SpookFest 2005!

The Friday Night Ghost Hunt at The Landmark Theater: Birthday Surprise for Carolyn!

Carolyn was surprised and excited (thankfully!) so I guess we did a good thing!! We arrived and there were tons of people (maybe 150 or more?) and the line for drinks was long...so we each double fisted so we didn't have to wait in line a second time!

At 8pm we all entered the the theater and sat down for a presentation. The Founder did a slide show of pictures and then played recordings of EVP, the electronic recording of what is believed to be ghost voices. Using a digital recorder they pick up wispers and sounds that can be interpreted as words. Many of them were hard to hear, but a few were so distinct and clear that the hair on the back of my neck stood up and I got chills! It was really cool. They also had a video on Beardslee Castle in Little Falls that told the stories of hauntings there. This group does regular visits to Beardslee Castle because it is considered one of the most haunted places in Central New York. They also mentioned that Gettysberg, PA is extremely haunted and told of some creepy experiences they had while investigating there!

I went to the website and grabbed one pic that was interesting from the presentation:
The woman walking in the pink shirt is the founder of the CNY Ghost Hunter Society. She said noone else besides herself and her camera guy (who is obviously taking the photo)were in the cemetary that day...Who is that man to her left on the edge of the pic? She says none was there!

After the presentation groups would be taken for a tour of the theater on a "ghost hunt" with members of the CNY Ghost Hunters. This was a bit chaotic and unorganized and I was a bit dissappointed with this portion of the evening. Groups were too large and the members had no clue where to go and groups would run in to each other and cause bottle necks. Carolyn Stacy and I decided to explore on our own. No, no ghosts and no pic to prove anything because Stacy was a flake and left her camera home! even after she said she would bring it etc. I guess the old idea "if you want something done right do it yourself" is still true, maybe now more than ever...but that's another post!!

The Landmark is a beautiful theater decorated in gold splendor much like the Stanley Theater in Utica. The Landmark, "often labeled Indo-Persian", featured a large mural in the lobby, guilded walls and a grand staircase among other amazing carvings and designs throughout. I was defiantely taken by the grandeur of the place and even tho the tour was not successful in ghost hunting, it was a treat to see the backstage, dressing rooms and catecombs that few people get a chance to see.

Look for Central New York Ghost Hunters on the future show "One Step Beyond" on the Discovery Channel. I believe they said sometime in Late November or December it will air.

SPOOKHILL FARMS AND SACKET'S HARBOR HAUNTED HOUSE!

Saturday was our Henderson Trip to Spookhill Farms. Anne, Erin and Shineigh met Carol and Carolyn up at Mike and Kim's house late Saturday morning. After lunch we waited for a two of Kevin's friends, Nick and Bryant, to get there then we headed off to Spook Hill Farms. Erin and I in the car on our way to Spook Hill Farms. We are so darn cute!

Kevin, Thomas, Eli, Nick, Bryant, Erin, Shineigh and Nate went thru the corn maze while Anne, Kim, Mike Carolyn and I ate cotton candy and bought carmel apples, pumkins, Blueberry wine and homemade jams. Tho it was daylight, they still had fun in the maze. When they got out we decided to go into the haunted house. Carolyn had already been a marked target for one of the Spooks as she stood outside the chicken door laughing and pointing at scared patrons on their way out.

Afterwards we headed back hom to eat dinner. A lovely spread of Baked Ziti, salad and garlic bread fed our hungers. We needed our strength for what was to come later that evening!!!!

Aunt Carol always brings the glowsticks!! Before we left for our next adventure, everyone got a glowstick or two. Many fashion statements were made. We were prepared...we thought!

Next,we were on our way to the Sackets Harbor Haunted House! Beware the Phantom! He's Everywhere! Well, I sure didn't see him but we did see some other scary things! All but Annie, Mike and Nate came along...they were the smart ones!

This year Sackets Harbor Sentinels School Band put on a Haunted House, "The Haunted Thriller Theater". It was held in the old theater building at Madison Barracks, Sackets Harbor, New York.

We wound our way throught the maze in to rooms where actors would portray scary skits. Something inevitably would jump out at you and chase you out of the room at the end. Our Guide was hard of hearing and thought Nick was calling her a "Good Guy" when he was actually calling her a "Good Guide". I wish I had had a camera to catch Nick screaming in that first room! That has to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen!

We all held on to each other for dear life as we twisted our way through the haunted theater. One skit involved a live rat being shoved into your face, another had masked Scream people trying to knife you. Personally, the spiderwebs hanging from the ceiling were a bit too realistic!!

Finally we made it to the end. The door opened and we walked down the ramp to safety...and then three chainsaw guys surrounded us, we tried to run but two more came down the other path!! We were trapped...like rats. Bryant was in with the fiends and left us to fend for ourselves. While Carolyn and I were surrounded by the chainsaw freaks, Kevin, Nick, Eli, Thomas and Bryant were forming a conga line and impromptu squaredancing. Nice boys huh? We finally escaped (no thanks to the boys!) and ran back to the car where Shineigh and Erin were waiting. They chickened out and didn't come in, but I wish they had! The ending was the best part! Those guys were real "cut ups!" HAHAHHAHAHAH!


When we arrived back home in Henderson, the crew watched the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Fitting right? Kim, Anne, Mike, Carolyn, Nate and I listened to "Scary Stories around the Fire with Uncle Guts", a CD I had brought in honor of Uncle Mark. We sat around the candle and listened to stories like "The Monkey's Paw", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", "Dracula" and "Frankenstein".


The next morning before we left, we took a picture to commemorate the fun time had by all.
From Left onFloor: Carolyn, Carol and Nate. From left on Couch: Shineigh, THomas, Nick, Kevin (nice shades), Bryant and Erin.

A great kickoff to the Halloween season!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!!