Sorry it has been so long...

Unfortunately I have not had time to go seeking anything spooky in quite a while, but I have a few exciting trips planned this summer that should deliver the supernatural experience many of us seek. Finals will be over next week and then I will have plenty of time to divide my attentions between entertaining my sweet little girls while on summer break, getting a tan, traveling, and seeking out the supernatural and spooky.

A Graveyard Surprise...

I had made plans to visit somewhere entirely different this past weekend, but it didn’t work out. Fortunately I made last minute plans to visit another place as well. I had always put off visiting Stone Mountain Village because it is located so close to me (only a 30 minute drive), it just seemed like it wouldn’t be that exciting….I was wrong. The weather was so pretty this past weekend I decided to take the back roads out there with the windows down and music blaring…

It was Sunday afternoon and very sunny in the high 70s. It was the perfect fall day, hot in the sun and nice and cool in the shade. I had seen the Stone Mountain Village Inn online and read some interesting stories on others’ past experiences with the paranormal. I also found it interesting when I visited this site: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g35283-d75433-Reviews-Village_Inn_Bed_and_Breakfast-Stone_Mountain_Georgia.html and upon looking through the pictures I saw possible orbs in more than one of the pictures. Interesting...yes.  I had visited their website over the summer to check out rates and everything, and I didn’t bother checking the site until after my visit (it’s been disabled), so I was very surprised when I arrived at the Inn and saw a FOR SALE sign. The Inn still looked very quaint and inviting though. No one was home from what I could tell, but I would really love to visit with them sometime to see if they had any spooky tales for me. If anyone has been here and did or didn’t have any paranormal experience I would LOVE to hear from you! It is a very beautiful Inn and it looks very cozy.

Heading away from the Inn I went over some train tracks a block away and found myself in the square of Stone Mountain Village. Sunday is never the best day to visit small towns in Georgia because most everything is usually always closed on Sundays. There were some very interesting shops that definitely are on my list of places to visit soon though! A few shops I saw were: a health food store, a mom and pop toy store, a couple art galleries, a tattoo parlor, a café, and a tavern. So if you live near Stone Mountain as well I suggest taking a day trip over with the family and check this quaint little town out (but on a Saturday of course).

Across from the tavern is the Stone Mountain Village Cemetery. This cemetery was on my list because it has a memorial and a ton of tombstones for some of the unnamed confederate soldiers. I am a nerd for history I must admit. I read a few different accounts people have given on their experiences here and most ran to hearing footsteps, seeing orbs with the naked eye, and feeling hands trying to push you. I was very skeptical after reading this, and was prepared to debunk anything I could. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the cemetery because it is extremely well maintained and aesthetically pleasing. It is a peaceful and nice cemetery, albeit old and in some places crumbling, but overall well cared for.

I parked and got out at the very back end of the cemetery (the opposite side from where the confederate soldier tombstones are), and started walking around and reading the names and dates and taking sporadic pictures. I instantly became aware of the noise that I’m sure many were referring to when they “heard footsteps”- there are numerous oak trees throughout the cemetery with acorns falling and landing with a crunch or thud here and there. Footsteps-debunked. I kept on walking and reading the names it was very cool to see the consistency of very old dates. Normally I only find a few from the 1800s mixed in with more recent dates.  I always find it interesting to see the names of people during the 1800s. My favorite was “Cincinnatus.” That is a GREAT name!!!

I ventured off the main walk way and started walking down hill to read some more of the tombstones when I came to a VERY interesting one… There was a group of three tombstones in a bordered plot and the center one read the first name “Livinia” and I read it out loud a few times because I like the way it sounds, and said [out loud] “wow, what a pretty name…Livinia.” and instantly it happened. I smelled a floral perfume, like roses. At first I thought someone must be walking up to me, or near and the wind carried it to me, but I turned in a full circle and no one was in sight and the wind wasn't really stirring. I got the chills, but continued “that is such a beautiful smell, I wonder what it is…” and the smell became stronger and stronger with each second as if someone was bringing a bottle of perfume over to me and holding it in front of my nose to smell. I slowly circled the bordered plot to give myself some composure because this was very unsettling. Again I said “that is a beautiful smell, but I do not see anyone around, nor are there any flowers in sight. Is that you Livinia?” At that instant the smell became very powerful, and in a flash it was gone. I walked around the bordered plot again, and not a trace of the scent was left.

The hair that was standing on my arms began to settle, and my spirits were definitely lifted a bit. It was a pleasant experience, almost the equivalent to complimenting a stranger on their new boots and seeing how that little compliment brightened their day. Except… different, obviously.

I ventured further down the hill and felt myself drawn to this area under a large oak tree. Acorns were falling sporadically, and after getting hit by a couple on my head and shoulder I made sure to keep out from under it. Staying on the outskirts of the tree and studying these tombstones I couldn’t help but to feel very odd. It was as if these tombstones had been well tended for a time, and then just abandoned. There were still urns on the graves with plastic flowers in them, but so covered in dirt and grime you could just barely make out a hint of pink underneath. None of the other plots had seemed this grim. Me being alone and lacking the self-consciousness to not speak to myself out loud I said so. “This is an unusual place compared to the others; it looks gloomy and forgotten…” At this instant I felt the need to take a picture, so I looked down at my camera to turn it on, and out of nowhere :::WHACK::: I yelled “OUCH!” and spun 360 degrees to see who had just thrown a pebble or acorn at my chest. I couldn’t see anyone, but I could feel a cold. I became confused, and immediately looked up to see if I had wondered under the tree and into the shade, but I was still a few feet from the farthest overhanging branch. It would have been impossible for a falling acorn to be the culprit because I was looking down first of all, my head and hair were blocking my chest from anything from above, and secondly I wasn’t under the tree, and third, I had already experienced the falling acorns and they had landed on my head and shoulder but with nowhere near that amount of force. I’m trying to work this all out in my mind and searching for a logical explanation, but I can’t so I say “who’s there!? That really hurt!” and instantly I am shut up. I start backing away slowly while just a few feet in front of me a milky fog-like mist about a foot wide and a foot tall starts forming at the same level as my chest. I lowered the camera to my side, I felt like I was being threatened not to use it. My hair is standing on end and my heart is racing. With each step I take backwards the mist inches towards me. Slowly I turn around, while I keep walking and say “I didn’t mean any harm” and walk quickly back to my car. When I reached my car I turned back around and it’s warm and sunny and the feeling is gone, and I can see the mist nowhere in sight. I get in my car and shake my head, did I just imagine that? NO WAY! Two experiences from two very different energies in a matter of minutes. IT WAS FASCINATING!!!! I was pumped! Spooked? Naturally!

I decided I had worn out my welcome, on this part of the cemetery at least, but I still wanted to pay my respects to the confederate soldiers. I decided to drive as close to that side of the cemetery I could get to make a point, that in a way I was leaving what or whoever I had just bothered alone. I ended up parking at the bottom of a hill that had a walk way up and over to the hill that leads down to the area for the confederate soldiers. I made my way down there and took some pictures, read some names and dates, and paid my respects and talked to some of the tomb stones… You never know… someone could fancy a little chat.

After a while I headed back up the hill and just as I get to the top of the hill I looked for my car. I froze instantly because there was a man standing by my car, but huddled over looking in the passenger side window. Instinct took over and I took off [no idea what I was actually planning on doing once I got there], I ran full force all the way back to the walkway and down to my car, but when I got there… no one was there. Nobody was there. I turned 360 degrees and even called out “is someone there?” No one answered and no one was there. The cemetery is in no way secluded, but it is too wide open to not see someone running off or trying to hide. I got in my car, and drove back to the square in the center of town. I thought everything over. I know what I smelled, what I felt, and what I saw…twice. Those experiences were very real, and I still get chills retelling them.

I am disappointed that I didn't catch anything in my pictures, and I would really like to go back to this cemetery at night to take some, I think that could be very interesting, but I probably will not go back alone.

Until next time: Happy Hunting, haunting and Halloween!

Types of Hauntings...

In honor of All Hallows Eve and the spooky Halloween activities that most of you have planned I thought I would give a little information about hauntings that I have gathered in my research of spooky things and haunted places. While we all carry our own opinion on ghosts, the afterlife, spiritual energies, and what a haunting actually is... experts in the paranormal field have narrowed down specific happenings and what they most likely are for us.
These are a few of the different types of hauntings:

1. A residual haunting: the same thing happens over and over- as if it were a tape recording. An example of this would be: An old plantation home in the south is said to be haunted and many people have reported seeing the same blonde girl walk down the main stair case, and then hear her singing at night every year on Halloween. This ghost is not interacting with anyone, or making anything happen, but just carrying on it's usual routine.
2. Poltergeists: Now my fellow 80's babies and above have all seen the movie Poltergeist, if not- shame on you and go watch it right now. Poltergeists are associated with ACTIVITY. Activity including lights flickering, objects moving, loud knocking and banging, etc. This activity can be very intense, and typically starts and stops suddenly.
3. An elemental haunting such as an incubus or succubus: are believed to be dark energies or spirits that were never human, but can take on human form in their dark masses. They are truly evil and are said to be created by a consolidation of evil deeds. They can hurt you, inflict pain, and are continuously reported to affect people while sleeping in their beds.
4. A messenger or familiar ghost are the ones we all love and seek the most. These are the spirits who are aware of their passing and visit their loved ones or deliver some kind of message of comfort to the ones they leave behind. They do not stay around, and typically move on as soon as their message has been delivered.
5. The intelligent spirits: are the most intriguing. They are the ghosts of people that have died a traumatic death, or suffered through a traumatic ordeal. They are attracted or attached to a thing, place, or even a person. It is believed that these ghosts don't always know that they are in fact ghosts and remain in some kind of limbo.
6. The portal: is the scariest in my opinion. It is referred to as a sort of doorway to hell if you will. It is an opening between our world and the other world. These areas are usually very active, and of course scary.

So while you tell your spooky ghost stories around the camp fire, sneak in to the old haunted house up the street, or have a séance in the graveyard with your friends... you now have a reference as to what that thing is behind you.... Happy Halloween!!!!

My (Surprise Birthday) Trip to Savannah, GA

For my birthday my awesome hubby surprised me with an overnight get away JUST the two of us! It was AMAZING! He took me to Savannah, Georgia. We have been to Savannah in the past, but never just the two of us- let alone without kids. SO we actually got to do adult things! Though you know me… most adult things consisted of ghostly haunts, and historic facts, and drinks with my hubby in between. On the trip down there my hubby kept me in the dark as to our destination by letting me read him almost the entire novel Georgia Ghosts by Nancy Roberts. So not only did it make the surprise that much greater, but it also filled our heads with the best places to visit while we there with fun little stories to go with each place. If you haven’t read that book, you should.  If you didn’t already know, Savannah, GA has been labeled THE MOST HAUNTED CITY IN AMERICA. You can never fully understand why unless you visit, so therefore… you must.

Well we spent the day sight-seeing, snapping pictures left and right, and hitting up Zunzi’s. We HAD to hit up Zunzi’s- The Conquistador- for me and The Big Boy Burger- for my hubby. We went to Zunzi’s because we had seen it the weekend before on the show Best Sandwich in America on the Travel Channel with Adam Richman. The Conquistador made it to the top three of the best sandwiches in America. I have to say it definitely deserved that too! It was DELICIOUS! I couldn’t finish a whole one though- one sandwich is definitely enough to share! They also have this delicious African Sweet Tea. When we were in line at Zunzi’s (be prepared to wait in line for about 20 minutes on the weekend or during lunch rush- but don’t be discouraged it is well worth it) we were lucky enough to be standing behind the epitome of all know it all tour guides on her lunch break. She knew the answer to anything you threw at her with an anecdote as well.  She would seriously be The Person to hang out with on a Friday night in Savannah. Though since we only had one night we asked her the best spooky secrets she knew, and the best places to eat, drink, and visit. Though with having lunch at Zunzi’s we were too stuffed to actually have another meal after that, but we did grab drinks (you can get alcohol to go in Savannah… we are thinking about moving there now) and split an appetizer later in the night before my next BIG surprise…

We found some awesome bars called The Cotton Exchange, and also Kevin Barry’s. At The Cotton Exchange I found my new favorite drink called Abso-Stoop-Party (pretty sure that’s the name) and it was fantastic! It cost the same as a beer and was a lot less filling, so it was nice to drink while walking around. At Kevin Barry’s we split a chicken tender appetizers grabbed a couple of Founding Fathers brewskies and had great service (downstairs only- we tried upstairs first, but after a few minutes of being ignored we went down stairs and it was a completely different atmosphere).

Me and Hubby exploring Savannah

I love the area around River Street

The Cotton Exchange Tavern

Kevin Barry's Pub

We spent a lot of time walking and driving around historic savannah so we could catch a glimpse of all the places listed in my book, and fit as much as we could into the time we had. We got some AMAZING pics. For my fellow history buffs, even those of you who don’t believe in ghosts, Savannah is a bottomless well of interesting stories, facts, and historical events.

SO to get to the meat and potatoes of my surprise… Tyler took me on the “In the Dead of Night Ghost Tour”!!!!! OMG IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!! We read the reviews before we met the tour guide and my favorite one read along the lines of “I couldn’t sleep at all after the ghost tour because I was too freaked out.” That gave me some hope. I have ALWAYS desperately wanted to go on a ghost tour in Savannah, but always knew I probably wouldn’t get any more than a few extra historical facts I hadn’t yet read, and some spooky personal experiences thrown in by a tour guide. (*SPOILER ALERT*: I got MORE =D)

Those of you who have been on the “In the Dead of Night Ghost Tour” (or any other ghost tour for that matter) PLEASE tell me about your experience, who your tour guide was, and if you have any pictures PLEASE share!!!

Our tour started at 11pm and was a 90 minute walking tour. Yes, walking tour. As in walk for 90 minutes- two of the couples in our group apparently didn’t understand that and therefor wore high heels and got pretty buzzed before the tour… they didn’t last long, lol. It was good exercise, but you don’t even notice until the tour is over because it is really interesting. Each tour is different, and if you want a recommendation: Go on Ricky’s tour! He is awesome! He tells you up front he is a skeptical believer, and doesn’t make up fun stories just to scare you, but tells you actual facts and real experiences… which will scare you even more!!! ;)

I don’t want to go too in depth into where we went, what we saw, and the stories we were told because you all need to go and experience this yourselves, but I will share SOME of the pics I got. I captured around 20 orbs in photographs out of all 200+ pics I took while in Savannah. I have been to many haunted places, cemeteries, etc. and never once have I captured orbs. So I was TRULY excited when in fact I finally did! They are all in different places- never in the same place in two different pictures, and even behind things in some of the pictures. They are not glares of light, they are orbs. I showed them to our tour guide, and a couple other people in the group, and they were all just as excited as we were. Only one other girl said to have found orbs in her pics while on the tour, but others very well could have as well. I for one only thought I had captured three, and didn’t realize how many had showed until we took a better look at the pics when we got back to our hotel. I believe orbs are spirits or energies captured on film, but that is my opinion and you do not have to have the same.

The freakiest thing that happened to us while on the tour happened to Tyler, my husband. We were standing outside the Colonial Park Cemetery on our guided tour. Most of the time I stayed right by him… ghost tour in the middle of the night in the most haunted city in America? Yeah… I stayed pretty close to my hubby all night; except, of course, when I would venture off to take as many pics as I could. We were standing in front of the main gate of Colonial Park Cemetery listening to our tour guide tell us about  some interesting events that are believed to have happened here. Tyler  felt me snuggle up to his back and saw my camera flash, so he turned to see what I had just taken a picture of. So you could imagine his surprise when he turned around and saw that I was standing 10-15 feet behind him taking a picture of him, and no one was touching him… at least that he could see… Here is the pic I was taking of him… Look at the pic: in the middle of his back, and (if you can zoom in) look at the top of the gate as well…. 

The orbs in this pic were the first I saw right away. My hands were shaking when I looked in the pic screen. At the same time Tyler was a little shaken from what he had just felt and was still trying to make sense of it. I kept hearing footsteps down the street next to us, but never saw anyone, and I had this overwhelming sense of someone watching us. A few minutes after the above photo was taken... a cat showed up out of no where and gave everybody a fright! It was a sweet cat, and let people pet it, but I wonder if they would have pet it if they had seen what was by the cat in all the photos I took, for I didn't even notice until I took a better look at them later....zoom in if you can and look at the entire picture of each... 

Most people like cats, and apparently ghosts like them as well....

Continuing on with the tour...

If you do not have goose bumps yet, then maybe a few more random photos I took will help. Be sure to zoom in for the full effect (right click on pic, open in new window, and zoom in and out to investigate each picture... and NO these photos were not edited or tampered with in any way)

look next to the tree...

Did Tyler have an admirer, besides me? Look to the left... hiding in the bushes.

zoom in... look behind the top of the fence...

far left... is that the woman who was hung in this square still searching for her lost child?

a couple?

zoom in... in the middle there is a cluster of three orbs- different sizes... is it a family?

After we got back to the hotel we were truly freaked out. We spent a while talking about how we felt, what we experienced, and looked through the pictures a little more closely. We were shocked by what all we found in the pictures that we hadn't noticed before then. It took us a while, but we eventually went to sleep. The next day we went by the rest of the places we hadn't had a chance to the night before, and they were beautiful. If you are planning a weekend get away... plan it in Savannah, GA. It is beautiful! So much to see, and do. We cannot wait to go back! Though before you do... Read up about it in a book or two.

I have to be completely honest. For someone who loves all things spooky, writing this post has taken me longer than I thought it would. Our experiences in Savannah were so amazing, and yet so unreal. I don't know how to share it all, or do it the justice it deserves. Going through my camera to find the best pics to share makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I have goose bumps remembering how I felt when I took each picture. Trying to find the best words to explain what we saw, what we felt, and what we have captured on film sends shivers down my spine. The best thing to say is... take what you will from my story, believe what you want to, see what you want to, but go and visit yourself, and take pictures, and take a tour at night... then hopefully you will understand. Then maybe you too will believe that Savannah is REALLY the most haunted city in America. At least the most haunted city I have yet to visit.

Burnt Church Road (Lakeland, GA)

My parents took my kids for a long weekend vacation (before school goes back) this past weekend. Since they live in Florida we meet in South Georgia usually so it's just a half way trip for both of us. While I was looking up haunts to visit this past weekend I came across a spooky cemetery in Lakeland, Georgia-- So this is where we decided to meet yesterday, so I could check it out and then pick up my kiddos.

This is the site to reference the story of Burnt Church Road Cemetery:

http://www.strangeusa.com/Viewlocation.aspx?id=2516

**Also scroll down and read through the anonymous comments. While I think some of them are complete BS... some are interesting-- ill let you make your own assumptions.

The actual town of Lakeland is very small town (the gas stations don't have debit/credit card options to pay at the pump, lol), but it is also very pretty. I wouldn't say it is a spooky little town at all. Though I always do find it spooky when I cannot get cell service for an entire 20mi radius, so that was a little unnerving. Driving to a small town I've never been to that is 30 minutes off the free way, by myself, and no cell service to top it off. Kind of freaky, but I was going in the middle of the day though, so freaky- but not scary.

The road gets really curvy just before you get to the cemetery, and at first sight it is kind of spooky, go around a curve and then boom- out of no where- boarded up church and cemetery hidden behind bushes... I drove past it the first time and up the road. There are houses and a closed up boy scout camp just past it. Any boy scouts that are willing to spend the night there after all the spooky stories are brave. Really brave.

After turning around and getting parked I got out and walked around. The old church is boarded up and fenced in and once you get in to the grave yard you understand why. Vandalism is apparently very common here. So many tombstones are broken! Even flower pots are turned over and shattered. It's very sad. Some people have no respect for anyone or anything.

The graves are all very old. Most graves date from the 1800s to early 1900s. It looks as though some of these tombstones were replaced because some look brand new with these dates on them, but with all the vandalism I'm sure family members in the area must maintain these graves. There are a TON of unmarked graves as well.

 I took some videos, and I did hear people talking, but it was in the distance-- and they were men's voices. Since there are plenty of houses around I wouldn't think twice about it. I took many pictures and didn't see any orbs, shadows, cats, etc. The church was boarded up so there was no one to see in a window, and I am not one to drive around trees to entice spirits, or say "Bloody Mary" three times in a dark bathroom. So I think a lot of the comments on the website (see link above) are just a bunch of stories kids tell each other to freak themselves out. Which is always a lot of fun.

I am not going to lie though- I did get spooked. I walked around for about 30 minutes and I was taking a video on my iPod- I was bent over reading a tombstone and I felt someone behind me. (My husband bends over my back without touching me whenever I'm reaching for something and when I turn my head he yells or screeches at me. Even though I know he's about to do it- it makes me jump and scream every time. He thinks he's hysterical.) I kind of froze and really hoped I was not about to experience what my husband does to me-- because in fact my husband was not with me.... So I turn very slowly... and nothing is there. Instant relief. So I stop the video and start taking random pics hoping to catch something. This is when it happens. The iPod is lifted out of my hands for a split second. Literally a split second. Like the weight of it was in my hand and then it wasn't and then it was. I kind of just stood there for a minute like-- hmm... did my hands go numb for a second? What happened? NO idea. I wasn't scared, just intrigued. I walked around a few more minutes, but decided it was time to go. After all I am in the middle of no where, no cell coverage, and by myself, and of course I have exceeded my maximum limit of horror movie consumption in my lifetime (one was my limit). I am always expecting the worst in small towns, or in the middle of no where... especially when there is no cell phone coverage-- too much horror movie potential.

Later after I met up with my parents we drove past the cemetery again so they could see it, and it was even less spooky seeing it with other people around me. We went to the McDonald's (the only restaurant we saw) in town for lunch, and the people were all normal and friendly-- no horror movies came to mind. 

Overall, it was a very interesting cemetery to walk around. I love reading through the names and dates of people who lived a hundred years ago. The church isn't really spooky- it is rebuilt, and it's boarded up and fenced in-- not much potential for spooky vibes unfortunately. Maybe going at night with someone else would be a little spookier, but since it is so far out- I most likely wont be making another trip out there. If you live closer and take a venture out to Burnt Church Road Cemetery let me know what you think and/or experience.

Here's some pics of the church, grave yard, and surrounding area:

Until my next adventure, happy travels!

Haunted Places of Georgia- our scavenger hunt of creepy haunts

This morning we set out for a Sunday drive with a mission. We had three stops written down to visit. Researching & Googling (Sn: Googling- should be a word in the dictionary by now) "haunted places to visit in Georgia" we narrowed down three places close to us to visit. We tried to research background on each place, but after quick and not so thorough searches... came up with not much. So here is what we were after, what we found, and our experiences. Overall a very fun day!

Destinations:
-Alexander St. (Winder, GA)
-Old Athens Cemetery (Athens, GA)
-Birthday Cake House (Athens, GA)

http://www.theshadowlands.net/places/georgia.htm

The link above gives a summary of why each places in known for being haunted- very cool link, and nice reference guide to get ideas of places to visit on your "go for a drive" day.


1.) Alexander St. (Winder, GA)-
The story made me assume (you will soon find out that I sometimes have an over active imagination, but only sometimes) that the residents on this street are all harassed night after night by a gang of unsettled spirits that make outsiders feel goose bumps to make them turn and run. I pictured the street as old, enchanted, all historical homes that exude haunted. Well... I must have over thought because, nope--none of the above-- at least from what we saw. Below is a picture of the street. While there are some older homes on this street, there are also some newer homes as well. We didn't really get a "spooky feeling" per se, but there is always the potential for such feelings at night. I wish I could hear a story from one of the residents first hand, but I am not one to knock on doors and harass and badger people on their possible haunting... yet. I would also love to hear the history of this area, and why people think that these hauntings and/or events occur. Definitely an unfinished story.

Leaving Alexander St we encounter a beautiful drive in perfect weather on our way to Athens, Georgia.

2.) Old Athens Cemetery (Athens, GA)-
I was expecting a massive, old, and elegantly Gothic cemetery. I was not to be disappointed even though not all was what I was expected. First things first, it was really difficult to find this cemetery since we had never seen it before and the only physical address we could find on search engines was in fact "Jackson Street" -- we made quite a few blocks before we parked and found it. The cemetery is hard to see from the road, but it is between a white building (the visual arts building) and Baldwin Hall on S Jackson Street. We also found out that you can park for free on the weekends in the visitor parking deck (which is on the left just before the visual arts building). When we walk up to the cemetery we are instantly pleased. What is this? An old iron gate you have to open to come in too the old cemetery? How delightfully spooky that it vibrates as you open and close it! We walk through the grave yard, and since it is in the 90s (Georgia in July-- talk about HUMID) we are secretly holding our breath to walk through a "cold spot". Sadly no cold spots, but what we feel and see is better. Much better. We are randomly taking pictures with the digital camera, and iPod Touch. Each tombstone we stop and examine and half of them are so old you cannot even read them. The dates on them are incredibly old, and we are completely fascinated. There is sunken in spots (from where I am assuming some of the graves that were relocated were dug up) that add its own creepiness, and iron posts are so old they are crumbling. At each tombstone we feel obligated to stop and read as a sign of respect. Both of our hearts are racing and we feel like we are not alone in this grave yard, when in fact there is no one to be seen in or around the cemetery. I hold up my iPod to take a picture and the screen is white the entire time only in a portion of the cemetery, so I stick with the digital camera. For example, this was the only picture I could get with my iPod in that spot in the cemetery.

you can see my husband walking in front of me, and nothing around him. Spooky, huh? And I was standing in the shade.

We walk on...snapping pics here and there and enjoying our racing heart beats and the eerily calm and thick atmosphere around us. As I am aiming the camera I look in the picture screen and see a light jumping at the base of a tomb. I call my husband, Tyler, over to see if he sees it too. Neither one of us can see it without the camera, and it doesn't show up in the pictures, but both of us can see it through the display screen... it's deliciously spooky. This is a picture we took, the white tomb to the left of the tree in the front and center-- this is where we saw the dancing light...

It wasn't a light shinning through the trees kind of dancing... It was something different. We walk around the entire cemetery and come to the Conger family plot almost at the end of our little tour. We didn't really feel anything more in this spot than we do the rest of the cemetery like the story says, it is really almost as if this spot is a complete lack of feeling. But hey, everyone can't have the same experiences. I highly recommend a visit to the Old Athens Cemetery so you can make your own assumptions and have your own feelings and experience. It was truly beautiful, fascinating, and enjoyable for us haunting hunter lovers. Here's a few more random pics that I love from our visit here:

We leave the cemetery and go for another back track, turn around, make another block, "gah! Was that one it!?!" extravaganza in our attempt to find destination #3- The Birthday Cake House aka The Wedding Cake House....

3.) The Birthday Cake House (Athens, GA)-
Once again our research into the location of this house was not extensive enough to land any absolute location. All we knew was it was somewhere on Milledge Ave. So to make it easy on the rest of you who may want to take a peek at this beautiful sorority house. It is located at 530 S. Milledge Ave on the corner of Baxter St. and it has the letters for Alpha Gamma Delta on it. The story is intriguing, but I want to know more. I would love it if I could find someone who has been in, or especially lived in the Birthday Cake house. I didn't have a chance to get a "feeling" from this place either (like destination 1), and was left with the same question "what's this places story?" It was fun to hunt down the house and see it, but I would like to know more-- or even take a tour. Here's a couple pics of the beautiful home:

The Birthday Cake House was our last planned destination for the day, so we decided to head back in the direction of home. The fun wasn't over. When I was a teenager me and my Mom found the creepiest of creepy cemeteries. (Short story: We found this tiny old cemetery out in the middle of no where Georgia next to a little white church. We both were out of the car and walking around for maybe a minute when we both got this incredibly scary and overwhelming feeling- looked at each other in the same instant and both immediately raced back to the car- never to return to this creepiest of creepy cemeteries- now know as the Lost Cemetery. But you know the saying... absence makes the heart grow fonder? Well for some morbid reason I have been wanting to return to that cemetery again for the past few years, but neither one of us can remember where it was located exactly and it is driving us mad... so every time my mom thinks of a place it may have been- I have to go and investigate).

4.) Can we find the Lost Cemetery??? (No Clue, GA)-
My mother thinks the cemetery was between Winder and Dacula, possibly on Hwy 29. We bypass the highways and take the back roads from Athens to Winder to Dacula. Along the way we see a couple cemeteries, but none are the familiar Lost Cemetery. One looks promising, but located between Athens and Winder, so I stop just to see. I get out of the car and walk a ways... no overwhelming creepy feeling. The cemetery is familiar, no doubt I have stopped at this one years ago with my mom, but indeed not the one we're seeking. Very anticlimactic, but here's a pic anyway:

The mission to find the Lost cemetery continues and our adventure is over for the day.

Overall we had an awesome day! I look forward to finding more out about the Alexander St. haunting, and the stories of those who have experienced the haunting at the Birthday Cake House. Until our next adventure, Have fun!

From there to here

Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was to go for a drive. I loved seeing new things, traveling to new places, and uncovering hidden hideaways. To me the best kind of Sunday is jumping in the car when the sun is shining, rolling down the windows and heading down the open roads you haven't been down in a while, or ever before. When I was younger I went on drives with my mother as often as we could and would look for spooky spaces, or creepy cemeteries, and have fun with the spooky and unknown. Walking through grave stones and admiring names you don't hear in our era, or seeing the dates in which they lived has always been fascinating to me. Now as a grown woman I am married to my best friend who I met in the 8th grade, and we have 2 precious little girls. Fortunately my husband has a love for driving, traveling, spooky things, history, and anything that could be an adventure. We have traveled the world--a tiny little bit, but since we have small children and I am working on my degrees still-- traveling around the world is put on hold, for now. So in the meantime... every chance we get, we make our own adventures: galavanting in grave yards, reading up historical facts & interesting stories, driving to haunted places & spaces, exploring small towns, and appreciating the art and beauty in the things you don't always have time to slow down and notice.