Ghostly Adventures in the Gorge...

My oldest son Phoenix and I both share a love for ghosts. Now...I've never seen a ghost and still hold a little skepticism but all in all I think the "idea" of ghosts existing is pretty cool.  Phoenix on the other hand swears up and down that he's seen a ghost. He calls him the "terrible terror" and no matter how many times he tells the story, it never changes. That's pretty important given the fact its the recollection of a 7 year old.

This year for his 8th birthday we were talking about what he wanted to do. He's really been stuck on visiting a ghost town. I found one that would be perfect to visit but given the fact that it's nearly four hours away, a trip there would require a little planning. So we needed something close and immediate. Lucky us...we live in the Columbia River Gorge where history runs deep. Knowing there had to be somewhere local with a reputation for haunting I set out to find our first ghost hunt.

Main building no longer houses guests.

The location that was eventually chosen was the Carson Mineral Hot Springs. The hot springs is one of the longest running hotels in the state of Washington and is reported to be super haunted. The worst haunting stories take place in the bath house but since Phoenix is not 18 we cant go in there...bummer. Other haunting reports come from the second floor of the main building but due to age, the current owners had to shut down that portion of the building because they couldn't keep it up to code. There are however cabins that run along the side of the main drive in that are still open and functioning. These cabins are great because, although not original, they sit in the very same spot that cabins have sat since the hotel opened.

The main reason that the hotel is haunted or reported to be haunted is the fact that the original owner Isador St. Martin was murdered on the property during a fight. His wife died shortly after him from heart break. The wife is the one reported to be on the second floor of the main building. As for the bathhouse, no one knows who haunts that spot. The only reports are that it is incredibly eery and slightly negative. 

I figured that this would be a really great location for our first ghost hunt and made reservations. I have also purchased Phoenix a tape recorder (for EVP's) and an EMF detector. Our plan is to record our little adventure on the two video cameras that we own and take tons of still images as well. We will then put together our own little ghost show for our family and friends to watch.

There is a part of me that hopes we don't find something cause I'm a pretty big chicken and then there is another part of me that wants Phoenix to have an awesome birthday and he seems to want the experience. (To each their own.) All I have to remember is that I am the adult and no matter how much we freak ourselves out, I have to be the one to offer comfort. Overall though I am really looking forward to the adventure. If nothing else Phoenix and I will have spent some really great bonding time together and will be able to share the memory of our first ghost hunt together. Memories are what matter.

Here is a link to a longer blog post about the Carson Mineral Hot Springs and it's ghosts...
http://www.thegorge.com/carson-hot-springs/



Rachel B.