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The guys head out to Minnesota at the request of a hotel owner who wants to try and get some answers about the activity she keeps experiencing. This is a little different since Zak and the crew normally aren’t asked to come out to investigate. But after an explanation of the events it seems Kelly is somewhat desperate for some help.

Kelly explains there have been sightings of shadow figures, apparitions and feelings of a dark force in the place. Right as they begin the interview the experiences start with the Mel Meter going off and unsavory feelings such as tightness in the chest. Kelly explains that a woman said she got a vision of a man who said his story needed to be told. Kelly was then instructed to dig in the basement under the stairs to find the body. Low and behold she finds bones, what she thinks were rib bones. However, before they could be analyzed further, the disappeared. That’s right, they vanished.

Further evidence is shown as a woman named Chris seems to be possessed while down in the basement. She says she needs to take care of the dogs. She might be referring to the same red-eyed demonic sounding dog that Kelly was referring to earlier. When Zak interviews Chris, he notices that the Mel Meter goes off frantically when it’s brought near her. When she actually holds it, it like it’s about to explode. Is she a lightning rod of energy?

Before the lights go out things are getting odd. Zak comes back to reveal that he got some EVPs saying, "they’re going to get her" and "I’m following her". But there’s more. Dave Schrader shows up on the scene and he’s been to this place before. When in Lucy’s room asking if anyone is in danger in the house, a voice comes through saying, "Zak". Zak happens to be downstairs digging in the hole where the bones were found. Dave says he’s seen an apparition of a face down by that hole. Dave is firmly convinced there is something in this location.

To add to the mystery and sinister nature of the hotel, the original site burned down in the 1900’s. They weren’t able to determine the cause of the original fire. It’s believed several people died in what is now the basement. Not only that, there was supposedly a hanging in the 50’s which Mr. Palmer reported himself. Additionally, footsteps are said to be heard in room 13. In a statement he gave, Mr. Palmer wrote, I know there is something up there but I can’t explain it." It appears there are plenty of odd events surrounding this hotel.

As the investigation gets started, Zak starts to draw a lot of parallels to Bobby Mackey’s Music World. There is the activity in the basement, the hole or "portal" that was dug, the sinister nature, demonic spirits running around mimicking voices.

Unfortunately, neither Dave Schrader nor Chris stick around for the full on investigation. It seems Chris has had enough experiences down in the basement.

The investigation starts in Lucy’s room where very little happens until Zak starts trashing the place. Then they start to get the word, "Aaron", "spirit", a growl, and perhaps even the word, "Goodwin". Zak also feels something on the back of his neck. The Rem Pod is going crazy with activity when all of a sudden Aaron rushes out of the room thinking he hears footsteps. Right then, all the activity stops. Were those the footsteps from room 13?

When the head to the basement they feel lethargic and unable to focus. As Zak says, they act like they’re victims of a gas leak. He also states these are the same feelings he had when they were at Bobby Mackey’s. The press on and hear the sound of something scraping on the concrete, the sound of glasses clinking, a cord hanging from the ceiling begins to swing and the Rem Pod is acting up again. Zak gets pinched, they pick up an EVP of "make sure they go" and while Aaron is continuing the investigation on his own a broom falls right in his path. This is right in the same place where Kelly had her feelings earlier in the day.

Even Billy Tolley who we don’t normally see, has some things going on. He hears footsteps and movement right outside the door where he’s supervising the video footage. There are also a couple of video glitches where the camera flakes out right before something happens in the same spot.

Pretty much from start to finish there are some odd things going on in this place. The house doesn’t necessarily have a dark past, but there are some things that need to be answered. What were the source of the bones? Where they animal or human? Were they actually stolen or did someone just throw them away because they thought they were disgusting? What about Chris and her ability to make the Mel Meter go off? It was making a ton of noise, but it looked like it had a reading of 0.0 while it was around her. What information does that give us? I know there were several EVPs, but as usual, they sound more garbled and staticky than anything else. If they did indeed capture all of that, it does sound like something pretty ugly is there. So what do they plan to do? What does Kelly feel about all this? Is she going to come to terms with the strange events or pack her bags and head for the hills? Did Zak actually get touched two times? Was there a pinch from an unseen force? Was it done with malicious intent?

It looks like they have quite a place on their hands. Is this really indeed another place of dark energy like the suspect Bobby Mackey’s to be? Are there really sinister spirits roaming the halls? They weren’t attacked and I wouldn’t go so far as to say they were harmed by anything. Was something trying to get their attention? They did seem to capture some threatening words, but were they really directed at Kelly? Was the "warning" from Lucy’s room in regard to Zak and him getting pinched?

They have a real gem on their hands and hopefully they’ll be heading back to see what else they can find. I’m not sure how I feel about this place. It doesn’t really come across as demonic, but something is amiss…

Other Articles of Interest:

• Haunted Collector – Cigar Bar and Childs Play – S03E02
• Haunted Collector – Bare Bones and Octagon Haunting – S02E08
• Ghost Adventures – Virginia City – S05E07
• Haunted Towns – Fall River MA – Lizzie Borden House – S01E07
• Ghost Adventures – Old Town San Diego – S05E03
• Ghost Adventures – Samaritan Cult House – S14E03
• Ghost Adventures – Hotel Leger – S16E05
• Ghost Adventures – Route 666 – S13E06 – Part 1
• Ghost Adventures – Exorcism in Erie – S14E06
• Ghost Adventures – The Haunted Museum (Old Wengert Mansion) – S12E13

I like investigations involving lighthouses. There is something lonely, mysterious, peaceful and haunting about them. That loneliness can lead to desperation. The sea can turn ugly and take lives. We have lots of stories about shipwrecks and figures still guarding the light. Does Point Sur still have a mad on watch?

The guys meet up with Julie Nunes, a tour guide for Point Sur, who claims to have dozens of EVPs from her own investigations. But these don’t sound like you’re average comments, it sounds like these spirits might be in the throws of passion and may be on the verge of getting caught. There could be comments such as, "you liar, you kissed her", "take off your shirt", "don’t grab me, he’s right here".

Julie reveals that there was indeed more than one family living in the lighthouse and that there was a supposed love affair going on. The details are pretty vague, but if there was indeed more than one couple or even just multiple people out there in the seclusion of the see, passion and jilted lovers would certainly be possible. Is there some dark energy out there because of love gone wrong and infidelity?

Besides these somewhat salacious EVPs, the other activity includes boards dropping in front of people (which doesn’t seem all that surprising since the roof is coming apart) and a girl singing. It doesn’t seem like anything nefarious or treacherous is going on out there though. Not the usual "dark energy" Zak seems to go after.

But during the investigation they do hear what sounds like a girl singing. They aren’t able to find the source, but it’s not an EVP as everyone on the crew heard it. Additionally, they capture what seems to be a figure walking along the coastline. It’s later revealed that may not be the coastline at all, but perhaps the old tracks used for delivering supplies.

Unfortunately, they don’t capture any more of the love affair. Rather they get what might be a girl crying and the words, "Michael" and "Admiral". Were the lighthouse keepers in their time? Are they attached to the place? And was that indeed a little girl crying?

I think the most compelling piece was the figure walking. Is that really a ghostly figure? Could it have just been one of the local residents? Was it perhaps just an animal walking along that path? Unfortunately, the guys didn’t go down to the spot or at least photograph it from a distance. Is there no way for it to be an animal or person? A tiny bit of debunking would have gone a long way on that one. I’d really like to know what the hell that was.

So is Point Sur haunted? Does it hold some restless and amorous spirits? Is there more to this story? Was there a love triangle going there? Did it lead to something more sinister? Or are these voices being captured from elsewhere? Is the wind picking up conversations from somewhere else? Are these phone conversations or radio communications? It’s intriguing stuff that’s for sure. If there are spirits at the lighthouse, they seem to be having a pretty good time.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Deep South Paranormal – Got Them Lady In Black Blues – S01E03
• Ghost Adventures – Amargosa Opera House – S04E11
• Ghost Adventures – Virginia City – S05E07
• Ghost Adventures – Bannack Ghost Town – S09E04
• Ghost Adventures – Goldfield Hotel – S04E16
• Ghost Adventures – Chinese Town of Locke – S12E05
• Ghost Hunters Season 4
• Ghost Adventures – The Gulka House – S06E06
• Ghost Adventures – Haunted Victorian Mansion – S08E06
• Ghost Asylum S01E01

For this episode, Zak, Nick and Aaron head to Chicago to investigate a nightclub with paranormal undertones and a cemetery alive with activity. But first, they have to get through the protest rally. Seems their timing is a little off and they arrive right in the middle of a NATO demonstration. Hunting for ghosts or fending off the police, which would make the more exciting episode?

The investigation starts off with Bachelor’s Grove, which is a sad story unto itself. What used to be a small cemetery with about 200 plots has been abandoned, giving way to vandalism, grave robbing and even reports of Satanic worship. Almost all of the headstones have been smashed and knocked over. The area has supposedly been used for dumping bodies by the Mob. Overall, a place that should be treated with respect is getting no such thing.

Many people report having experiencing such as seeing shadow figures, people walking around, and taking photos of unknown animals lurking in the growth. This is also the location of the famous/infamous photo of the apparition sitting on the grave stone.

With the help of the local police and park service, who guard the perimeter, the guys head in to see if they can substantiate any of the claims. They are immediately on the trail of some sort of floating orb that dances through the forest. While they crash through the growth, breaking twigs, crushing leaves and making plenty of noise, this ball of light moves effortlessly along without making a sound. The officers report that no one is in the park except them.

So what do we have here? Is this an orb of energy leading them out of the cemetery so they don’t disturb the spirits? Or is this a lightning but or something similar just floating around? Was there someone else out there hiding in the growth just trying to mess with them? There is certainly something there, but a fuzzy ball of light out in the distance with no sense of scale does not a paranormal event make. Even Sergeant Joe says people claim to see orbs and as such he doesn’t seem at all surprised by their comments. But more investigation needs to be done on that one.

Besides the orb, they claim to pick up an EVP of "____ is coming" and when asked if they mind people in the cemetery they get a response supposedly referencing the ball of light they’ve been chasing.

With that investigation done, they head over to the Excalibur nightclub to investigate reports of people getting pushed, a girl wandering the third floor and a candle being lit that is too far out of reach for a normal person to be able to reach it.

The former manager claims to have seen the little girl roaming around. He encountered her after being told there was a girl lost in the upstairs of the club. A waitress at the club has felt hands at the back of her head while getting ready for work. And more than one person has been pushed down the stairs. The manager is certainly a believer, he doesn’t work there any more and wouldn’t spend the night there if he had to.

The guys try several experiments, even Zak standing near a ledge asking to be pushed, with no results. They aren’t able to get any EVPs, nor do they capture any physical evidence. However, both Zak and Nick almost fall down the stairs. They both claim to get disoriented and then almost immediately fall over. Zak is clearly falling backward in that typical slow motion replay they like to do. So what happened? Did Zak simply take a misstep while walking on the narrow stairs in the dark or did something actually come out to push him? Was it perhaps the little girl that has been seen? Was it the same thing that touched the waitress on the back of the head? Is the lack of evidence just wishful thinking in the paranormal?

In the end, I really wish the guys would have done more of an investigation in the cemetery. Considering all the claims surrounding the place, they barely scratched the surface. They didn’t do anything in regards to the headstone where the apparition was photographed, they didn’t do any real EVP sessions, they didn’t have their usual static cameras set up to capture the graves. I’m fine with them not capturing evidence, because I don’t believe every place they go and every claim they hear is part of a burning cauldron of the paranormal. But this episode feel short because they didn’t give it their best effort. There was so much more they could have done. Considering the vandalism and disrespect for this cemetery it’s entirely possible there are restless sprits who are down right pissed off at how they’re being treated. Their graves are getting dug up, their bones are being tossed on the ground, their markers are being smashed and a bunch of drunken teens are masquerading as Satanists. It’s enough to truly piss off the living. But did we capture evidence of the spirit world? I’m not sure sure.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Myrtles Plantation – S09E02
• Haunted Highway – Island of Lost Souls – S02E01
• Ghost Adventures – Loretta Lynn’s Plantation – S05E06
• Ghost Adventures – Crazy Town – S07E13
• Ghost Adventures – Commanders House – S16E12
• Ghost Adventures – The National Hotel – S06E04
• Haunted Highway – Louisiana Swamp Woman and Pioneer Cemetery – S01E05
• Ghost Adventures – Yost Theater and Ritz Hotel – S08E05
• Paranormal Cops – Stirring Up The Dead – S01E03
• Ghost Adventures – The Queen Mary – S10E01

Is it the start of a new season or just picking up where the other left off? These days, it’s getting a little difficult to tell. But anyway, it’s a new episode and the guys are down in Sugarland, Texas visiting a recently closed prison facility.

As a complete aside, many years ago, back in my youth, I lived just outside of Sugarland. Texas, is indeed a different kind of place. They definitely believes in "bigger is better" and they believe is dishing out corporal punishment. It may be different now, but during my high school years there was no need to send you to the principals office for goofing around in class. Teachers had every right to deal with you as they saw fit. "The paddle" was the standard part of the learning process, so it’s easy to imagine that the prison system down there is no joke.

Zak, Nick and Aaron show up on the scene a mere 6 months after the prison has been closed. The details over the prison closing are a little sketchy, but it doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with poor treatment, overcrowding, violence or abuse. From the little news snippet, it sounds like the crime rate was going down and the budget for the prison was cut. It may be the first prison to close, but closing because of a dropping crime rate is a hell of a thing!

The nature and timing of the closing also means there is almost no access to information, witnesses, guards, inmates or anything of the like. There is a colossal amount of maybe associated with this place. They don’t have any evidence to support their investigation, nor do they even know what they might be looking for, but let’s just put that aside for the moment. What were they able to uncover about the place? Perhaps a blind investigation is better than preconceived notions about a place.

During the early years, prison labor was used instead of slave labor to harvest sugar cane. I have no doubt the work was horrible and the treatment poor. Then again, this is prison… But I digress. Zak did manage to find someone able to give his story and his son was incarcerated there. He said it was the worst prison he’d been in and he’d been in jail for 10 years including maximum security. Sadly, no details are given so we don’t know if this is because of the other inmates or the guards.

As the investigation starts Zak feels a cold spot and begins to measure EMF. It goes from a flat 0 up to nearly 4. At this time, and for some time after, Nick has a bizarre reaction. It looks like be becomes confused, disoriented, sick and despondent. He all but gives up on the investigation and has Billy take his place. Nick doesn’t become violent, but he’s clearly not himself. Zak says that an orb circled Nick and bounced off his head. While Zak is talking there is a supposed shadow figure that walks right behind him.

There could be something to this, but for the love of God, can we ditch the !@#$ing sound effects? That has become so grating and so irritating!

Is there someone walking behind Zak? Is it going after Nick? Did it cause the problems? Or do we just have the usual shadow play from the lights?

They bring out the Spirit Box and get "in there" and "he’s hurt". Is this referring to a prisoner or to Nick? Is there more to this story?

The team breaks away from the main hall where they’ve been for the whole investigation with Aaron heading down to the shower area. He hears a lot of banging and gets the word "Goodbye" on the Ovlius and a shaking of the camera. The banging on the pipes would be nothing new in a place like that, and I hate that damn Ovlius thing, but what about the shake? Unforeseen animal, or unforeseen force?

Right at the end, Zak is trying to sell the idea that what he’s seeing on the thermal imager is a window into a portal. He says the swirling colors and undulating movement are people and we’re getting a glimpse into their world. Zak, what in the hell are you talking about? Maybe some of this stuff doesn’t translate over, but it sounded like Zak was just making crap up. I saw blobs on the thermal, but nothing that looked like a "void". Egads man, come back to earth!

I know Nick had some issues with this investigation, but when all is said and done this whole thing left me scratching my head. They’re investigation a recently closed prison for basically no good reason, or at least not for any story that anyone has offered. They go to visit "Old Sparky" the notorious electric chair that has killed over 300 men, and no exactly on the first try either, but don’t grab any real evidence there. They get a couple of cold spots and some readings that hit 3.7. Overall, I can’t see why they’re claiming this is some paranormal hotspot. Sure, Nick had some sort of episode, but are we saying this is some sort of possession or that a evil spirit grafted itself onto him? Additionally, the guys barely moved from one spot. They made camp in that main area and only Aaron actually went somewhere else. From my cozy spot on the couch, this investigation went no where.

I would love to see them go back again, but it doesn’t look like that will happen. Not only is the prison closing, but the city is wasting no time in tearing the place down. It will probably be reduced to rubble within months. I’m sure a Texas prison is no picnic, nor should it be, but this place doesn’t stand out as a paranormal location. Not every place has to haunted, I’m fine with that, and even expect it, but let’s not make something out to be more than it is.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Paranormal Lockdown – Shrewsbury Prison – S02E02
• Ghost Adventures – Missouri State Prison – S08E04
• Ghost Adventures – Linda Vista Hospital
• Ghost Adventures – Dead Men Walking – S07E08
• Ghost Adventures – Wyoming Frontier Prison – S07E18
• Ghost Stalkers – Holmesburg Prison – S01E04
• Ghost Adventures – Nevada State Prison – S12E10
• Ghost Adventures – Crazy Town – S07E13
• Ghost Adventures – Return to Linda Vista Hospital – S06E05
• Ghost Adventures – Hellhole Prison – S12E07