Arizona Bound

Growing up, I never believed in ghosts or hauntings, until my adult years in Arizona when I decided to make a career for myself in the healthcare industry and when both my parents became ill and passed away. When skeptics say, "I have to see it to believe it," I get it. I was one of those skeptics who had to see it to believe it.

My "see it to believe it" moment was when my dad was stricken with cancer. We had a free day from doctor appointments and chemo and I was sitting on the couch with him talking about the day until he had fallen asleep on the couch. It was then when I got up from the couch and as I was walking through the kitchen to go out into the backyard; something caught my eye down a set of stairs going to a lower level of the house. I knew no one else was in the house except for myself and my dad, however, at the end of this short staircase stood, plain as day, an elderly looking gentleman wearing a brown sweater, white shirt, and khaki pants. Although I couldn't see his feet I was able to see the rest of him clear as day. My mother, at the time, had a mirror hanging on the wall so one would be able to, obviously, see their reflection as they walk past the short staircase leading downstairs. The man with whom I had seen was standing in front of said mirror with no reflection at all. When my dad had woken up from his nap I described the man with whom I had seen and my dad had stated, "By the description, you described my dad." It was then I knew that ghosts had to be real and what brought my grandfather around was my dad passing of cancer.

When my dad passed in 2006 I decided to take CNA classes and worked in assisted living facilities caring for the elderly as my dad had so graciously taken care of my brother and I. The facility I worked at once I became certified certainly had a mind of its own. I worked all three shifts just to grasp the idea of how the routine within a twenty-four hour period would be. When I started working on the third shift nothing out of the ordinary occurred. Until storms passed through that's when I learned of the "not so normal" activity. When working in a facility and it rains the all too often occurrence of people passing in threes occurs. One night after finishing my rounds and walking down a hall to the nurse's station, two walkers were propped up against the wall, securely, bolted to the middle of the hall. Yes, it startled me but I thought nothing of it, picked the walkers up and put them back where they were and continued on to the nurse's station. While documenting my rounds and chatting with the night nurse a residents door that was opened slammed shut. The sound shocked me but the nurse was used to the nightly noises, turned to me and stated, "someone has just passed. I'll start down one hall you take another so as to see who went to heaven." Sure as day, a resident in a room two doors down from the one that had slammed had gone to Heaven during the storm that night. Several nights after that while the storms continued two more residents had passed away. I found it crazy though how when storms had passed through, activity in the facility would pick, residents pass in threes than everything goes back to normal once storms have cleared the state.

Since the activity in the facility and seeing my grandfather when my dad was actively passing I acquired an interest in the paranormal and haunted places. My mother let me know she was also interested in the paranormal so we set out to find establishments that have said to be haunted. Our first adventure was a trip to Tombstone Arizona. Tombstone was a mining town in its heyday and has since maintained its reputation of ghostly activity. There are many sites and attractions for all family members and lots of food & fun for the kids. For the ghost enthusiast in you there are tours of haunted streets, buildings, and cemeteries as well as group nights at the Birdcage Theatre where people sit in a circle on the stage, the lights go out, the guide starts telling of the different entities and activities that occur on a nightly basis than there is silence in hopes that something, anything will happen. The tour group is also shown around the building so as to see where the gambling area is as well as the stage and bordello where illicit affairs occurred. While walking around taking pictures I took a couple of the horse drawn hurse and when I was able to get the film developed I caught the face of an outlaw from many years ago. The Birdcage was open from 1881–1889 and was best known as a theatre, saloon, and gambling parlor. This establishment is located at 535 E. Allen St. Tombstone Arizona 85638. Tombstone is right at the Mexico border though. When my mother and I went there was no checkpoint going into Tombstone but we had to stop at a checkpoint coming out.

If Tombstone is a place you aren't interested in yet you feel the need to dabble in the ghostly experience, there is a hotel in Jerome Arizona you can pay a visit to. It is the Jerome Grand Hotel. Constructed in 1926, it was originally United Verde Hospital and opened in 1927. The town of Jerome was also a mining town in the 1800s and has had its fair share of brothels. saloons, and theatres. The hospital closed in 1950 due to the mining industry phasing out and sat dormant for forty-four years. The rehab started in 1994 when a family purchased the Hospital and turned it into a Hotel. My Mother and I didn't experience anything while we were there but that doesn't mean that there isn't any activity. We could have just shown up at a time when the ghostly guests decided to take a break (It happens). According the Hotels website though, the main activity that happens is labored breathing and coughing. Who knows, activity might occur during the night while your sleeping. Either way, the town of Jerome is a nice place to visit if your looking for small town fun and the Jerome Grande Hotel is always a pleasure to stay at in hopes of having a ghostly experience.

Safe travels and happy ghost hunting!