Spooked at the Myrtles Plantation

I have always had an interest in staying at unique and bizarre places on my road trips.  I have long wanted to stay at the Myrtles Plantation just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana since it is notorious for being one of the most haunted places in America.

Built around 1796, the Myrtles has had its share of tragedy, hence the hauntings.  The most famous story involves a house slave named Chloe who would constantly eavesdrop on conversations.  Some say she was very paranoid about being put into the fields and was  listening in to see if her master was planning on doing so.  At one point she was caught listening in on a top secret meeting and the master of the house not only sent her into the fields, he also sliced off her left ear as punishment.

To try to win back the favor of her master and also be put back into the house she concocted a scheme to make the family sick and then nurse them back to health.  Basically she would make herself indispensable.  One afternoon she baked a cake but added in some boiled down white oleander leaves to poison them just enough to cause them all to puke up their guts.  Well sadly for Chloe and especially the family, she added too much of the lethal concoction and she ended up killing the two small girls and the wife of the master.

After messing up royally she took off but the other slaves at the Myrtles caught her and turned her in.  the slaves thought that if she escaped then they would be held responsible for the crime.  The master of the plantation ordered that she be hung from one of the trees on the property.

It is widely reported that Chloe and the little girls haunt the grounds.  Chloe is often seen walking outside the porch area and the little girls are notorious for "playing" with the guests by bouncing on the ends of beds or pulling covers off people as they sleep.

I arrived at the Myrtles Plantation mid afternoon and was a little scared to learn that there was only one other couple staying there that evening.  I figured there would be lots of guests just hanging out.  There is always strength in numbers with these kinds of things.  What made it worse was the other couple took off and did not return till almost 10:30 so I was basically alone walking around and jumping at every single freaking sound.  When the other couple finally got back we stayed up chatting for a while until finally retiring at 1:00.

Strangely enough I fell asleep fairly fast due to being so tired.  Luckily I am also virtually blind without my glasses on so any shadows or figures in my room honestly did not have much of an audience.  After conking out for a couple of hours I was awoken by the sound of a door opening and footsteps in the hallway.  At that point I almost lost it including making a big old puddle of pee in my bed.  I waited and waited for about 15 minutes before I got up to investigate.  I opened the door and peeked out into the hall and saw no one there.  Feeling pretty confident, I slipped on my shoes and walked outside to look around the grounds a bit and it turned out that the noises I had heard were the other couple taking off in the middle of the night.  Something must have freaked them out because their car was gone.

These stupid things didn't help much

By this time it was close to 5 in the morning and there was no way I could get back to sleep being totally alone in the house.  I took out my phone and turned on every single light I could find.  I checked Facebook and of course Fruit Ninja since nothing calms an angry ghost like slicing and dicing.  Close to 5:45 I looked up toward the bathroom and saw a small dark blob that looked like the shape of a small child.  All of a sudden it darted across the floor and disappeared at the bedroom door.  Now I am sure that there are quite a few skeptics out there, but there is ZERO chance of me imagining this.  It wasn't like I saw it out of my peripheral vision or anything like that.  I stared dead on at the thing and then it darted right beside me and out the door.

Anyway, at that point I decided it was time for me to leave too.  I quickly packed up and took off into the rising sun.  I like to say that I did survive the entire night since I left right at sun up.  According to the owners quite a few people do not make it through the night.  Oprah apparently left very early one night after having an experience and just a week or so before I got there a woman fled out into the courtyard screaming because she rolled over on her bed and saw the two little girls at the side of the bed.  The night guy had to go in and pack up all her things for her.


Regardless of what time I left, I am sure that the owners got a nice chuckle since no one showed up for breakfast.  Myrtles Plantation strikes again.

I caught this very creepy pic.  Check out what looks like a figure of a woman.  Her head is very distinctive.  Chloe?

Beyond the moon

Today we lost Neil Armstrong who was a true pioneer and hero of American history.  Although he was labeled that in life, he always remained humble about walking on the moon.  I remember learning about the Apollo program in grade school and was so inspired that I saved up several weeks of allowances in order to get my first model rocket building kit.  I spent hours building and painting those rockets and then finally launching them.  With each launch I felt somehow connected to those astronauts that I so admired.  Rest in peace Mr. Armstrong and thank you for the inspiration.

The Crossroads of Revolution

One of my favorite places has always been Concord, Massachusetts.  Naturally, as a lover of history I would be drawn there for its rich history regarding its role in the outbreak of the American Revolution, but I am also fascinated with its literary history as well.

When I lived up in Rhode Island about 12 years ago, I made a number of pilgrimages to Walden Pond known most famously as the setting for Henry David Thoreau's observations and musings about life.  I remember reading "Walden" as a high school student and it made a profound impact on me.  It has been one of my greatest joys as a teacher to take my students there for a moment of reflection regarding the teachings of Thoreau.

A moment of reflection at Walden Pond

For the past several years we have connected both the outbreak of the American Revolution and the birth of transcendentalism, a revolution of thought, by going to Concord where both occurred in two very different time periods.  One of my favorite stories to tell is how Louisa May Alcott was appalled that centennial commemorations at Old North Bridge were closed to women unless they were in the company of a man.  She defiantly gathered women in the town square and marched down and forcibly entered the festivities with her followers.  We reenact that by marching to Old North Bridge ourselves rather than taking the bus.

The Old Manse is one of my favorite spots and I have spent a lot of time on the "Thinking Rock" looking out upon Old North Bridge and then contemplating how the transcendentalist movement was basically started started on the same property.   The Old Manse was the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson who drafted "Nature" in the residence.  "Nature" became one foundations of the movement.  It truly is a crossroads of revolution.

Little Paul on the Thinking Rock

Cassadaga

I have lived in Florida for about 12 years now and I am constantly amazed at just how quirky the state is.  Beyond the beaches and Disney are some towns that really should be the basis of a new reality show.

I had always heard of Cassadaga from others and decided this past weekend to finally visit the town myself.  It is more commonly known as the "Psychic Capital of the World" and draws mediums, spiritualists and psychics from around the globe.  

Spiritualist George Colby founded it in 1895 after being led there by one of his spirit guides.  Through the years it has drawn all kinds of people seeking out some clues as to what lay ahead in the future.  Cassadaga is REALLY tiny but they managed to really pack in tons of psychics and mediums who are very willing to sit down with you.......well, as long as the price is right.  Below you will find a very short video of the experience.