Yep, I'm one of those weird ones who likes to find adventures of the dangerous sort. I absolutely love shows like Storm Chasers and Ghost Hunters. The people in those shows brave some rather wicked foes, be it a tornado or some sort of malevolent spirit.
So when I was in Philadelphia back in August, it was only appropriate that I would venture off for the ghost hunting tour offered on the first night of my stay in Philly. The inner skeptic in me laughed and said, "Yeah right. It'll be all smoke and mirrors." However, the inner adventurer in me shrugged. Even if it was all staged, at least I'll learn some history. Most of the places on the tour were famous historical buildings, after all.
The tour guide passed out EMF readers. My inner skeptic rolled his eyes. My inner adventurer said, "Oh! I'm an official Ghost Hunter!" We were encouraged to take pictures. I eagerly turned my camera on, ready to catch a ghost in action. The tour started off at Washington Square Park that just happened to be a colonial cemetery where they buried unknown people. It is here that you can find the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier. There is a flame, similar to the one at John F. Kennedy's grave, that stays lit all year long. The tour guide gave us a creepy story about people who used to steal bodies for the nearby hospital. Free cadavers, after all? She told us about a mysterious woman who used to watch over the cemetery to make sure no bodies were snatched. Her ghost can sometimes be found wandering the park.
The only interesting sight here was of a homeless man who decided he needed to light his cigarette with the flame from the soldier's tomb. I was mortified. I half expected the mysterious ghost woman to appear and give the man a scare. Alas, it was not to be. And then we moved off to our next tour destination.
I took many pictures. I saw a few orbs pop up in a few of them. I've posted some of the images above. My internal skeptic assured me it was probably moisture on my lens. Darn him. He always ruins my fun. But then I snapped the mother of all pictures. My internal skeptic has yet to reply.
What do you think? Truth or Fiction? One lucky commenter will win a free ARC of Demons Like It Hot.
So when I was in Philadelphia back in August, it was only appropriate that I would venture off for the ghost hunting tour offered on the first night of my stay in Philly. The inner skeptic in me laughed and said, "Yeah right. It'll be all smoke and mirrors." However, the inner adventurer in me shrugged. Even if it was all staged, at least I'll learn some history. Most of the places on the tour were famous historical buildings, after all.
The tour guide passed out EMF readers. My inner skeptic rolled his eyes. My inner adventurer said, "Oh! I'm an official Ghost Hunter!" We were encouraged to take pictures. I eagerly turned my camera on, ready to catch a ghost in action. The tour started off at Washington Square Park that just happened to be a colonial cemetery where they buried unknown people. It is here that you can find the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier. There is a flame, similar to the one at John F. Kennedy's grave, that stays lit all year long. The tour guide gave us a creepy story about people who used to steal bodies for the nearby hospital. Free cadavers, after all? She told us about a mysterious woman who used to watch over the cemetery to make sure no bodies were snatched. Her ghost can sometimes be found wandering the park.
The only interesting sight here was of a homeless man who decided he needed to light his cigarette with the flame from the soldier's tomb. I was mortified. I half expected the mysterious ghost woman to appear and give the man a scare. Alas, it was not to be. And then we moved off to our next tour destination.
I took many pictures. I saw a few orbs pop up in a few of them. I've posted some of the images above. My internal skeptic assured me it was probably moisture on my lens. Darn him. He always ruins my fun. But then I snapped the mother of all pictures. My internal skeptic has yet to reply.
What do you think? Truth or Fiction? One lucky commenter will win a free ARC of Demons Like It Hot.
That's nifty! I wanted to go on that tour but had a conflicting engagement. That last pic is hard to make out. Are you sure it isn't glare?
ReplyDeleteCool images. Not sure about the last image because it was hard to make out.
ReplyDeletejulskim(AT)excite(dot)com
If you click and enlarge the pic, you get a better view. I had to re size the pic to fit in the browser, so the quality went down the tubes. LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt might have been glare, but it sure is fun to think it's a ghost. :)
Mia, my inner skeptic says he loves you. Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteOooh! That sounds like so much fun! I'm so jealous of the ghost hunt...and that ghost's nice rack. LOL, sorry, that's what the pic looked like to me.
ReplyDeleteHere's another photo-resized without web browsers in mind...
ReplyDeletehttp://sidneyayers.com/assets/ghosty.jpg
That is so cool! But then that could be because I love to watch Ghost Adventures with Zak, Nick and Aaron. Before I was totally spooked out to ever watch such shows.
ReplyDeleteI could see it. But then my hubby is a skeptic in big porportion.
I'm between thinking power of suggestion but that all things are possible too lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely open to the unusual (or not so unusual, as it may be). But I guess the ghost is the only one who will ever know for sure ;-)
ReplyDeletejustforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
It looks like a vampire ghost to me. The white shiny things are teeth. LOL. How cool!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tour! Thanks for sharing. I'm a ghost skeptic but it is fun to imagine...
ReplyDeleteWendy
W.S. Gager on Writing
Oh cool! I love ghost tours! The ones I've been on in Charleston and Edinburgh didn't give out EMF readers though. That would be an awesome addition. I've seen ghosts, felt them, and also taken a lot of light orb photos and misty photos.
ReplyDeleteI have pictures from the D.C. conference two years ago that I took in and around the memorials. Lots of orbs in those. Who knows???
ReplyDeleteAs much as I'd like to do a ghost tour.I'd be very skeptical.I'd question everything.To me that last pic looks like its just a glare.
ReplyDeleteelaing8(at)netscape(dot)net
I would love to do a ghost tour. My town has a ghost walk, but I've never taken it. I think I will this year.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures were very cool. I could definitely see something, but I couldn't tell for sure what it was. Still, it's fun!
I love Ghost Tours and my husband and I are looking for hotels to stay at that are haunted. So exciting. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletejcalvert719(at)yahoo(dot)com
Okay, first of all, ANYBODY lighting their cigarette by the flame of a soldiers tomb is just mortifying to me! Secondly, love ghost stories and like to beleive they are real, but honestly I'm not seeing too much but round spots on a few of the pics, and the last one, blown up, looks like a bunch of tiny white spots. Thought I maybe saw a face at first, but I think I was hallucinating!!
ReplyDeletemnjcarter@charter.net
Wow, ghosts have always fascinated me and I enjoy pictures like these. Pretty eerie. I wonder if I'll ever encounter one hmmm.
ReplyDeleteCambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com
I did enlarge it as much as I could. Sorry, that long light object looks like the reflection off the backside of a curved table. However, there is an interesting diffuse blob to the left of it that is so pale you don't see it in the smaller sizes. It doesn't like a reflection or glare on that spot...
ReplyDeleteVlettel at cox dot net
Thanks everyone for indulging and/or putting up with my overactive imagination.
ReplyDeleteThe winner of the ARC of Demons Like It Hot is catslady! Congrats. I'll email you for your mailing information.
Your orbs are impressive. don't know that I've seen so many in pics. you must have a very open subconscious.
ReplyDeletemarylou anderson
Spoooooky!
ReplyDeleteI've had experiences with ghost horses in Palo Duro Canyon when camping with my fellow AROTC cadets, only I thought they were real wild mustangs for years, until I saw that others had reported "sightings" of the horses. :)
ReplyDelete