Life around here has been eventful to say the least.
On Valentine’s Day, my husband gifted me with a night in the historic Menger Hotel in downtown San Antonio. Built before the Civil War, it was considered the finest hotel west of the Mississippi and hosted greats such as Teddy Roosevelt, Captain King (founder of the King Ranch), and Babe Ruth.
It’s also haunted, and was featured on Unsolved Mysteries as one of the most haunted places in the United States. But what can you expect? It’s located across from the Alamo.
Also..
Teddy Roosevelt has been seen in the bar, trying to recruit “Rough Riders”. Other hotel guests report seeing the spirit of Captain King walk through the wall into the King Suite.
The night of our stay, as we walked into our room, the television turned on by itself. No one was near it, nobody touched the remote. So you’d think with that welcome, we’d have packed up and ran off like scalded dogs. But that night, around midnight, as my family slumbered, I put on my slippers and went ghost hunting.
The ancient floorboards creaked as I tip-toed my way down the hall. The hall lights made strange shadows on the wall, and for a minute, I considered that perhaps I had more guts than sense. Just what would I have done if I would have seen a ghost? Invite it for a late night cola? Yeah, right. More like saying it, then doing it in my pajama pants.
My curiosity leading me, I decided to use the winding, ancient staircase rather than the elevator. Heart pounding as I rounded every corner, I clutched a rolled-up newspaper ready to way-lay anything that appeared. As if that’d harm a spirit.
Finally, I reached it, the third floor. The most haunted floor in the hotel. According to local legend, the spirit of a chambermaid walked the floor, still taking care of guests. The maid died in the 1850’s when she was attacked by her jealous husband. Considered more than an employee, the woman was taken by the owners back into the hotel, to a room on the third floor, where she later died.
I didn’t see her, but as I stood in the hall, I felt a sudden chill on one side of my body. The hair raised on the back of my neck, and I ran back back to my room.
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If you remember, a couple of years ago I complained about driving a hoopty, a 1992 GMC Jimmy. Since then, we purchased a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, which became my third child.
A couple of weeks ago, a man backed into it at the post office. Long story short, he’s lying to his insurance, and they’re trying to weasel out of paying.
To complete the recent insanity, my youngest son took my cell phone and threw it into the bathtub, which was full of water.
I don’t think even Erma Bombeck could handle a couple of weeks like this.
Oooh, I love ghost stories!
Eeek, you are brave! I would NOT have even stayed there!!! NO WAY! I would have cried like a girl and died.
MMTAM–Me too. You would’ve loved this place. I felt a few cold spots, and DH swore he felt someone standing by the bed while we slept.
Steph–It was really kinda neat. You would’ve done fine.
Your stay in a haunted hotel was a lot more eventful than mine. The only time I got a fright was when the icemaker dropped a few cubes in the freezer, startling me in the kitchen of our suite.
I’d absolutely love to encounter something supernatural under circumstances similar to your’s. And now I know . . . bring a rolled up newspaper just in case the spirits are unfriendly.
Hehe. Yeah. I still can’t believe thought that’d help! LOL
I’ve been having trouble with my eyes of late and at first I read, “Teddy Roosevelt has been seen in the bar” as “Teddy Roosevelt has been seen in a bra.”
Laughing my fanny off. Who knows maybe he was.
)
Great ghost story. I’m a confirmed coward and would not have gone looking, even with a rolled up newspapaer.
I guess you cell phone hasn’t lerned to swim yet.
Ok – I wouldn’t have minded staying there – but there is no way I would have gone out ghost hunting – eek!
You have definitely had a week of insanity – hopefully things are mellowing out for you.