Ten Most Haunted Cities in America
Ten Most Haunted Cities in America
It’s autumn the cool fall days are perfect for a walk on America’s dark side. With the approach of Halloween, it’s natural for our thoughts to conjure up ghosts, goblins, and all things that go bump in the night. Bloody battles, shady shanghaiing practices, built-over burial grounds, and natural disasters have left behind an unsettled past in towns throughout the country. What better place to start than….
Coming in at #1 Most Haunted Cities in America – Salem, MA
Salem is best known for the witch trials of 1692 where mass hysteria led to more than 200 people being accused of practicing witchcraft, and ultimately 20 innocent people were executed. The tragedy has led to Salem becoming synonymous with witches and the city has embraced their history by preserving artifacts in museums and offering tours to educate visitors. The Witch House, The Salem Witch Museum, The Bewitched Statue and Witch Trials Memorial to name a few. Yep, it’s on my bucket list to spend Halloween in Salem MA. How about you?
#2 Most Haunted Cities in America – New Orleans
Not much, it seems, separates the living from the dead in New Orleans. Because the town is below sea level, tombs sit above ground in the 42 cemeteries within city limits. Ghosts from the War of 1812 still hang around the French Quarter. And visitors to the grave of a prominent 1800s voodoo queen, Marie Laveau, continue to leave offerings and ask for help.
Baltimore
Several nation-shaping events have played out on Baltimore’s historic streets: the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Hundreds of years of lost lives and the spirits that remain make the Fells Point area popular among ghost trackers. Guided tours through the maritime neighborhood take you to taverns, shops, and restaurants where things go bump in the night.
Galveston, Texas
When the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 struck, some 8,000 lives were lost—about 6,200 more fatalities than in New Orleans’ devastating Hurricane Katrina. Galveston’s was the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, and ghost hunters say most of the town’s spirits linger in its storied harbor and Victorian mansions. If that doesn’t give you goosebump, I don’t know what will, unless of course it’s Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen.
Gettysburg, Pa.
During the most tragic battle of the Civil War, about 51,000 soldiers were killed or injured in and around Gettysburg. There was so much spilled blood on the floors of churches and schools (used as makeshift hospitals) that drainage holes had to be drilled in the floors. Baltimore Street downtown and Hospital Road in the countryside are purported hotspots for spirits with unfinished business.
Savannah, Ga.
Savannah may look like a sweet Southern belle, but she keeps a dark secret. The city was built, literally, on its dead. Homes and buildings sit atop Native American burial grounds; roads cover forgotten cemeteries of slaves and colonialists. Over the years, bloody battles, massive fires, yellow-fever epidemics, and hurricanes have taken hundreds of lives, leaving behind unsettled spirits.
Portland, Ore.
Beneath the cobblestoned streets of Portland’s Old Town lies the legend of the Shanghai Tunnels, passageways that swirl with dark tales and hauntings. As the story goes, men who came to Portland to work—sailors, loggers, cowboys, and others—were “shanghaied,” or kidnapped through trapdoors in saloons, smuggled through the tunnels to the waterfront, and sold to sea captains. Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel explored this mysterious Portland underground.
Athens, Ohio
This Ohio University town is home to the Athens Lunatic Asylum, a mental institution open from 1874 until 1993 and known for its lobotomy practices. Now a university-owned property called The Ridges, the building has its share of haunted stories, say many amateur researchers: disembodied screams, apparitions that walk the halls, and a ghostly bloodstain on the floor. Throughout campus there are several haunted dorms, sororities, and fraternities.
Washington, D.C.
It’s an election year, and some in D.C. will be watching for the demon black cat that is rumored to show up in the U.S. Capitol Building as an omen of national tragedy or change of office. Ghost trackers say it appeared just before President Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre (which has its own haunting stories). Abraham Lincoln, John and Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and Andrew Jackson are among the spirits that have been sighted in the White House.
Chicago
It was here, on Valentine’s Day, 1929, that seven men were lined up against the wall of a garage at 2122 North Clark Street and gunned down by Al Capone and his Prohibition-era gangsters. Strange mists, screams, and machine gun sounds have all been experienced at the site; other local gangster hideaways and crime scenes are also said to be haunted.
San Francisco
In the 1850s, Chinese immigrants came in droves to San Francisco, seeking their fortunes in gold. But when there was no gold to be found, they couldn’t afford to return to their families in China. Most took on menial jobs and died alone with unfulfilled dreams. These souls, the wandering ghosts of America’s oldest Chinatown, are said to inhabit its alleyways today.
I would be amiss if I didn’t mention Cripple Creek, Colorado. Mining District of Colorado is extremely rich in history and it is also touted to be one of the Most Haunted Places in the United States.
On Highway 67, at the base of Pike’s Peak, southwest of Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek sits at an elevation of 9,500 feet. There are mine shafts, head frames, miner’s cabins long abandoned tumbling down. A lonely stone fireplace may be all that’s left of a miners home. Standing among the rubble might cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end. A brief visit to one of the abandoned cabins still standing, gives you a window into what it was like back in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. Can you imagine a more inviting place for ghost to spend Halloween?
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Posted in My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Pet Safety Tips for the Fourth of July
Always keep you dogs and cats inside when fireworks are going off to avoid their nature to find a safe haven. Make certain your pets are walked prior to fireworks going off, close all windows and doors. Draw the curtains. Ensure your pets are wearing ID tags, even if in the house, as many animals are expert escape artists. Never leave your dog alone in a vehicle during the celebrations.
You can also prepare a den for your pets inside the house with blankets and pillows in a location they will feel safe. There are thunder shirts you can buy for your dog that relieve the stress of thunderstorms and I’m told fireworks too.
As far as our pet box turtle, Sammie, she 51 years old, but the fireworks don’t seem to bother her. Since a lot of what she feels come from vibrations though out her world, we make sure she has a den in her house with overhead logs to feel safe. She has lots of experience with this holiday, so she handles it just fine.
From time to time we escape the city and take everyone with us for a nice quite mountain Fourth of July. Still we see all the fireworks from afar. But they can’t be heard or felt. a win win for all.
Pet Safety Tips – Now let’s talk a bit about companion parrots who have to endure this noisy holiday too.
Let me give you an example. Taco and I sit outside in the sunroom every evening after I’ve finished writing for the day during spring, summer, and fall. Over the past week (end of June first of July) the boom of fireworks are prevalent from early revelers. Taco is normally a fearless Eclectus. She’s learned the outside hawks can’t get to her through the glass of the sunroom. Thunder and lightning doesn’t bother her either, she’s been conditioned from an early age to understand there is nothing to fear. Now softball size hail falling is another story and a tale for another time. But, the sudden, unexplained noise from the fireworks has her flying off her perch and cowering on my shoulder. So we have to go inside during this time. Boo Hiss.
First we need to remember pet birds (unlike dogs and cats) are prey animals. They have evolved with their eyes on the side of their head, to enable them to spend long periods of their life looking over their shoulder. Some birds can even see better behind them than in front of them.
By nature, birds are neophobic, meaning they naturally want to retreat and avoid anything unfamiliar. By perceiving a new object or sound as a potential threat until proven otherwise, they increase their chances that they won’t end up as someone’s dinner!
This means birds and Parrots are constantly evaluating their environment and can become stressed much more easily than you may think.
Let’s consider some ways to help our pet birds and Parrot reduce the amount of stress, anxiety and fear they suffer with the loud booms, and sudden light displays.
Pet Safety Tips – Suggestions for birds in the home…
Alternatively, cover any windows with blankets, to block out those sudden burst of light.
Covering the bird’s cage with a thick blanket can help muffle any loud noises, plus it helps make the bird feel more secure.
The use of white noise machines or having the TV or radio on a little louder than normal can help drown out the sudden noise of fireworks.
Please note, noise isn’t normally the problem, as Parrots are noisy by themselves, but the sudden sound of an unknown loud noise is what frightens them.
If bird(s) don’t live in a cage it may be wise to utilize a travel cage. Even Parrots who have had their wings clipped have been known to fly off when scared which could cause injury!
Some pet bird owners have been known to play recordings of random noise, including those of fireworks to their birds – be it in the home or those outside in an aviary before firework season begins. The idea is that they eventually learn that unknown noises won’t harm them.
After the celebrations are over, make sure to check your yard any pick up any debris from the spent fireworks or maybe those that didn’t go off. These are harmful to your pet should they chew or ingest these items!
Most importantly in keeping pets safe: NEVER TAKE YOUR PET TO A FIREWORKS DISPLAY!
The American Veterinary Medical Association and AKC have more safety tips. Check them out. Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged fourth of July, Safety tips for pets, Tips for Dogs, Tips for parrots, tips for turtles by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Olympic Doping Scandal – AGAIN – Can You Believe It?
Olympic doping scandal – Again! Well, I was forced to grab my soapbox from under the bed, dust it off, and take a stand. I’m not sure which infuriated me more, the fact that some of the 2022 Winter Olympic hard-working athletes will not get a medal ceremony moment, acknowledgment for their accomplishments or because Russia dopes (15-year-old skater) again and got away with it for now. WHY? Because the International Olympic Committee and a hastily assembled CAS panel will permit Kamila Valieva to compete on the ice. I don’t care that she is only 15 years old. SHE tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication. Does Valieva have a heart condition none of us was aware of? Odds are against that thought. Why would she take it? TMZ is thought to give endurance athletes a boost because it may help the heart work more efficiently, enhances the body’s ability to utilize oxygen under stress. In other words, the drug may give the athlete a performance enhancing edge making the difference between a gold over silver or bronze performance Or not placing at all.
Which brings up another question in my mind. Are Russia’s athletes so sub-par that they can’t compete on a level playing field and win medals without doping?
Changes are needed. According to the WADA doping code, athletes under the age of 16 years receive special consideration, because it’s probably the adults in the room who are to blame if something illicit winds up in their young bodies. This may be why Russia’s latest blatant violation of the doping rules involves a minor. They knew what they were doing and of the outcome.
However, the CAS committee in Beijing ruled Monday — Vaileva, as a “protected athlete” by virtue of her age, would suffer “irreparable harm” if she was not allowed to compete. What about the “Irreparable harm” to the other women skaters that played by the rules, passed their drug tests, and spent most of their lives chasing their Olympics dreams, yet, will not get to stand atop the podium because Russia chose to dope a 15-year-old “phenom” favored to add to their gold medal count. Knowing if they got caught AGAIN, she was a protected individual. If Valieva is such a “phenom” why did she need to dope? Food for thought.
All this may have been avoided if the Olympic Committee had taken a strong “no doping” stand back in 2014 at Sochi when dealing with a country that ran a massive doping scheme. If Russia had been kicked out of an Olympics or two, at the least, the country may have thought twice about trampling over the international doping rules like so much gum on their shoe. Maybe, just maybe they would have cleaned up their act before the 2022 Olympics. It’s a long shot, but now we will never know.
Immediately after the CAS decision was announced outrage sparked around the world including the United States. Not to mention ordinary citizens! An athlete testing positive for an illicit drug being allowed to compete then may eventually be stripped of any medals she wins (one can only hope) is ludicrous! I believe the irreparable harm is to those skaters who compete against her, win medals, and will go home without a ceremony or medals. Just my opinion. What’s yours? Tell me what you think in the comments.
Having got that off my chest (thanks for reading), I’m jumping down off my soapbox and shoving it under the bed again, for now.
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged Banned by Olympics heart medication, ice skating, Kamila Valieva, No Ceremony, No Medals, Olympic Doping Scandal 2022, Russia, trimetazidine by Tena Stetler with 10 comments.
Halloween Spirit Search – Forty Three Days Left
Halloween only Forty-Three days left! Can you believe it? Toil and Trouble continue their search for the Halloween Spirit. What do you think of the Halloween count down calendar?? I’ve something a bit different for you this year count down to Halloween with a quest for the Halloween Spirit.
No, it’s never to early for All Hallows Eve! Halloween is my favorite time of year. Cooler weather, sight and sound of colorful leaves falling or crunching under foot. The smell of fall in the air, pumpkins and pumpkin flavored everything!! Love it! Also Halloween is the only day you can be anyone or anything you want and no one will say a word. Don’t forget it’s the day the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest! What will you be this Halloween? Taco our parrot will be a witch and Mystic our chow dog will be Wonder Woman. Check back in the coming weeks to see them in their costumes!
Well, September continues to break heat records here in Colorado with a sweltering 90 degrees as we continue the annual Halloween countdown. I am confident things cool off soon. Keep the faith! To help me this year are skeletons, Toil (Unicorn) and Trouble (dragon) they are in search of the Halloween Spirit. This week they enlisted Wyoming dragon to help. They discovered the computer screen and on it was a picture of Mystic looking for the Halloween Spirit out the front door. Unfortunately, neither the computer nor Mystic had any clue to where the Halloween Spirit could be found. Darn it! So the search continues.
Their friend, Dave (Skeleton), from Texas (thank you Jessica) is unpacking the Halloween Village to get his friends Mort and Buster, his pup, to help in the search this week. They searched every box of Halloween items and came up empty. He has to get a correct calendar or learn to count better. Forty-three days Dave!
Each week, on Friday, there will be new pictures of where Toil and Trouble are searching and how Dave is helping. In the month of October beside their search for the Halloween Spirit, Toil, Trouble and Dave will help me list the most haunted cities in America. A visit to haunted places in Colorado, my own stomping ground, Spooktacular tips to keep your pet safe this Halloween season. Do you suffer from Samhainopobia? I’ll tell you later. These are just to name a few. Please check back!
Only forty-three days days until Halloween! Bwwwaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Plus a Halloween themed book from my collection will be featured each week: You do know I write paranormal romance/mystery. Right? This week, we are talking about vampires! What’s Halloween without vampires and things that go bump in the night? A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance is on sale for a limited time – only 99¢!. So hurry grab your copy and join the #fantasy #adventure! You won’t believe what happens at Glacier National Park, and Australia to induce a trip to Ireland.
A little about A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance: On Sale for 99¢
Stefan is a Native American vampire, former assassin for the Vampire Council. In a twist of fate, he now DJ’s the midnight shift for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park where his secret is safe until…
Born in Ireland, Brandy now works as a park ranger and trail guide in the park. During a full moon, Stefan and Brandy’s paths cross in a near physical collision on a trail. Their attraction is immediate and undeniable, almost as if fate demanded it.
Their union was foretold long ago in Irish folk tales where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries must work together for the good of man and magic kind. Is a trip to Ireland the key to unraveling secrets and returning the magic? And even more importantly, will their love survive the trip?
A sneak peek between the pages of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance!
Brandy slept in Stefan’s arms while he watched the lace curtains flutter as the ocean breeze, heavy with brine, wafted through the window, open just a crack. A white mist swirled into the quiet room through the opening. It grew thicker and began to take shape settling into the antique rocking chair in the far corner of their cozy room. A man with long flowing hair the color of straw, dressed in jeans and a shimmering multicolored sweater, now sat in the rocking chair, left boot propped over on his right knee, watching Stefan with genuine interest.
Stefan’s body stiffened, his fangs pierced his gums as he shifted Brandy to a more secure position, though he sensed no threat. Too many stories around the fire?
Undisturbed, the apparition’s lips twitched. “So you’re the súmair fala that stole our Brandy’s heart. An interesting turn of events this is.” He mused nodding his head toward the window and pointing his finger toward Stefan, then to the outside. As quickly as he’d appeared, he was gone, leaving only a light mist floating across the floor.
Blinking his eyes, Stefan slowly looked around the room. What the hell was that? I wasn’t asleep so it couldn’t be a dream. Stealthily, he slid out of bed without disturbing Brandy. He yanked on jeans, pulled an ivory cable knit sweater over his head, and grabbed his boots as he padded silently down the stairs out of the house. The storm had passed, leaving a light dusting of snow covering the ground. Behind the light mist, a nearly full moon hung among the twinkling stars across the frosty dark sky. For a moment, he stilled listening as the waves crashed against the shore off in the distance.
See you back here next Friday! You won’t believe where Toil and Trouble wound up. Dave with his friends are always searching, will they come up with leads? Until then enjoy the warm weather, fall is coming bringing with it Halloween Spirit! Yippee!! Now all we have to do is find it! While you’re here, check out my other paranormal romance mysteries.
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged A Vampire's Unlikely Alliance, Buster, Dave, fantasy, Halloween Spirit, Mort, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Tena Stetler, Toil, Trouble, Vampire, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
