ONE GHOST NOT ENOUGH??? HOW ABOUT A HAUNTED HOTEL WITH SIX!!!!!!

We all love old haunted hotels, right?  We book a room with the hopes of seeing at least one ghost or have some sort of paranormal encounter.  Well, the Ben Lomond Suites Hotel in Ogden, Utah has at least six!  The hotel has been around in one form or another for more than 200 years!  Don't you just love hotels that have been around for hundred's of years?  I always think about the walls.  I know, I know....the walls right???  But I do.  I think about what the walls must have seen over the years and if they could talk what would they tell us.  Would they say..."hey, I remember the day that a man shot his wife and blood splattered all over me!" LOL  Ok....that's a little weird...but you get what I mean.... :)



Mr. Ben Lomond

Trains, trains and more trains that's all Jay ever thought about. (kinda' like us ghost hunters, all we ever think about are ghosts and more ghosts. LOL)  Anyway to say that Jay LOVED trains was an understatement.  His life long dream was to travel to west Utah to stand on Promontory Summit, where back in 1869 a ceremonial golden spike was driven in to link the United Pacific and Central Pacific rail lines, creating the first transcontinental railroad.

After thirty-five years with the same company, Jay retired and the next spring started on his DREAM vacation to travel across the nation by rail.  His last stop would be on May 10, the anniversary of the date on which the fabled spike had been driven, when there would be a reenactment of the ceremony, including two steam engines meeting nose to nose on the same track.

He had been on the train headed to the Summit for quite a long time, when Jay welcomed a much needed break to spend a couple nights in a REAL BED in a luxury hotel in Ogden, the Ben Lomond Suites.

In 1891, E.A. Reed built a four-story hotel, which he named after himself, at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Twenty-fifth Street.  A. Perry, the president and cofounder of the Ogden Bank, felt that with a rapidly growing city like Ogden it needed a first-class hotel, so in 1926 he formed a corporation with three hundred stockholders to purchase the Reed Hotel and completely remodeled it.  Included in the remodel would be an eight-story L-shaped tower with 350 guest rooms attached to the rear of the original hotel. 

The newly remodeled hotel rechristened Bigelow Hotel opened instantly to being ranked as one of the top hotels in the state in 1927.  In 1933, Marriner S. Eccles, another Utah banker, purchased the Bigelow and added a two-story penthouse, and changed the name to the Ben Lomond Hotel.  For more than 40 years it remained a city favorite.  After 40 years, and changing hands many times, the

 Radisson chain in the 1980's purchased the property and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

Jay was so glad to be in a hotel, he decided to pamper himself and stay in one of the condo's at the hotel located on the upper floors.  Room 1102.  Once inside he showered and feel asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow.

Jay awoke the next morning a new man.  Ready to take on the sites of Ogden and particular the things having to do with the railroad...off he went.  After a long day of site seeing, Jay decided he needed a nice, long, hot bath.  Yes, that's what he needed!  As he opened his condo door, he immediately knew something was wrong.  Water was already running in the bathroom!!!!!! He rushed in and sure enough, the water was running in the bathtub.  Thank goodness the drain was open!  With a little confusion....had he leave the water on or had house keeping been in and left the water running.... oh well....no real harm done.  So he pulled the drain pug up so that the water would fill up in the tub.  In just a few minutes, Jay got in and leaned back to immerse himself into relation!  Drifting back on his perfect day.....all the sudden he feels something pushing on his back.  Was he imaging things????  Then not 10 seconds later...he felt invisible hands grab his arms and hands as to pull him out of the tub.  SOMETHING or SOMEONE wanted him OUT of the tub!!!!  He took the hint....he jumped out and dried off and laid on his bed trying to figure out....what just happened??????

Stories like Jay's are frequent at the Ben Lomond Hotel.  Rumor has it that a women on her honeymoon drowned in the tub in room 1102.  No known dates or names have been given to this story, but ever since, people have experienced coming into their rooms and the water is running, feeling hands on them in the tub and sometimes trying to PUSH THEM UNDER!!!!

Another spirit is said the be the drowning victim's son who after coming to the hotel to pick up his Mother's things decided to stay in the room right next to the room where his Mother drown.......room 1101.  Overcome with despair.......he committed suicide. 

Mary Eccles

Reports from the hotel staff include, phantom voices coming from both rooms when know one is staying in them.  The housekeepers report that sometimes after making the beds, they turn around and there are indentions as if someone is laying on the bed.  And there's another room that seems to be giving the hotel staff trouble.......room 1106.  Legend has it that a Mother checked into room 1106 to wait for her son to return from World War II.  Upon learning of his death, she stopped eating and starved to death in that very room.  The desk clerks say that they will get phone calls from that room and when they answer the line goes dead.........not to mention.....know one is checked into that room.

Mary, Eccles's first wife whom he was married to when he bought the hotel, is said to roam the corridors, the fifth floor, the top floor and in the elevators.  They say you will know it's Mary because you will smell her lilac perfume.  Another spirit is said to be that of a sixty-five year male clerk that was stabbed to death late at night while being robbed in 1976 by a fifteen year old boy.  Although he has not been "seen" he is felt by turning on the music in the foyer and fiddling with the phone cords. 

Other sightings and experiences include, a female apparition on the third-floor gymnasium, guests in room 212 have felt hands pushing them, cold spots, footsteps, doors opening and closing by themselves, elevators acting up and stopping randomly at the fifth and tenth floors when know call button has been pushed.

So, if you DARE to stay at the Ben Lomond Hotel, don't take a bath....I suggest a shower!!! LOL

TOP TEN SCARY MOVIES FOR A HAUNTINGLY FRIGHTFUL MOTHERS DAY

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY EVERYONE!!!   I hope everyone that has children or is a Mom to our four legged friends or has to be both Mom and Dad and to those that are not related at all but step up and give love and guidance in the absence of a biological birth Mother enjoy this very special day just for you.

I want to give a quick shout out to MY MOM for allowing me to be me!  And trust me....I don't think that was always easy! lol  But she has always supported my passion for the paranormal and although she may not want to go with me to sit in dark, old houses (although I never understood that)...she has ALWAYS loved me and made me feel like she is very proud of me know matter what I did.....yep....even GHOST HUNTING!!!!!  I love you MOM.  And even though my grandmother has passed she is YELLING IN MY EAR......"WHAT ABOUT ME?????  NOT GOING TO MENTION ME?????" lol  I love you to Nanny and miss you everyday. :)  There are you happy now....

Ok...so not all Moms like flowers and to be taken out to dinner....SOME MOMS....like.....well......lets just say the "unusual". LOL  So guess what???  This is my suggestion for you!!!!

So is your Mom into scary shows, interested in the paranormal or just ....likes creepy stuff?????  I have picked my top 10 Scary movies for you to plan a Mother's Day your Mom won't soon forget.  READY...here ya go....

First, to get Mom "in the Mood" take her out for a drive and end up in a CREEPY cemetery.  Take pictures, EVP's and just enjoy being together....yes....even in a cemetery.

Next, get ready for the FUN STUFF.  The gift.  You can't forget the gift.  So pick out a really scary or ghost book, buy a nice candle, maybe even buy one of the small Meglite flashlights so she can try some flashlight communication sometime at a haunted location and put it in a cute little bag. You can even through in a throw (or a cute little blanket) because with the scary movies planned for the night she is going to need something to "hide her eyes" in.  lol  Plan on spending the night with your Mom because after the scary movies she isn't going to want you to go home!

Now, at some point during the day or that morning make one of those cute little graveyard desserts and have it ready for MOVIE NIGHT.  If you want to get really creative you can get bones, skeletons etc. candies at Michelle's, Hobby Lobby or a place like that and come up with your own creation.  Here are just a couple suggestions and YES even a healthy one for THOSE Moms. lol
     

Get all comfy and cozy with Mom, turn down the lights or even turn them out...have your dessert ready and a bottle of RED wine...(ok...white is fine to but RED for blood...lol).  Now, put in your movie and get your SPOOKY ON!!!

Enjoy your CREEPY MOTHER'S DAY NIGHT with your Mom and most of all...have FUN...tell your Mom how much you appreciate and love her.  That's what she really wants to the most anyway. :)

OK....here are my TOP TEN SCARY MOTHER'S DAY MOVIES.

10.  MOTHER-

9.  THE WINCHESTER HOUSE

8. IT

7.  THE OTHERS

6.  THE VISIT

5.  ROSE MARYS BABY

4.  THE ORPHANAGE

3.  MAMA

2.  THE BABADOOK

1.  And of course, there is only one MOTHER we could never forget.....PSYCO!

HIGHWAYS GHOSTLY HITCHHIKERS-NEED A BACKSEAT DRIVER????

Happy New Year everybody!!!!!!!!!!!  I hope you have a wonderful and safe new year!!!

For most of us, driving down a highway is nothing unusual.  And when we get to where we're going....it is pretty much but forgotten about the road we just traveled.  But when darkness comes, the highway that brought us such enjoyment now brings us stories of ghosts, hauntings, and the supernatural.  Wait??? Was that the shadow of the trees....or something more sinister?

Whether it is vanishing hitchhikers, street walkers, phantom travelers, or lost souls, you are bound to hear story after story of haunted highways.

I think one of the most common tales is that of the Phantom Hitchhiker.  Phantom travelers are ghosts of  humans, animals, or even a vehicle that appears along a roadway, trail, or at a rest stop.  The haunting is usually associated with a tragedy, an anniversary, a wrongdoing, emotional turmoil, or some other connection with the specific location.

The tale of the phantom hitchhiker-a ghostly figure that enters your vehicle, only to suddenly disappear without warning-is an archetype and the most common of all ghost travelers.

Lets say you are driving down a long, dark highway and the headlights of your car provides just enough light that you are able to make out a figure standing on the side of the lonely rode.  What the heck???  Why would ANYONE be out in the dark by themselves late at night????

Well for whatever reason you pull over to see if you can help.  As the figure peers in your car window they ask if you could give them a ride to a certain address.  You gladly agree.  You have a nice conversation on the way to the location.  Suddenly, you reach the address and you stop and turn to tell the passenger you made it...........and without any warning.........the ghostly figure is gone.

So, I'm sure you all have heard of the most famous story of all.............. Resurrection Mary.
The story goes that around 1939 the ghost of a young girl with long blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in white, started appearing along Archer Avenue between Willow Springs and Justice, Illinois. She would suddenly materialize in the middle of the road.  Some motorist claim their cars passed right through the girl.  If you were brave enough to stop, she would softly ask to be taken to OH HENRY PARK, where she could be seen dancing throughout the night.   When the dance hall would close she would ask someone at the dance hall for a ride.  Sometimes she would ask to be let out Resurrection Cemetery.  Then she would open the gates and disappear.

Now, NOT all highways are haunted by apparitions of people.......motorist have reported seeing ghostly headlights.....spooky animals....even phantom cars and trucks.  For whatever haunts these dark and lonely highways....we may never be able to prove exactly why they are there.

My guess is, they are staying around for the very same reasons anything else becomes haunted.  Unfinished business...... don't know they are dead....and that to me ....I think is probably the best explanation more than anything else.....they don't know they are dead.  Death happens so suddenly sometimes, that a spirit doesn't know what has happened and stays in the place it knows best or was last at....obviously there are more tragic wrecks with other cars and trucks, people and animals on highways than other locations. This could explain why there are such a "variety"of apparitions seen on one highway.  Just a thought....


And lets not forget Highway 666 has been hailed as one of the most haunted places in America. It is located in the region that is identified as the “Four Corners”. Many know the “Four Corners” as the States of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico – not the entire states, only certain geographical locations of each state. In the year of 2003, the United State renamed the ominous highway to U.S Route 491. Christians believe that the number that is reflected in three sixes represents what they refer to as the “Number of the Beast”. When this highway was under its assumed evil number identifier, many referred to it as the “Devil’s Highway”. Based on statistics, there were an unusually high number of accidents and fatalities on this road when it was named 666, so many gained the belief that anyone that traveled on this road would immediately be cursed.

Now, buckle up and enjoy the ride. :)

WAIT!!! I HAVE TO SEE THAT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary Beth Nelson and Becky Vickers

Sometimes I invite people to share their stories with me and then with YOU.  And this week, Mary Beth Nelson has agreed to share some of her very personal experiences and photos with us.

I met Mary Beth and her husband at the Haunted America Conference in Alton, Ill this year.  She is so sweet, she always comments on my FB post, listens to my show on Tuesday nights Bridging the Paranormal and follows the blog.  A great supporter and I LOVE people like that.  People like Mary Beth just make me want to keep going even when I'm not sure anyone is listening. :)

BUT I especially LOVE IT when someone is welling to share their personal experience with me or ask for my opinion on one of their photos.  Because this sometimes is NOT easy for people to do. People wonder if you think they are crazy or if their pictures are nothing more than a glare from the light.  So LET ME BE CLEAR.........I will NEVER think you are crazy and I will always give you my HONEST opinion about your photos with the intent of NEVER hurting your feelings or for ONE MINUTE make you regret showing or sharing your story with me!!!!! 

Mary Beth brought some of her pictures with her to the conference and showed them to me.  I can honestly tell you....I was VERY intrigued and honestly it was some of the most impressive pictures I think I have ever seen.  She had  a whole album of pictures but was sweet enough to let me take a couple snapshots on my phone of a few of them.  So the pictures you see, remember are off my phone so in reality they are much brighter and clearer.  

Here is what Mary Beth has to say about them (Thank you so much Mary Beth!);
 

These two pictures have the same looking vortex?! My girlfriend and I took a trip to Salem, MA for a 2002 Halloween party!

She is in the background... sort of. Lol

I caught her off guard because we were walking through the cemetery at Charter Street and I said " hey, just smile" because we both love to take pictures of other people but not ourselves.

The 2nd pic was in the 1990's and my friend tricked me while I was getting my hair dyed.LOL

The one picture of my dad was taken in the 50's before my parents got married. The zig zag lights or whatever almost are like a sign in a weird way. More for my mom than me.

Unfortunately, I was not close to my father.

And ironically enough, the picture of me in my dance costume was taken about the time my parents divorced. I almost feel like these pictures are symbolic.

My friend Liz, was a correctional officer and interacted daily with angry and volatile inmates. She even acknowledged that the stress was always making her angry and depressed. The red/ orange whatever flare reflected what she was experiencing. The most wonderful miracle happened shortly after this pic and that was the fact that she would have a beautiful baby girl. Needless to say, her daughter is now 23 yrs old and was the catalyst for her to get out of corrections.

 

Thank you so much for letting me share these. The stories, pictures and emotions really have been stored away, so to speak.

Thank you for showing interest. Seriously, your feedback meant and means a lot.

It is validation really!

Mary Beth

It is letters and comments like these that make me SMILE for days!  Mary Beth you were a delight to met and looking forward to seeing you again! :)

Here are just some pictures fun pics from the conference.  I went up and stayed with my good friend from Chicago and we drove to Alton and had the BEST TIME.  Listen....I think some people think that ghost hunters and those interested in the paranormal may be a little weird because we want to go to places no one else wants to go..... Let me tell you......YOU WILL NEVER FIND A NICER GROUP OF PEOPLE!!!  I have met so many people over the years at these kind of conferences and we stay in touch all the time.  The dead may leave us...but I love the way they "bring us together" at the same time. :)

Troy Taylor and his panel of experts.

My friend Michele Pellegrino

Just people at the conference.

 

Me and the VERY HAUNTED Billy the Idol

RE-POST PHANTOM PLANES....HAUNTED SHIPS....AND GHOSTLY LAND

PHANTOM PLANES....HAUNTED SHIPS..... AND GHOSTLY LAND

Posted by Becky at 4/30/2013 

When I think about ghost hunting...the first thing that comes to my mind is an old, creepy abandon house or a place where someone lived and died.  Well, there are soooo many things that have hauntings that sometimes I forget about the "not so common" places and things.

What about planes?  You have heard the stories about disappearing planes.  It is commonly theorized that some ghosts of people and animals are nothing more than residual energy, a non-reactive, pre-recorded event from the past that occasionally replays to witnesses much like a short movie scene.  We can therefore speculate that ghost planes, which are definitely not living, might also be a form of residual energy that is observed from time to time when the conditions are just right.

There aren't a lot of photos of ghostly planes.  This makes sense to me because this is just not something you can just look up and see.  Seeing something up in the air over 30,000ft might be a little difficult.  But there ARE plenty of people who have heard aircraft above, like propellers, pilots reporting radio signals of distress when there where no planes in sight or on radar, old planes being restored hearing voices and footsteps around the plane, planes that seem to appear then disappear and another common report is that parts that have been used from an aircraft from a crashed plane where there had been fatalities, all of the sudden on the new plane hear voices or feel like someone is watching them.

So, are there ghostly planes?  I certainly think there could be. Why not?  It seems that we are talking about something that is a little more difficult to investigate though.  Without a specific location you can drive or walk to, it's just a little harder to get evidence of it's existence.




From the air controllers tower

As seen on radar

 Taken out of the window of an airplane

Haunted ships.....what can I say.... but one of my favorite things to investigate.  There is just something about being on a ship that soldiers, passengers and crew lived for long periods at sea or even battled at sea...I love the feeling that they never really left the ship.

The USS Lexington-Since being commissioned in the year of 1943, this massive vessel has been called a number of things. The two most common names for the ship are “The Blue Ghost”,as well as “Lady Lex”. In today’s world, this haunted ship is docked and it serves as a museum for those that enjoy learning about history. In the world of yesterday, though, this mysterious water vessel served in twenty one battles out of twenty four in the Second World War. The Blue Ghost is said to be more than just a name issued based on the color, though. This particular ship is said to be an area that houses a number of spirits. Here, you will learn about one of the most haunted ships in the United States today, the USS Lexington in Corpus, Christi, Texas. 

Several residual hauntings are said to occur on the ship. Residual hauntings are like an energy, or a emotionally heightened time in a certain area. Many individuals claim that they hear voices, screams, and even cries. In some instances, people have indicated that they have heard noises that sound similar to distant weapons being fired while on board the USS Lexington.

I have been on this ship and loved it.  I posted a picture below, sorry it is not very good.  It was taken by my Mom a while ago and was not taken with a digital camera.  It had film that had to be developed in it.

Battleship Texas-  This ship finds its home in Houston, Tx.  I investigated this ship and got tons of orbs and what I believe is an Ecto mist.  For those who believe in the paranormal, the Battleship Texas has been one of their most sought-after sites for investigation. It is one of the state's leading historic attractions, a floating monument to those who fought and died in two World Wars.

The USS Lexington (photo taken by Lynnette Tolbert-my Mom)



Ecto Mist over a small cemetery in
front of the Battleship Texas

You may need to blow this picture up to see the orb in it.
I love this picture because it just is cool to catch an orb in the daytime.

The Battleship Texas


 

Cool Orb on Battleship Texas

And the last ship I investigated The Queen Mary.  It has been said that The Queen Mary is one of the most haunted ships in the world!!!  In particular, Cabin B340.  Alleged it is haunted by the spirit of a

person who was murdered there,(we found that room 340B was locked and the number was actually removed from the wall....hhhuummm so unless you know about the story of this room there was know way to identify that it was room 340B) and people have reported hearing sounds of children playing in the nursery. Other reported ghosts include a young sailor who was accidentally killed in the ship's engine room, crew members of the Curacoa who were killed when Queen Mary collided with her, and an unidentified "lady in white". And the most famous story is that of a little girl named "Jackie" that drowned in the pool on The Queen Mary.

 

If you get the chance to go stay on The Queen May, don't pass it up!! It is beautiful!!!!!

 

The Queen Mary

Inside this beautiful ship

We weren't the only Passengers...

The Swimming Pool where Jackie drown



The Pool area

 



HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! BE SURE AND PUT THE VERY HAUNTED QUEEN MARY ON YOUR LIST FOR 2016!!!!



Me, Lindsey(daughter) and Belynda DiCiaccio

 

On the Queen Mary and the picture behind me is of Queen Mary herself.
 

The Queen Mary at Night.  We made a friend.




Orb in the bottom(hull)part of the Queen Mary.

View of the swimming pool in the Queen Mary.

Hall going to were lots of activity has been reported by the pool area.

Wait!!! Was that there before????

One of the most beautiful ships I have ever seen.

Orb in the hull of Queen Mary.

Orb to the right and yes that is me to the left. haha





Hi everyone and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man....what a year!!!  I can't wait to see what 2016 holds for me!!!  More hauntings.....more apparitions......more one on one with the paranormal!!!  Bring it on!!! :)

 

I have posted some really cool pictures of the Queen Mary on Long Beach,CA.  I had someone write me and ask about the Queen Mary so I thought I would do a re-post for them.. I investigated the Queen Mary back in 2012 and here are just a few pics that I got from an unforgettable night!  This is one of the most beautiful ships I have ever been on. Not only did I investigate it but got to spend the night on this beautiful ship.

Ok...so let me tell you a little about the Queen Mary.

 

In 1936, upon her Maiden Voyage, she was considered one of the grandest ocean liner ever built.  During her heyday, she was considered the only civilized way to travel.  With the outbreak of WWII, she was transformed into a troopship overnight.  By the end of the war, "The Gray Ghost", as she was fondly called, had carried more than 800,000 troops, traveled more than 600,000 miles and played a significant role in virtually every major Allied campaign.  Retired in 1967, she was purchased by the City of Long Beach and has remained an icon for the city for over 40 years.

 

Ok, now the good stuff.....the haunting's....and ghost of the Queen Mary.

 

Over the past 60 years, the Queen Mary has been the site of at least 49 reported deaths, not to mention having gone through the terrors of war, so it comes as no surprise that spectral spirits of her vivid past continue to walk within her rooms and hallways.

Located 50 feet below water level is the Queen Mary's engine room, which is said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity. Used in the filming of the Poseidon Adventure, the room's infamous "Door 13" crushed at least two men to death, at different points during the ship's history. The most recent death, during a routine watertight door drill in 1966, crushed an 18 year-old crew member. Dressed in blue coveralls and sporting a beard, the young man has often been spied walking the length of Shaft Alley before disappearing by door #13.

 

Two more popular spots for the Queen’s other worldly guests are its first and second class swimming pools. Though neither are utilized today for their original purpose, spirits seemingly are not aware of that. In the first class swimming pool, which has been closed for more than three decades, women have often been seen appearing in 1930’s style swimming suits wandering the decks near the pool. Others have reported the sounds of splashing and spied wet footprints leading from the deck to the changing rooms. Some have also spied the spirit of a young girl, clutching her teddy bear. I loved this place.  it is very creepy and you kinda get a feeling you are not alone near the pool area.  Really wanted to spend more time here.   In the second class poolroom, the spirit of another little girl named Jackie is often been seen and heard. The unfortunate girl drowned in the pool during the ship’s sailing days and reputedly refused to move on, as her voice, as well as the sounds of laughter has been captured here. In the Queen’s Salon, which once served as the ship’s first-class lounge, a beautiful young woman in an elegant white evening gown has often been seen dancing alone in the shadows of the corner of the room. If you ever get the chance...visit this ship!  It is amazing!!!! Make your new year the BEST EVER!!!  And hey...drop me a email and let me know about your adventures and maybe I'll post it here!

  Is it just me or does this look like a solider?  In a brown uniform with one of the funny little brown hats???


 
 




Two more popular spots for the Queen’s other worldly guests are its first and second class swimming pools. Though neither are utilized today for their original purpose, spirits seemingly are not aware of that. In the first class swimming pool, which has been closed for more than three decades, women have often been seen appearing in 1930’s style swimming suits wandering the decks near the pool. Others have reported the sounds of splashing and spied wet footprints leading from the deck to the changing rooms. Some have also spied the spirit of a young girl, clutching her teddy bear. I loved this place.  it is very creepy and you kinda get a feeling you are not alone near the pool area.  Really wanted to spend more time here.
 

In the second class poolroom, the spirit of another little girl named Jackie is often been seen and heard. The unfortunate girl drowned in the pool during the ship’s sailing days and reputedly refused to move on, as her voice, as well as the sounds of laughter has been captured here.

In the Queen’s Salon, which once served as the ship’s first-class lounge, a beautiful young woman in an elegant white evening gown has often been seen dancing alone in the shadows of the corner of the room.

If you ever get the chance...visit this ship!  It is amazing!!!!

Make your new year the BEST EVER!!!  And hey...drop me a email and let me know about your adventures and maybe I'll post it here!

  



Is it just me or does this look like a solider?  In a brown uniform with one of the funny little brown hats???