As an added bonus, it’s our first road trip in our new car. Not as roomy as the old Navigator, but the kids are older now and don’t have to take as much stuff (Ipods are small) and well, I threatened them. We headed North to our first stop, Tulsa, Oklahoma, to check out a strange place called “The Center of the Universe” and also to score free room and board at my parent’s house!
11:00 PM We rolled into Tulsa. My Mom had made a birthday cake for Chloe’s tenth bday, which is on the 12th. Yum....homemade pound cake filled with cream cheese and strawberries. Mom rocks!
Nothing scary here, but their cat, Emma did hide in a closet upstairs and woke us up in the night by banging the closet door trying to get out!!
Thursday, June 7th
10:30 AM We enjoyed a late breakfast at BBD with my parents. Chloe ate a cinnamon roll as big as she is and Jack had a bunch of iced coffee. With our bodies full of sugar and caffiene, we said goodbye to Mom and Dad and went downtown to check out “The Center of the Universe”. It is a decorative circular concrete and brick feature strip built into the pavement on a pedestrian bridge on Boston Avenue between 1st Street and Archer. There are cement planters surrounding it.
Rumor has it if you stand in the middle of the brick circle, something strange happens. Sure enough, it worked!! Your voice sounds so weird, it reverberates and sounds much louder than you are actually talking. Like you have a microphone on reverb. The effect is so unexpected, some people think this spot is mystical. Most likely, it’s just the way it’s built and the sound waves from your voice bounce off the cement planters or something.
CULTURE STOP!
Just south of the Center of the Universe is a strange sculpture called “Artificial Cloud”. It was sculpted in 1990 by Native American artist Robert Haozous and it depicts a statement about technology. Rustic metal and chains on the first level represent chains of submission on Indians by Westerners. A second level shows human figures without hands in an overpopulated environment and a sky filled with a mass of airplanes. The Cloud stands atop, symbolizing a threatened hope. It was made with mild steel and meant to corrode over time. Strange.
We give “The Center of the Universe” five out of five stars because we were able to find it easily and it did exactly what it was supposed to do!! As we climbed back in the car for the next leg of the journey, Chloe said, “This is going to be a great trip!”.
11:45 AM North, to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. It’s a pretty day and we pass green fields, flowered meadows and grazing cows. I’m feeling pretty relaxed and glad I’m not at work today.
12:15 PM Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Gravity Hill. Just South of town. Supposedly your car will roll up a hill by itself if placed in neutral. Legend has it that some African Americans were hung on this hill during the Tulsa Race Riots and the ghosts of these tragic victims will push your car up the hill.
We turned by the tractor dealership, down a deserted road over a bridge and train tracks as directed. We found the place, stopped the car and put it in neutral...and slowly started to roll...uphill! So nice, we did it twice!
It was pretty cool, not a really steep hill and probably just an optical illusion, but it lived up to it’s reputation, so...4 out of 5 stars. If it had been a little steeper or at night it might have gotten the full five.
CULTURE STOP!
Bartlesville, Oklahoma is home to the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Price Tower was built in 1956 and was commissioned by H.C. Price (the Price family was a wealthy oil family).
Wright designed an Arizona home for the senior Prices and a Bartlesville home for Harold, Jr. and his family. Bruce Goff, who was also a tenant at Price Tower, became the favored architect of Joe Price, designing a bachelor studio called Shen’en kan on his family's property in Bartlesville and two later additions following his marriage to Etsuko Yoshimochi. (PERSONAL NOTE: My paternal Grandfather helped build part of Shen’en kan) Unfortunately, Shen’en kan burned down several years ago.
Wright nicknamed the Price Tower "the tree that escaped the crowded forest," referring not only to the building's construction, but also to the origins of its design. The Price Tower is supported by a central "trunk" of four elevator shafts which are anchored in place by a deep central foundation, as a tree is by its taproot. The nineteen floors of the building are cantilevered from this central core, like the branches of a tree. The outer walls hang from the floors and are clad in patinated copper "leaves."
We really enjoyed our visit there. The elevators were tiny! (four of us were very crowded in one) and everything was a strange angle. Even the sewer grates, flower beds, ashtrays and windows are triangular. Price Tower once housed apartments and office space, but now is home to an Inn, a fine restaurant called “Copper” and an art gallery. It seemed so small in circumference for such a tall building. My Dad, who is an architect had suggested we check this out and I’m really glad we did.
1:15 PM Searched for a couple of other sites, such as Jessie Creek cemetery and Labadie Mansion, which are supposed to be haunted, but to no avail. Killed a little time at the local mall. Gerald and Jack won me a gummy candy thing in the shape of an athletic shoe at the arcade. That was pretty scary. Chloe bought a Webkin frog.
We meandered back downtown and found a cool shop called “Red Dirt Soap Company” and chatted with the owner. He makes his own soap and it was very cool. I bought some peppermint scented and we played with his cute black lab puppies.
4:00PM Waved bye bye to B-ville and headed east on highway 60 toward Miami, Oklahoma (pronounced My-am-uh).
We stopped in Nowata, Oklahoma and admired an interesting work of obsessive yard art by a man named Chris Barbee.
He has made a fence and a mailbox out of bowling balls. He has also made a rosary out of bowling balls and is apparently working on the letters of the alphabet. He’s up to ‘M’. I’ll give this one 4 out of 5 stars. It earned bonus points for weirdness, color, and creativeness but was marked down a little for the crappy gravel road we had to drive down to get to it. Chloe and I liked it, but Gerald and Jack weren’t really impressed. We cruised on...I saw two turtles in the road and a turkey. Chloe and I played the ABC game. I won, but just barely.
6:00 PM We arrived in Miami and checked into the Best Western next to the turnpike. The lady at the front desk asked if I had AARP (Excuse me?!) or AAA. I said, “No”, but she said that she’d go ahead and give me the discount. Lucky for her that she did, after that AARP remark. The room was a rip off at $75, but clean and adequate.
We explored Miami a bit and wondered if they had My-am-uh Vice and found a country radio station called “96.9 The Cow”. We had dinner at “Montana Mikes” where (a framed newspaper article on the wall bragged) Matthew McConahay had once dined. Ooooooh. Gerald and Jack had steaks, Chloe had a burger and I had grilled shrimp. Not too bad and the waitress was really sweet. No AARP discount, though. Now, onto our next ghostly pursuit.
9:00 PM The Hornet Spook Light.
This legendary light has appeared as a ball of fire for almost 140 years, varying in size from a basketball to larger. It spins down the center of this gravel road at great speed, rises up high, bobs and weaves to the right and left. It appears to be a large lantern, but there is never anyone carrying it. The light seems to retreat when it is pursued and never allows anyone to get to close to it. Does the light have some sort of intelligence? That remains just one of the many mysteries connected to this light.
No one has ever been injured by the light but many claim to have been frightened by it while walking down this road at night. Sometimes it just seems to come from nowhere and a few witnesses claim they have felt the heat from it as it passed close by them. I know someone who said it bounced off the hood of his car and another friend who claims it came inside their car!
A number of legends sprung up around the place. One of them claimed the light was connected to the spirit of two young Quapaw Indians who died in the area many years ago. Another claimed the light was the spirit of an Osage Indian chief who had been beheaded on the Devil's Promenade and the light was said to be his torch as he searched for his missing head. Another legend tells of a miner whose children were kidnapped by Indians and he set off looking for them with only a lantern to light his way. The light is said to be his lantern as continues looking for the children that he will never find.
I know a lot of people who have seen the Spook Light and I’ve always wanted to see it, so we drove up into Missouri and back down the state line and found ourselves parked on an old road in the woods as it got dark. A huge thunderhead loomed to the Northwest. We sat out on the road and waited, looking down into the darkness, seeing only fireflies and flash after flash of lightning. After an hour and a half, everyone was ready to call it a night except me. I really wanted to see that Spook Light, but I finally gave in and we sadly retreated to the Best Western. On the way back to the hotel, the heavens opened up. It rained so hard that we couldn't see the road. The wind blew, the lightening flashs blinded us and semi trucks whizzed by precariously. Ok...I had my scare. Safely back in the two double beds of the hotel, we watched a Severe Thunderstorm Warning on tv and were told to stay away from windows. Boom! The cable went out. We went to bed and luckily the storm passed over us quickly. I'd only give this one out of five stars, but just because we weren't there when the conditions were right. I'd go back and try again, however.
Friday, June 8th
10:00 AM Miami was a bust, but it couldn't dampen our spirits (pun intended) as we packed up and got sugared and caffinated thanks to Jack's convenience store run for a box of powdered donuts and the coffee maker in the room. The rain had brought with it a beautiful day, cool and clear with a high of around 70! We set off for more fun, heading east on Highway 20 and then South down 43, through the corner of Missouri and down into Arkansas. We weaved through the foothills of the Missouri/Oklahoma border, past fields of cows and bales of hay. Charming little towns nestled in the valleys with tiny white Baptist Churches alternated with chicken farms that smelled so bad we all screamed and buried our faces in our pillows.
We stopped for a potty break in Southwest City, Missouri. As we got out of the car an SUV pulled up next to us. A woman got out of the car, turned around and screamed at the top of her lungs, "DO NOT GET OUT OF THAT CAR!". The inhabitants of the SUV were three little kids, eating red suckers with no seatbelts or shirts. The bathrooms were all out of order. We just looked at each other and got back in the car. She was certainly scary!
11:15 AM Welcome to Arkansas!
We passed a restaurant called "The Hungry Flea". Is dog on the menu?! I don't get it.
1:15 PM We arrive at our accomodations in Eureka Springs after the beautiful scenic twisting and turning drive up. I called Dee, the owner and she said our condo would be ready in about an hour.
We were road weary and hungry, so we walked down the staircase, which dropped us right into downtown Eureka and settled on a place for lunch called simply "Food, Beer and Bull". The $6.95 special of a burger, chips and drink were just what we needed. The lady that worked there was picking on Gerald. She was really funny and she offered Jack a job before we left.
We walked up back to the condo and I wandered down the road a couple of doors to check out this gorgeous Victorian home. An older gentleman was out front working on the stone fence. He looked at me and said "Hey, you wanna see something?". Now, under most circumstances, I would have just dialed 911, but I know the people in this part of the country pretty well, so I said "Sure!". He walked me over to the side of the street and pointed downhill, and there, down about 40 feet, was a Momma deer lying in a small group of trees. He said "She's got twin babies and they live there and behind this house. They're not scared of people and they'll just walk up here, right up the front steps of the house and around back." I talked to him for a while and played with his cute dog, Little Buddy.
Our room was ready (The Border House --I highly recommend it) and it was perfect. A seperate bedroom with two beds for the kids, a queen bed for us, living room, tv w/ DVD, sofa, chair, and a good size kitchen with full stove/oven, microwave and frig. The frig was stocked with water, OJ, and muffins. The porch featured a giant hot tub and big fluffy robes were provided for all four of us. Jack donned a robe ala Hugh Hefner, hooked up his Xbox and started gaming.
Our ghostly reason for visiting Eureka Springs was to take the kids on the Ghost Tour of the Crescent Hotel. The Crescent was built in 1886, when wealthy Victorians flocked to Eureka Springs to bathe in and drink the healing spring water. It sits atop a hill, overlooking the town. Over the years the Crescent has served as a girl's school, a vacation spot for the wealthy and, in the 1930s, a Cancer Hospital. A man named Norman Baker, who had worked for the circus, and made millions of dollars by inventing a Calliope that was run by electricity instead of steam purchased the Crescent and dubbed himself a 'doctor'. He spent the next many years torturing and slowly killing cancer patients, all the time collecting money from their families, even long after some had died and been incinerated on site. They say that there were armed guards on the rooftops, a refrigerator full of bodies and an insane asylum housed in one wing.
People have claimed to see the ghost of a nurse pushing a gurney down the hall late at night and one of the rooms is haunted by Michael, an Irish stonemason who fell to his death while the Crescent was being built. Michael loves the ladies and will even reach out of the big mirror while a lady is looking at her own reflection. The spirit of a school girl who jumped to her death from the gabled roof is said to be seen leaping off and then disappearing. An gentleman in Victorian garb is said to appear in the dining room, awaiting his long lost love.
Ghosthunters (TAPS) from the Sci Fi Channel did a show on the Crescent. I bought it on DVD and we watched it in our condo to 'get in the mood'. Although they are there to disprove hauntings, they did catch a full body apparition in the basement (that used to be the morgue) on film. It was scary and pretty cool! Even the Ghosthunters believed that the Crescent is haunted.
I have stayed at the Crescent before, in the North Penthouse, which was "Dr." Baker's private quarters and it was more than a little spooky. One night when we were there my friends and I (me, Shaggy and Scooby) decided we would sneak down to the morgue (now the maintenance room) late at night. We quietly crept down the long dark hall in the basement and to the door. Angie turned the doorknob, but it was locked. Then we heard loud running footsteps coming at us from behind the locked door. We ran screaming down the hall! Was it "Sam", the angry ghost that reportedly lives down there or just an employee who was doing laundry late at night? We don't know, but we didn't go back!
Chloe and I passed a couple of hours wandering around downtown, shopping and taking some pics. We played outside one store that had a big bubble machine and had a blast. I showed her the springs and some of my favorite places. Chloe loved the trolleys. Back to the condo and a little rest and we were ready for the Crescent!
7:00 PM The Crescent
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We got to the Crescent a little early, so that we could enjoy a drink on the balcony bar (Called "Dr. Baker's Lounge") of the fourth floor.
It's a beautiful view of the town and the Ozarks, with thd "Christ of the Ozarks" statue on a distant hill.
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The Lobby
The ghost tour was crowded and they thankfully split us into two groups. The kids were enthralled! The tour lasted over two hours and took us around most of the old hotel, culminating in the basement, where the morgue once was. Jack was really into snapping photos, on the lookout for orbs. Chloe was enchanted with the stories and the history. I was so happy that they were enjoying the Crescent.
This is the place in the basement where the Ghosthunters videotaped the full body apparition! Ooooo!
We give the Crescent five out of five stars.
10:30 PM The tour was over and we were in need of food. Luckily, the Pied Piper Pub, which was only four blocks from our condo was still serving food. I had a grilled chicken sandwich and onion rings, Gerald had fish and chips, Jack had a burger and Chloe dined on grilled cheese. Our waiter was half lit and in a real good mood. He made me an appletini and he made wayyy too much, so he just brought the whole shaker. It turned out to be about two and a half appletinis, but they were pretty weak. Oh, well. We looked through the pictures on the camera while waiting for dinner, and the kids decided that they wanted to go back the next night to look around the Crescent some more. We returned to the Border House, the guys got in the hot tub for a little while and we all crashed. A few minutes later, Chloe joined us in our bed. Maybe the Crescent was a little spooky after all.
Saturday, June 9th
8:30AM I woke up, showered and went over to The Gryphon's Roost for a massage. I always get an amazing massage here, and this time was no different. Dana was a wonderful massage therapist, not only did she have that Ouch/Ahhh thing goin' on, but she used to work at the Crescent and told me stories about a roaming light orb the size of a basketball and the lights coming back on all by themselves when she was trying to close the spa there one night. If you've never had a hot stone massage, I highly recommend it. Ahhhhh....
11:00 AM Met everyone back at the condo and we went to lunch at Sonny's pizzeria. Gerald and I split a Shrimp Scampi pizza and the kids had cheese and pepperoni. It was yummy. The guys returned to the condo while Chloe and I shopped a bit more. We didn't buy anything but some candy and a cream soda at the chocolate store. A man had a monkey in the park downtown and Chloe got to play with her.
2:00 PM We returned to the room and relaxed and watched "Father of the Bride II" on tv.
5:00PM Time for some more sightseeing. We drove around Eureka, went out to see the "Christ of the Ozarks" statue, and went to a gift shop on the highway (bought a mood ring and some rocks!). I noticed a sign in town that was an insurance agency called "Bare and Swett". Okay...that qualifies as weird.
By the time we got to Ermilio's for dinner, there was an hour wait, but I knew it would be worth it, as they have fantastic Italian food. The restaurant is in an old house, so the bar is in the attic and they have all sorts of games. We played Connect Four and Trouble while we waited. Some older ladies were sitting with us playing Uno. They were on a Girl Trip and one of them had come all the way from Alaska. They were really cute. We recognized a couple who had been on the ghost tour the night before, and our kids played games with their daughter.
We were seated and yes, it was worth the wait. Gerald had a steak, I had linguini with clam sauce and the kids had fettucine Alfredo. What I especially love at Ermilio's is the roasted garlic that is served with your bread. You mash it up with some butter and spread it on the bread. It's delicious!
9:30 PM Back to the Crescent! Also saw the house next door that was featured on Ghosthunters.
The family from the ghost tour and the restaurant passed us riding in a horse and carriage and we all waved! We walked around a bit and took some pics. The battery started to die (Ghosts sucking out the energy.....perhaps!!!) We went up by the entrance to Dr. Baker's private quarters and took some pics. As we walked back down the stairs to the third floor, we heard a door. Bang, bang, bang! Bang, bang, bang! We peeked around the corner, but it was just a lady trying to lock her door. We laughed and then her friend walked up. They were so excited and said "You have to come in and see our room! Our 13 year old daughters were being bratty, so we've 'haunted' the room to scare them! They don't even know we have a key". We entered their room to see magazines arranged in a strange line and clothes laid out in weird ways on rumpled beds. The words "So pretty, stay fer me" were scrawled on the bathroom mirror in white. Their shopping bags were dumped out in piles.It was very funny and we were all amused except for Chloe. I think she was a little worried that someone would try to do that to her someday!
10:30 PM We headed back to the Border House for our last night. We all fell asleep quickly. Chloe fell asleep and Jack carried her to bed.
The next day we drove home. It was a great trip!
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