Introduction!
The Pacific Northwest is full of locations steeped in legends and mysterious sightings. This summer, I plan to explore the best and most (allegedly) hauntiest of them!
Oxford Saloon
The Oxford Saloon used to be known as 'Blackman's Dry Goods,' back in the earl 1900's. Eventually the building would be converted into a bordello and saloon. Now it's a great family restaurant, I hear. A HAUNTED FAMILY RESTAURANT!
This spot is considered very active and has been studied multiple times by The Washington State Ghost Society (in other news, Washington apparently has an official ghost society). They were even able to get some EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) readings, if you're into that sort of deal.
5 Mile Drive
Don't count on getting a meal at this stop, unless you like roadkill. In fact, it's less of a stop and more of a neat location to drive around. "Neat" if you like trees and ghost stories, that is.
Story goes that back in the 80's, a 12 year old girl went missing while riding her bike on this road. Even thought her body later turned up, her killer was never found... And they say if you're driving along late at night, you just might see her ghost, still riding her bike.
SPOOKY!
Bigelow House Museum
Rumored to be the oldest house in Olympia, and as everyone knows: old house equals hella ghosts. In particular, employees believe to see the ghost of former owner Daniel Bigelow, no relation to Deuce Bigalow (which is either fortunate or unfortunate depending on your view of 90's comedies that really haven't aged well).
Billy’s Bar & Grill
I've been to Aberdeen several times already, so I must've driven right past this place, because if you've been to Aberdeen once, you've seen all of Aberdeen.
This place is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Billy Gohl, after whom the bar is named. Story goes that Billy, then secretary of the sailor's union, would befriend sailors before brutally murdering them. Sounds like kind of a dick move, not gonna lie.
Now visiting patrons may catch of a glimpse of stern-face Billy from behind the counter, right... before... he... disappears again? Kinda like ghost "hide'nseek."
Spooky, I guess?
Lighthouse Oceanfront Resort
This still operating resort rents some old cabins that they claim to be haunted. Apparently they even leave journals in the rooms so guests can leave behind their experiences. Kind of a neat idea, I suppose. Encounters seem to be the typical poltergeist fair, funiture moving, electronics turning off and on, and voices that whisper to visitors. Which is scarier: ghosts or a drafty cabin with electrical problems and a hobo living in the floor boards?
Olympic Club Hotel
Not gonna lie, I'm a sucker for McMenamins. I love how each place is unique and sports that patented combination of "whimsy" and "creepy." It's perfect for a haunted road trip! And the beer list is certainly nice, too.
In the past, this old hotel used to be a saloon, and was the site of several murders. Now, ghosts can be spotted all over the hotel and strange voices speak to you when you think you're alone... But hey, if you're stuck in an endless cycle of purgatory, reliving your death, it might as well be at a McMenamins, right?
Actually, if anyone plans on murdering me, just do me a favor and do it at a McMenamins. I won't even struggle, I promise. I just can't get enough of those Irish Mules, have you had them? It's just like a Moscow Mule, but with like...whiskey, I think? I don't know what they make them out of, they're amazing.
Black Diamond Cemetery
As everyone knows, you can't have ghosts without dead people. So if you want to see a ghost, the best place to go is a cemetery, right? On one hand, I'm not sure "cemetery tourism" is in line with the whole "respect the dead" thing, but on the other I always thought there was something peaceful about them. Sightings here include phantom miners (complete with lanterns!) and a ghost horse, because even horses gotta go somewhere after death, why not a cemetery?
Heceta Head Lighthouse
One of the most (allegedly) hauntiest spots in Oregon and definitely one of the most (allegedly) hauntiest lighthouses in the US (Is that even a competition? How many lighthouses are there even in the US? Nevermind, I just checked, there's over 700.) You can now book rooms and stay the night! If the ghosts don't scare you to death, the price tag certainly will. However, if you bite the bullet and book a room, you might be treated to the ghostly scent of flowers and rose perfume drifting about the room without apparent cause, or imprints left on the bed from what are definitely ghosts and not just a lumpy matress.
Lithia Part
A nice little park in Ashland, if you stroll the many trails you just might run into one (or more) of the three local ghosts reported in the area: a "pulsating" phantom of a little girl who died 100 years ago, the mysterious "dog-faced boy" who disappeared in the 1920's, or a logger who died at the vengefuly limbs of a tree he toppled.
Edgefield
Alright, I might just be looking for reasons to go to McMenamins now. I've actually been here once before, my girlfriend took me here for my birthday last year, and it was awesome. Stories say, however, that before it became a place for hipsters to sip overpriced drinks, the location used to be a communal farm, with its own jail and hospital. That hospital at one time served tuberculosis patients and later mentally ill children as well as hospice. Of the many people that died, some are said to still be buried in unmarked graves on the property...
Okay, that is kind of spooky. Sad, but also spooky.
Elsinore Theatre
Once a famous theater, the Elsinore is still operating, but is reported to have picked up a few otherworldly residents. A cold spot is said to linger on the stage, a tell-tale sign of ghostiness. Patrons sometimes report the strange sensation of some sort of presence... lost souls perhaps. Sometimes, voices are hear. Some think it might be the old owner, or his daughter who was said to have fallen to her death from the balcony.
Shanghai Tunnels
Well this one's not too far at all! I could knock this one out in an afternoon. These tunnels are part of Portland's famous underground ruins that lie underneath the city. Legend has it, drunken sailors were kidnapped, only to awaken far out to sea, forced to serve unwillingly aboard nefarious ships, earning the name "Shanghai Tunnels." Other stories portray later uses of the tunnels for all kinds of illegal activities, including gambling dens, opium parlors, and more. Oh, and there's probably ghosts down there too, cuz why not? Whatever makes you buy a ticket, buddy.
Sparrow Bakery
This bakery in Bend, OR used to be an iron foundry. A ghost named Jackson, whom employees think may have been a payroll clerk in a stunning display of detective work, haunts the bakery, opening and closing doors and stealing food. But hey, if I was a ghost stuck in a bakery for eternity, I'd probably boredom eat more than my fair share of carbs as well, so you live your best life Jackson.