'Tis the season

This weekend we are changing the theme up a bit.  Taking a weekend off from ghost hunting to hunt down St. Nick.  We are going to Santa Claus, IN. Today is Thursday, the only day we don't have a ton of things to do.  So I am going to try and pack before I go meet my BFF, Lori for dinner.  Six months ago she moved down to Florida and this is the first time I have seen her since.  Boy do I miss her.  

Well packing was unsuccessful.  Hopefully tomorrow I will get up early and be able to throw a few things together for our weekend.  We are expected to get about 5-8 inches of snow starting tonight into tomorrow, so we may not be going anywhere.

I can't wait for the weekend to come.  It has been a long and stressful week. My coworker has been on vacation and with the weather being as nasty as it has been, I have been very busy at work.  I also have been sick.  But as usual I don't get to stay in bed until I feel better. We had Karate a few times this week.  Keyan has been selected to be in the Competition Team this year so we have been going to training for that aside from regular classes. Tomorrow we have a birthday party and then a scouting thing and finally after that we get to drive down to Santa Claus, IN.  I can't wait to be able to go to bed like a normal person at night. 

Well enough babbling for tonight.  On my way to meet Lori for dinner at On The Border.  Yummy!  Enchiladas are calling my name.  

Lori and I.

Our final day in Kokomo

We slept in late on Sunday morning.  This is not a luxury I usually have, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.  After breakfast, we set out to visit the last of the "haunted" locations on our list: The Seiberling Mansion and Adams Mill.

We had a little time to kill before the mansion opened up for tours, so we headed over to Highland Park to see the "World's Largest Tree Stump".  The park was nearby and we could see that it had started to be decorated for Christmas.  Even without the lights on you could tell it was going to be a sight to see and we decided to make sure to come back and see it.  The Sycamore Stump is located within a glass building that looked like it was built especially for it.  Right across from it is Old Ben. Both are pretty impressive. Here are some descriptions and pictures of both:

Keyan was quite impressed.  But as much as he liked the stump and the steer, he liked the Seiberling Mansion even more.  All throughout the tour he kept saying how much he would love to live in that house.  It was pretty amazing.

The Seiberling Mansion is supposed to have quite a few ghosts roaming its halls.  Many people have stated seeing a woman in a rocking chair in one of the upstairs rooms.  We spoke to the nice women who worked there and the guys setting the house up for Christmas and neither of them had even heard of the rumor.  No one had ever seen or experienced anything.  Unfortunately neither did we.  What we did see was a beautiful house with spectacular detail.  The woodwork alone is enough to leave you dumbfounded.  The floors and ceilings were exceptional.  Some of the doors leading to the outside and some of the windows are curved.  Even the glass is curved.  I have never seen curved glass.  It has the original ice box, a pie safe, and a butler's pantry. The china and silverware in the dining room are fabulous.  The window treatments and velvet drapes hanging from the doorways are marvelous.  Well you get the picture.  Upstairs on the second floor there are 5 bedrooms and a bathroom with what looks like a walk in linen closet.  The floor of each bedroom has a inlaid border, each with a different design.  Some of these bedrooms have fireplaces.  On the third floor is the ball room and what a spectacular ball room it is.  It has a stage and doors leading out to a porch. The three floors are connected by a grand staircase with a landing at each floor.  I could go on and on about this house, but it is something best seen in person.  The Seiberling Mansion is located at 1200 West Sycamore, Kokomo, IN. They have tours Tuesday through Sunday 1-4 pm.  Here is a quick history lesson:

On our way home we had decided to drive out to Cutler, IN to go visit the Adams Mill.  But as you know from my previous post, that did not happen. Instead we went home and had some yummy Chinese and went to bed to relax and catch up on our shows.  Side note....American Horror Story.....best show ever!

Well our next trip will be in a couple of weekends from now.  It won't be a ghost hunting trip.  It will be a Santa Claus hunting trip.  We are taking Keyan to Santa Claus, IN to do all things Christmas.  

Now I am off to get the turkey for Thanksgiving Dinner. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

Day 2 continued

Okie Pinokie is a......actually I don't know what it is.  I guess the best description is a place to hunt.  There were quite a few hunters out that day. It was a good thing we went out there during the day.  Wasn't in the mood to get shot at night.  OK, so this place is located way out in the boonies.  The entrance is on the corner of SR 124 & 510 East marked by two pillars.  You are able to find this address in the GPS, so I won't provide step by step instructions.  Once you pass the Circus Hall of Fame you are getting close. The story is that there have been at least 8 decaying bodies found there (reported by the Mississinewa staff).  Also a 7-year old girl named Stephanie was raped, tortured and killed in the woods, again, supposedly.  You are to drive down the gravel road until you get to the circle at the end.  Stop your car, get out and whistle and someone will begin whistling with you from deep within the forest. It is also said that a noise like a pig squealing and dogs barking can be heard like they are standing right next to you.  Something about weird trees that look like they have antlers on them and a warning not to bring a Ouija board out there because the spirits don't like it.  There are plenty of YouTube videos about this place, but I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary on them.  Here are our pictures:

the circle at the end of the road

a trail that led to the river

Keyan, prepared to attack any "ghosts"

weird, antler trees

We looked around for a little while but when we heard the first shot gun blast we high-tailed it out of there.  Like I said before, we were NOT interested in getting shot.  So off to the next location.

The Old Stone House was next on our agenda.  This is located on Old Stone Road which can be found by GPS.  This house was part of the Underground Railroad and it is said that on foggy nights you can drive by and see strange lights coming from within.  The info I got on the property was that it was burned out on the inside but it had been bought and was scheduled to be converted into a church.  By the time we got there it looks like that had already taken place.  See for yourselves:

From here we went to the Dentist's House on 6th Street.  It is believed that this house is inhabited by the ghost of a woman.  The people that work in the dentist's office say the upstairs is used only for storage, yet they hear noises and stuff is moved around.  People that play Bingo across the street have reported seeing a woman in the upstairs window and the curtains moving. Unfortunately she wasn't out by the window when we went.  Here is a pic:

I would have loved to stay and play Bingo, but we had to press on to the Lutheran Cemetery. It is located at 10-18 Lutheran 2, Peru, IN.  Going east on 24, it is the first right once you pass the Kroger on your right.  That will be N. Kelly Ave.  This street will take you straight to the cemetery.  The story about this place is that there is a big white cross on the old side of the cemetery.  It is said that on certain nights at midnight you are able to see a stairway descend from the middle of the cross.  We didn't go at midnight so we didn't see the stairway. But there are a few steps at the base of the cross.  Maybe that is what they mean?

On our way back to the hotel from Peru we swung by Logansport, IN to check out two more cemeteries.  Mount Hope Cemetery and Shiloh.  Mt. Hope is located at 1800 Grant Street, Logansport, IN and Shiloh is located at 1047 North County Road 350 West, Logansport, IN.  We went to Mt. Hope first. This is another place where if you whistle someone is supposed to whistle back at you.  You are also supposed to hear the sound of horses back and forth even though there isn't a horse farm for miles around.  Of course we came across none of that, but we did find some pretty interesting head stones.  I have never seen their like before.  These are all made of concrete. Here are some pictures:

Some of the headstones that looked like these had the Masonic symbol on them. Others had different symbols. The husband was listed on one side and the wife on the other.  They are very detailed, although it's hard to tell in these pictures.  I did find this website that had an explanation of these head stones. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kycampbe/headstone.htm.  It's kind of neat.

Our last stop this evening before dinner was Shiloh.  You are supposed to hear a headless horseman at this place.  Another thing you can do is run around the church three times.  When you are done, look inside the basement window and you will see a little girl staring up at you.  By the time we got to this cemetery it was nighttime.  Once again the ride to and from was the creepiest part.  We found the cemetery and that looked pretty much like the pictures and videos posted on YouTube.  The surprising thing was that the church was no longer there.  It had been torn down and a new church had been built in its place.  This one did not have any basement windows.  This was actually a relief because I wasn't looking forward to running around the church three times (actually we were going to drive around it but lets not split hairs).  Who comes up with this stuff anyway?  Why would you run around a church three times?  Whatever.... Here is the pic:

Well, another day of ghost hunting is done.  We did not find anything haunted but we did have a nice drive and saw some interesting things.  Now it is time for dinner and hopefully another hot chocolate? 

Pastariffic.  The name says it all.  Very yummy.  Somehow they have pretty much the same menu as the Olive Garden, but they manage to make it much tastier.  They also had cannoli for dessert.  My favorite!

Spent a great day with two of my favorite guys, had a lovely meal.  Now with a full belly it's time to go to bed and rest for another day of exploring.

Good night.

Day 2. Kokomo and Peru

After a fantastic night's sleep, we got up Saturday morning, had a yummy Cracker Barrel breakfast and started our journey towards Peru.  Our first destination, Hookman's Cemetery.

On our way to Peru, Keyan yells out from the back seat that he wants to go and see that big plane on the hill.  We look to our left and see an entire field will planes and helicopters.  The sign up ahead said Grissom's Air Museum. We turned around and stopped.  We were so glad we did.  First, the location. 1000 West Hoosier Blvd. Peru, IN 46970.  For a $5.00 admission fee for adults and children 6 and under free, we were able to take and inside and outside tour of a fascinating time in history.  Inside there were many exhibits including planes and helicopters that Keyan was able to sit in and play with the instrument panels.  Outside was an impressive display of all manner of planes, jets and helicopters used by the Navy and Air Force.  There is an observation tower that looks over all.  Here are some pictures:

Keyan and Joe enjoyed this place quite a bit. I did as well.  I am glad we stumbled across it.  It was a great time in history for Keyan to learn about.

Next stop, Hookman's Cemetery. It is actually called Tillet's Cemetery.  The reason it is called Hookman's Cemetery is because Hookman supposedly haunts it. This is rather weird considering he isn't buried in this cemetery. They say he is buried about 1.5 miles up the road.  It is located off 24 East between Peru and Wabash.  You take 24 East until Lover's Lane.  Make a right.  On your left you will see a trailer park (the kind for camping), make a left there.  Right passed the fence, to your right, you will faintly see what looks like a hiking trail. It is actually a dirt road.  Make a right on that dirt road and take it up to the cemetery on top of the hill.  The story goes that Hookman has a hook for a hand (hence the name) and he goes up and down Lover's Lane looking for his next victim.  It is also said that no matter what time of day you visit this cemetery, there is a fog that covers the ground and there is no breeze or birds or even insects in the area.  We did not encounter any of these things.  What we did find was a very old cemetery with a lot of broken headstones, lots of trees and quite a bit of wind.  No fog.  

This headstone is the newer version of the broken one lying next to it.  Cool cemetery but no ghosts. 

So we are on our way to Okie Pinokie.

Kokomo and Peru continued

We left on Friday for our weekend in Kokomo.  The plan was to check out one or two places by the hotel and then get an early start on Saturday.  We wanted to go to some of the places on our list during the day so it would be easier to find and to make sure Keyan saw the places during the day so he wouldn't get scared when we went back at night.

After a somewhat disappointing dinner at a local restaurant/brewery, we headed out to a house that was on the corner of Carter Road and 400 East. The problem was that the GPS could not locate that address.  This particular house doesn't have a name so we couldn't Google it and according to the internet, Carter Road did not exist in Kokomo.  So we decided to go to Speedway and pick up a hot chocolate. Let me sidetrack for a moment on Speedway's hot chocolate.  If you mix some of their regular hot cocoa with some of the new white chocolate caramel and then stick a couple of the Caramel Macchiato or either of the Girl Scout flavors and then top it off with a shot of Bailey's, you have heaven in a mug! OK so now I need to go to Speedway.  Be right back!

OK I am back.  To continue, on our way out of Speedway we made a wrong turn and ended up on Carter Street.  We went up one block.  100 East.  Hey, I think this may be the road we were looking for.  We drove up three more blocks and sure enough we were now at the corner of Carter Street and 400 East.  Talk about luck.  The house was right where we were told it would be. It looked out of place because the other houses in the neighborhood were real nice and up-kept.  This house was boarded up and the grounds were a mess. According to the story an old man and his mother lived in this house.  The man left the house after his mothers death because her spirit started haunting the house. There have been reports of something knocking on cars, apparitions in the windows and orbs seen in and around the house.  This is what we saw.  First that night:

It was just that dark out there.  These pictures were taken with a flash and also the lights on the car were pointed towards the house.  We went back the next day:

We did not experience any of the above phenomena.  The weirdest thing about this house was the big satellite dish out on the front lawn.  No clue why there would be one if the house has been abandoned for years.

On to the next destination for the evening, The Seiberling Mansion.

The Seiberling Mansion has long been known for ghost sightings.  The mansion offers tours (it is part of the Howard County Historical Society) and people have reported seeing a woman sitting in one of the rocking chairs upstairs among other things.  We did a drive by that night.  We did not see anything and decided we would take the tour on Sunday.  More on this location later.  We were done for the evening and headed back to the hotel.

  

Our Kokomo/Peru adventure

For our second adventure we decided to head up North to Kokomo, Logansport and Peru, IN.  We started out on Friday to come back on Sunday.  We were a little better prepared this time.  Joe had gone out and purchased a GPS for the car.  Up until now we have always used the one on our phones, but on our last trip out to Brazil, IN, we came across miles of road with no signal and so our phones turned out being useless.  I had also written down the places we wanted to see and put them in some sort of order so we wouldn't be going back and forth so much.

We had hoped to have a nice spooky weekend.  Turned out we were pretty scared but not for the reasons we had thought.  As I have mentioned before, we have been in Indianapolis for 13 1/2 years and we ended up picking the weekend those terrible tornadoes hit to make our first trip up to Kokomo.  We had decided to take a ride out to Cutler, IN on our way home Sunday to visit Adam's Mill.  It is said that if you go past the mill and over the bridge and stop and get out of your car, you can see ghosts of people walking down the river.  We never did make it out to Adam's Mill.  About half way out there on 26 West we had to pull over in Russiaville and take shelter in the men's room of a Subway Restaurant.  The wind and rain were tremendous.  The tornado siren was going off for over 1/2 an hour.  One of the girls that worked there was on the phone with her grandmother who lived on the outskirts of Russiaville had seen the twister touch down.  We spent about an hour in that Subway.  When things seemed to have calmed down we decided to head home.  Less than 2 miles from where we were, we started seeing the destruction that the tornado left behind.  Houses, garages, barns and trees were demolished.  It was a terrible thing to see.  We made it back to Kokomo and headed down 31 South towards home.  For a little while it seemed like the worse was behind us.  Wrong!  The wind and rain picked up again and I will tell you it was the strangest thing.  You could look out the front windshield and see this:

And then you would look out the side window and see this:

Finally the rain stopped and the wind died down and clouds broke and it was a glorious day as if nothing had happened.

When we got home and watched the news, we saw pictures of the destruction left in Kokomo by the tornado.  Places we had seen and been inside of just that morning were destroyed.  Makes you stop and think and thank your lucky stars.

Day 2 of our first adventure

On Sunday we decided to go over the places we went to the night before and see what else we could find.  The drive during the day is completely different than the drive at night.  There is a beautiful countryside and wide open skies to enjoy.

After we went to the places we were last night and took pictures, we decided to head up north some more and check out the Old Bellmore Schoolhouse Ruins in Bellmore, the Old Mansfield Village in Mansfield, and The Crying Baby Cemetery in Rockville.

We didn't find the schoolhouse.  We drove all the way out to Rockville only to find out that almost every town has a "Crying Baby Bridge or Cemetery" so that is most likely a dud.  We spent the majority of our time in Rockville at the Burger King parking lot using their WiFi trying to find the correct cemetery, which we never did.  We did however find a friendly cow:

On our way back we stopped at the Old Mansfield Village.  You can see this village from 59 North.  The story is that late at night you are supposed to see ghostly figures walking through the village and hear the mill as if it were operating.  Well we went during the day so we saw nothing of that nature, but it was a pretty place.  Here are some pictures of the mill:

Here are some pictures of a few covered bridges we came across:

All in all we must have driven about 7 hours that day and that doesn't include the ride home.  We didn't see any ghosts or experience anything scary, but we did have a great time.  Not only did we get to see beautiful landscapes and foliage, we got to spend some quality family time together. 

Next time we will head up North to Kokomo and Peru.  Can't wait to find out what awaits us there.......