Just back from Newport, RI. Not quite the same as going in the summer, of course…but a great time nonetheless. Laura and I Met up with Rich, Julia, Ray, Denise, Matt, Julie, Nick and Hillary for the day and night on Saturday. They all stayed at the Melville House, and Laura and I stayed at the Fair Street Inn. Both were pretty nice, and we enjoyed a heck of a pancake breakfast this morning!
In addtion to shopping and going out to eat/drink, we took a ‘ghost tour’ of the ‘haunted’ Belcourt Castle – where I quite possibly took the creepiest photo I’ve ever taken …read on for more!
We arrived at the Belcourt Castle around 4:30pm, so it was about an hour before sunset. It was the perfect time to capture an outside shot of the castle, and knowing it was supposedly haunted, I wanted to capture the eeriness (is that a word?) of the place.
Behold – Belcourt Castle!
In the name of full disclosure, yes, I beefed up the clouds and contrast in Photoshop to make it a bit more creepy looking.
The tour itself was pretty interesting, but two things about it were bothersome – First, they didn’t allow photos inside the Castle. That was a big downer for me, of course. I did manage to sneak in a few photos of the massive chandeliers in the main room, but that was it. The other thing that was kind of boring was the slideshow to start off the tour. We’re all expecting photos from inside the place with ‘proof’ of ghosts and hauntings, etc…but all we got was photos of other supposedly haunted mansions in other parts of New England and Europe. Interesting stuff, but didn’t completely hold my attention.
The tour itself was cool, as the castle was sprinkled with priceless antiques from all over the world, and those were really the focus of the ‘hauntings,’ as some of them carried their own curses with them to the Castle.
At the end of the tour, we walked into the last room and I heard an eerie whining sound right – twice – right before our tour guide specifically told us that one of the ghosts that haunted that room (their ‘most haunted‘ room) made an eerie whining sound…so either someone reading up on the story ahead of time and messing with us, it was a big coincidence, or I heard a ghost. You be the judge.
Finally, they did a demonstration in that room with these two antique chairs. Legend has it that the chairs literally would throw people out of them if one attempted to sit in the chair. The tour guide would not let anyone sit in the chair, as she cited insurance issues with chairs throwing guests onto the floor, but did invite a few volunteers up to guide their hands around the chair to feel the ‘field’ of energy that the chairs were said to create. The two people that did it immediately said they felt pins and needles in their fingers, and then their hands were cold. The guide confirmed this is exactly what happens to a lot of people when they try this, and after the tour was over, Laura went over to the chair to try it out. Sure enough, she said her hand went slightly numb and even twitch – and also felt cold. Creepy, eh? I did not get to try it out, as they were politely booting people out of the room because another group was ready to start their tour…but I will let Laura’s experience speak for me.
Yeah, it’s my second to last night in AZ and I should be next door at the Tilted Kilt for a few beers, but I am stuffed full of food from Maggiano’s and kind of tired. So here I sit updating from the hotel room. I suppose it’s not a bad thing taking advantage of the sleep, since it’s the last sleep I’ll be getting in the next 36 hours or so. And I went to the NFL Commissioner’s party last night and it was a damn good time, so I am happy with my nightlife experiences thus far. Anyway, Just got my itinerary for the return trip home, and it’s gonna be a long couple of days. Here’s the rundown:
