On vacation last week, I had the opportunity to make the drive up the mountain to the unique little village of Jerome, Arizona.

I wrote a story about the Jerome Grand Hotel last July, and was eagerly looking forward to a visit. Please see my previous article for a bit of the history.

The restaurant in the old Hotel is called The Asylum, and it is elaborately decorated for Halloween. The restaurant closes one day a year, and that is the day they decorate for Samhain.

The food was superb, and the view from my table was amazing. My waitress, Danielle, has worked at the hotel restaurant since 2001, and talked to me about some of her experiences there.

In the floral design of the wallpaper, she has seen the image of an old gentleman, with a white beard, wearing a top hat, and puffing on a cigar. In the antique elevator (still used today), one can sometimes smell stale cigar smoke.

There is a ghostly cat on the premises, and Danielle has felt the softness of the creature brushing against her legs. There have been pictures taken of a ghost cat, and one of a little girl with a cat on her shoulder.

Danielle’s necklaces fall off her neck for no apparent reason, and her hair ties often fall out of her hair.

Once, Danielle saw someone in a jacket with tails running down the stairs to the lobby. The entity disappeared into nowhere before getting to the front desk.

The restroom was once used for minor surgery, and as I was walking into the ladies’ room, I noticed the woman walking out was very pale and shaken. Without being asked, she told me that she had felt something very odd in the small room.

The cook, when alone in the kitchen, often experienced dishes being pushed out of his hands, and spices falling off their shelves.

Danielle says she is not frightened by what she experiences at the Jerome Grand Hotel, just sometimes confused. She went on to say she had once lived in a haunted house in Jerome, which was very frightening. The front door would fly open, although there was no wind. The furnace would turn itself on, and she would arrive home from work to a 110 degree house. The neighbors often heard music, and would see someone moving around in the home, when no one was there.

One interesting note: When I returned home and downloaded the 240+ pictures I had taken on my trip, the only one with orbs was one taken at the Jerome Grand Hotel. I would be happy to send you a copy if you contact me.

Another haunted place I had the pleasure of visiting was located in the little western type town of Williams. The Red Garter Bed & Bakery is currently a Bed and Breakfast. Located on “Saloon Row,” the little brick building built in 1897, has been a bordello, Chinese restaurant, and an opium den.

There have been reports of “eerie sounds” on the stairway leading up to the bedrooms. A murder was said to have taken place there involving a prostitute and her client.

In the 1930s, Longino Mora from Mexico, owned the building. There are pictures of Mora and members of his family on the walls in the bakery.

In one of the photographs, there is a laughing woman dressed in dark clothing standing behind the bar. It is rare to see even a smile in old photos (especially such a lovely one exhibiting perfect teeth), but this woman definitely looks to be laughing about something. What is even more interesting is the mirror on the wall by the happy woman. All the objects around the woman are reflected in the mirror, but there is no reflection of the lady herself!


References:

Pascoe, Jill. Arizona’s Haunted History. Gilbert, AZ: Irongate Press, 2008.

Robson, Ellen and Dianne Halicki. Haunted Highway: The Spirits of Route 66. Phoenix,
AZ: Golden West Publishing, 2003.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art57643.asp