Ghost Adventures – Palace Saloon – S13E03
We’re off on another adventure in Arizona, this time to Prescott. Zak is no longer content with merely documenting evidence of the paranormal, he is now a self-proclaimed demon hunter. He’s been asked to visit the Palace Saloon, to help get rid of some extremely dark energy, the manifestation of which has presented itself in a falling mannequin and a falling plant. Pretty mild, but the employees claim the basement is bad. They also claim to have been pushed with one saying she was groped.
As they look at the history of this Wild West town, there are several news stories that record deaths at the saloon. We have the usual suicide, drunken brawl, and a story where a woman was trampled to death while a looked on.
In conjunction with the saloon, they look at a rental property that Deborah has. Bands that come and play in the area stay there. She claims she has experiences such as the covers moving over her and a table hitting her in the shin.
As they look around, Aaron says he feels a pain in his side. Zak reports there is a ball of light and they get a voice, “I forgot something”, when asked why the entity is there.
Back at the saloon, a patron having dinner, claims she was scratched on the neck. Previously, an investigator of the saloon says she was scratched and that something followed her home.
When the investigation starts, they ask Raymond, the manager, to go down to the basement. He’s already admitted to being afraid of the area, but armed with a camera, he decides to stay as long as he can. He soon feels dizzy and sick.
They have Ray leave the basement and head to the bar area. He offers to buy the spirits a drink if they’ll take a seat with him. Aaron once again is feeling dizzy and sick. During this, they hear footsteps. Zak tries to get someone to sit at the bar and take his silver dollar. The SLS camera picks up what Billy believes is a figure trying to take the coin.
Zak now feels it’s their turn to head to the basement, believing it to be a nest of evil. Zak believes he hears screaming. These are followed by several knocks.
Meanwhile, Jay is in the crawlspace of the saloon and basically gets himself stuck. However, the situation changes when Jay says something pulled him by the leg. When he finally gets free of the crawlspace, he’s stabbed in the back of the knee.
And with these events taking place, Zak claims that the saloon is the embodiment of evil.
Let us take a moment and have a look at the claims we have for this embodiment of evil. It has caused a plant and mannequin to fall over. It may have left some scratches and possibly pinched someone.
Zak’s nest of evil produced the sound of people walking. It’s a tourist attraction with wooden walkways, it’s really no surprise to hear footsteps. If you recall from quite a few episodes ago, they proved footsteps carried a great distance when they heard people walking dozens of feet away.
We also have a woman scratched while eating dinner. Are we really going to assume that was the work of evil? She didn’t just accidentally scratch herself and snag a few seconds of TV time?
I have no doubt there were deaths in the saloon, but it’s really hard to imagine a woman would be trampled to death while a crowd did nothing but watch. If it did happen, it’s the work of one man and the only spirit involved in that terrible act, was the one he consumed too much of.
Jay claims there was nothing near him when he’s stabbed in the knee, however, the room is filled with debris just inches away, right at knee level.
Jay being pulled in the crawlspace was interesting. What are we to make of that? Was he pulled? Did he slip? Did he push himself in a panic? And where is the light orb that Zak claims accompanies these events?
The havoc this dark energy has wrought is scratching two people and pinching another. I’m not sure that qualifies as the embodiment of evil.
Other Articles of Interest:
- Ghost Adventures – Clovis Wolfe Manor
- Ghost Adventures – Bannack Ghost Town – S09E04
- Ghost Adventures – Heritage Junction – S09E06
- Ghost Adventures – Kennedy Mine – S16E03
- Ghost Adventures – Dakotas Sanatorium of Death – S13E12
- Ghost Adventures – Upper Fruitland Curse – S14E08
- Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 1
- Ghost Adventures – Tooele Hospital – S04E26
- Ghost Adventures – Texas Horror Hotel – S10E11
- Ghost Adventures – Reseda House of Evil – S13E04
Ghost Adventures – Mackay Mansion – S13E02
For this outing of Ghost Adventures, Zak is visiting the Mackay Mansion, in Virginia City, Nevada. The mansion was built in 1875 by John Mackay who made his money through mining. Nick Guerra is the current owner of the house and says there are strange events taking place. He says there is the sound of little girls and a shadow man. There is also the claim that John Mackay walks around his old house. Further, there is an old vault, where it is said two men were killed, shot in the chest, while they tried to rob it.
As they start the interviews and get a sense of the location, the owner Nick, says he’s feeling dizzy. This coincides with a bump. When Zak goes to look at the vault, he says he has chest pains, a phantom pain of the men who tried to rob it.
On the third floor are the bedrooms, where most of the energy is said to reside. People say when they enter, there is a scary feeling, a feeling of evil. In the other bedroom, the quilt is continually moved and bunched up. Two girls supposedly died from illness in these rooms. They also hear from an investigator who played guitar for the girls and claims he got the words, hug, loving and kiss. When finished, he got the word, mommy.
There is a second location for this investigation, the old bank building. It supposedly has a portal of dark energy in the basement. Workman claim to have seen a figure and found their hammer standing on end, because only a spirit could stand a hammer on end. When Zak asks for the figure to throw something, they get a noise. While taking temperature readings, they get 66.6. Additionally, Zak claims to get pushed, while the recorder picks up, “leave him” at the same moment.
When the investigation starts, Zak heads to the bank building, while Aaron goes to Mackay Mansion. After Zak asks for a sign, he goes into a panic. While he and Billy are in the basement, they become absolutely terrified because they believe a lightbulb broke and another was thrown at them. As Billy and Zak continue their investigation in the basement, the two become hysterical with fear. Zak claims something walked through him and sees an orb on the playback. Billy feels something cold touch him, while Zak says something is grabbing him. He also sees a mist and hears the words, “hi” and “goodbye” on the spirit box.
Meanwhile, Aaron and Jay are having their own troubles in the bank. They have found a padlocked door and want to take a peek inside. As Jay works on the latch, he hears a growling sound. This causes him to tumble down the stairs. However, Zak believes Jay was thrown down the stairs by the dark energy in the mansion. Also during this investigation, Aaron once again explains how he feels dizzy and feels a dark energy.
As they are getting ready to bring the night to an end, Aaron says he hears Zak’s voice over the walkie talkie. Problem is, Zak doesn’t have a walkie talkie on him.
This episode was a comedy or errors. Zak is a sucker for the temperature reading, 66.6. Sure, it’s an interesting number, but every house that tries to heat itself to 70 or cool itself to 65, will at some point, be 66.6 degrees.
Zak claims he got pushed, because he was standing still. Actually, he wasn’t, and the room is filled with debris and crates.
They claim Jay was pushed or pulled down the stairs when trying to get into the attic. No, he wasn’t, he panicked and fell down the ladder on his own. And the growl? I’m sure that wasn’t a stray animal or a sound from outside.
Billy and Zak, quite literally come apart at the sound of a lightbulb filament popping. Why is that so alarming? The bulb wasn’t thrown at them. No one got hit with it. There are no shattered pieces. It’s more alarming that someone still uses filament bulbs.
As for the walkie talkie? Those only come in a few preset frequencies. Not hard to imagine someone close by has a set of their own.
It’s also routine for Aaron to say he feels dizzy. That comes up in nearly every episode now.
Further, Zak is now seeing orbs everywhere. Instead of taking them for the dust particles they most likely are, he fervently states they are dark energy.
It’s also the norm for Zak to stress how evil and dark a location is, before stepping foot inside. He’s already convinced he will experience dark energy and gets ready for a showdown. And that’s what he gets. Anything else would prove he was wrong, and he can’t have that.
Other Articles of Interest:
- Ghost Adventures – Riverside Plane Graveyard – S17E06
- Ghost Adventures – Winchester Mystery House – S12E11
- Ghost Adventures – George Washington Ghost – S09E03
- Ghost Adventures – Commanders House – S16E12
- Ghost Adventures – Palace Saloon – S13E03
- Ghost Adventures – Reseda House of Evil – S13E04
- Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 1
- Ghost Adventures – The Alley of Darkness – S16E02
- Ghost Adventures – Chinese Town of Locke – S12E05
- Ghost Adventures – Hauntings of Vicksburg – McRaven Mansion – Part 1
Ghost Adventures – Route 666 Halloween Special – S13E06 – Part 3 – Analysis
With the episode now complete, what is the overall impression of Zak’s Satanic Road Trip and his stops on the Pentagram of Blood?
Well, I think Zak is guilty of the same old fallacies of logic and prefers a demonic explanation than one of common sense. And to be honest, I think Zak and the whole team were hamming it up for the cameras.
While the stories and locations themselves are pretty neat, I don’t believe Zak has found evidence to support his theory that dark energy dwells within the Hotel De Soto or that some sort of mysterious goat creature haunts a bridge in Denton. I also feel Zak is really trying to sell the demonic, especially in the form of a little girl, to make the investigation sound more dangerous and boost the mystery of Halloween.
It’s stated right at the beginning that the hotel is low rent. To that end, I’m sure maintenance and sound proofing are not at a premium. And as we saw, people were wandering in the halls all through the night. I have no doubt sound travels all over the place, even from the streets below and it would be easy to mistake hearing a little girl.
The pentagram in the basement? Again, the symbolism from a bunch of pranksters, but Zak can certainly feign feeling dizzy and lightheaded when he feels there is something demonic around, but he never feels the rapture or at complete peace when other religious icons are around. I’m still amazed at how easy it is for people to feel the presence of the demonic and how easy such things are to conjure, but the same isn’t true for the other side of the coin.
As I stated before, the shadow figures Zak sees at the cemetery are simply people walking along the street. There is nothing mysterious about them, especially since there is traffic in the background. They aren’t hundreds of miles away from civilization. Nor is there anything particularly interesting or demonic about the three trees he mentions multiple times. I’m also not sure how he concludes they form a trident. Perhaps that cemetery is used for other types of rituals, but that is vandalism, not a sign of the demonic. It’s shameful that people treat a cemetery so poorly, but just because Richard Ramirez hung out there, doesn’t make the whole area demonic.
Finally, the fan falling in the basement looks like it was pulled to the side. It in no way looks to be pushed by an unseen force. I’m not going to say evidence is being faked or there is trickery involved, but the idea that the fan simply falls is far more reasonable than some sort of demonic force pushing it. And if we were take it one step further, is that really how the demonic would announce their presence, pushing a fan? Surely not.
When it comes to the Goatman or Denton investigation, that entire segment is quite laughable. The antics of the entire crew is embarrassing. Regardless of how deplorable and cowardly the actions of the KKK were, I do not for a moment believe they would result in the creation of a goat man. That’s the stuff of fairy tales. A terrible fairy tale, but a fairy tale nonetheless.
We already know that mosquitos and spiders infest the area since it’s wooded and next to the water. It’s certainly more plausible that someone scratched themselves from bites than by some non-existent goat creature. We also saw spiders and snakes. Would it be so hard to imagine spider bites are at the root of the burning pain rather than the demonic? Go ahead and scratch along your arm, what do you see? Oh my goodness, three lines. Your thumb and pinky would be off to the side. It’s the mark of the trinity.
These feelings of dread would be predictable considering the stories people keep telling themselves. You say something demonic is at hand, then follow it up with stories of the KKK, hangings and burnings. What do you expect people to see? The noises they hear are animals and probably something worth hunting because of the gunshot. Again, it would be more plausible that a deer is smashing through the woods than a goat man. It would be more plausible for it to be a real goat than a goat man.
I have to say, Jay’s conjuring spell was a little out of character. Not sure where that came from. But, if he wants to run with it, I have no issue with that. I just think it’s funny they are so ardent with their condemnation of Ouija and rituals, then turn right around and perform a ritual of their own. But when they conjure spirits, it’s not demonic. Again, hypocrites.
Finally, Zak choking himself on the bridge, Aaron walking around stunned and Billy losing his mind was just plain silly. I don’t even know what to say about that, except that it was terrible dramatic theater. Zak has done some pretty absurd things on these investigation, but I think this set of events tops the list.
Overall, this was another example of Zak jumping to conclusion, his disregard for more earthly and plausible explanations and his desire to fuel the fires of hysteria.
When all is said and done, what evidence did he capture that could only be explained through demonic or paranormal means?
Other Articles of Interest:
- Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 2
- Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 1
- Haunted Highway – Bridge of Doom and Shades of Death Road S02E05
- Boogeymen – Mothman – S01E01
- Haunted Collector – Bare Bones and Octagon Haunting – S02E08
- Ghost Adventures – Skinwalker Canyon – S14E07
- Ghost Adventures – Excalibur Nightclub and Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery – S07E02
- Paranormal State – The Jersey Devil – Season Finale
- Ghost Adventures – Samaritan Cult House – S14E03
- Ghost Adventures – Wolf Creek Inn – S15E13
Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 2
The adventure continues as Zak heads to the next location, Denton, Texas which is on the line of the Pentagram of Blood. It’s supposedly a pentagram that can be drawn across the country that goes through locations where scenes of violence like the JFK assassination and the Waco massacre took place.
Denton is the location of the Goatman’s Bridge, a location where Satanists have tried to conjure up a goat man or satyr. The bridge was built in 1884 and legend says that a goat herder was strung up on the bridge by the notorious KKK. However, the body of the man somehow disappeared from the noose before the Klan could confirm his death. They next went to his home, set it on fire and killed his family.
Zak then talks with a couple of people who claim to have had experiences on the bridge. Belinda, says that while on the bridge, she felt a presence and took a picture of what she and Zak feel is a cloaked figured. She also says she had three scratch marks on her arm – a mockery of the trinity according to Zak.
Becky, claims that she saw a figure of a man with a goat head and human body running through the thicket while she was out on the bridge for a paranormal investigation.
Phoebe, claims she got three long scratches on her back. From there, she says she wasn’t in control of her emotions or herself. She felt violent and wanted to attack the people around her. And not just attack, but actually kill them. Even her son claims she wasn’t acting like herself, although we don’t get much insight into what her odd behavior was.
Right after talking with these women, he notices that Ashley, the still photographer and someone who has been affected by events on the show in the past, appears as though she isn’t herself. She is brought to tears by something and eventually admits that she too is feeling anxiety and has violent thoughts.
As they get set for the investigation, Ashley wants to confront her fears and heads back out into the woods. Meanwhile, for reasons I’m not sure I understand, Billy takes to the water in a small boat to scan for signs of the Goat Man. If all the action is on the bridge, it seems odd for Billy to leave the area, especially when judging by his inexperience with boats and nearly falling out, being on the water at night is not his best course of action. Ultimately his part of the investigation leads to nothing but the discovery of mosquitos.
Ashley, however, is having a pretty rough time with things. She is incredibly nervous and seems more fearful of the snakes and spiders than any sort of demonic activity. There are lots of noises in the trees, then strangely, Ashley takes a bit of a tumble. It’s revealed that she was struck on the head and knocked over. It was also at this time that she heard a growl. Also during this sequence, there is the sound of a gunshot, although a gunshot in the middle of the night in the backwoods of Texas really doesn’t seem that out of the ordinary.
Things then start to take a bizarre turn. Out of nowhere, Jay says he wants to conjure up some spirits to help banish the evil of the bridge. He’s found an ancient text and wants to use those powers. Oddly, when other people do this sort of thing, Zak calls it demonic or Satanic. This is in no way hypocritical.
But they forge ahead and soon we see Jay creating a circle, mixing some ingredients and reciting some incantations. Tensions begin to mount and there is division in the group. Aaron and Billy who were not for this plan, want to leave the area. Strangely, so does Zak. They are all ready to leave Jay, who is still inside the protective circle. With everyone feeling strained, Aaron begins to head back, but his progress is stopped when he claims to be attacked by some unseen force and thrown violently to the ground. Zak claims Aaron was thrown 20 feet based on where his flashlight is left sitting and where they find him laying.
Jay says he saw something behind Aaron, who is now a bit on the delirious side. He’s staggering, fairly incoherent and is ready to defend himself against anyone who comes near him. But, he does have some injuries to his arm. They aren’t as severe as Aaron thinks, but much more than a simple scratch, so he clearly hit the ground with some force. Then again, who’s to say he didn’t trip on a rock and take a massive tumble in the dark?Yet, there is still more craziness. In a bizarre act, Zak begins to choke himself. He literally wraps his hands around his own throat all the while saying it’s hard to breathe and something has control of him. Jay tries to intervene and pulls Zak’s hands away and a tussle ensues. Zak is ready to fight with Jay and only let’s go of himself to attack Jay. He then seems to regain control and storms off, heading right for Aaron who says he basically just came out of a stupor to see Zak heading right for him.
And after all of that, we learn that Ashley decided to take leave from the show because of her traumatic experience associated with this episode.
Other Articles of Interest:
- Ghost Adventures – Commanders House – S16E12
- Ghost Adventures – Leslies Family Tree Restaurant – S12E07
- Ghost Adventures – Route 666 Halloween Special – S13E06 – Part 3 – Analysis
- Ghost Adventures – Hauntings of Vicksburg – Champion Hill Battlefield – Part 4
- Ghost Adventures – Alcatraz – S08E08
- Ghost Adventures – Kennedy Mine – S16E03
- Ghost Adventures – Heritage Junction – S09E06
- Ghost Adventures – Hauntings of Vicksburg – Demons and Dolls – Part 2
- Ghost Adventures – Mackay Mansion – S13E02
- Ghost Adventures – Nevada State Prison – S12E10
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