This is what a looooong drive does to us...
We were so thrilled when we finally got there.
Since this trip was during the Summer, it was extremely hot and humid out so we spent a lot of time swimming and tubing in the giant pool in their backyard, A.K.A. Tablerock Lake.
Rob even did a little bit of cliff diving.
On our second day in Missouri, we hopped the border [which is only a few miles from my Aunt and Uncle's house] and spent the day in Arkansas.
We checked out the Crescent Moon Hotel. While Tyler and I took the guided haunted ghost tour Rob crashed a wedding. No joke...ha!
Some interesting history about this hotel:
"Perched on the crest of West Mountain above the Victorian village of Eureka Springs, Arkansas is the historic 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa. The 78-room resort hotel is not only known as one of America’s most distinctive and historic destinations, but it is also renowned for a bevy of spirits that are said to continue to walk upon these palatial grounds.
In 1937 a man named Norman Baker arrived on the scene and bought the aging hotel for the purpose of opening a cancer hospital and health resort. Advertising miracle cures that required neither surgery nor painful extensive tests, the Baker Hospital, alleged that its patients would walk away from the "resort” cancer-free.
However, what was unknown to the many desperate patients who flocked to the hospital was that Norman Baker’s "miracle” was nothing more than a scam that he had been purporting on unsuspecting patients for years. The man had absolutely no medical training and had been convicted in Iowa in 1936 for practicing medicine without a license. Furthermore, the American Medical Association had condemned the many elixirs that were sold for a number of different ailments, including cancer.
While operating the "hospital,” Baker was being investigated by federal authorities and in 1939 was finally arrested for mail fraud. One US Postal Inspector estimated that Baker had made as much as $500,000 per year, selling his "miracle elixirs” through the mail while in Eureka Springs.
Baker was convicted to serve a four year sentence in Leavenworth. The investigation revealed that over the years Baker had defrauded cancer patients out of approximately $4,000,000. While no one actually died from Baker’s "cure,” the investigation showed that his treatments most likely hastened the death of those suffering from cancer when they didn’t receive effective forms of treatment. In 1944, Baker was released from Leavenworth and moved to Florida, where he lived comfortably until his death in 1958."
Hauntings:
[If you have no interest in reading about ghosts, etc. feel free to skip this next part.]
Once again, the Crescent Hotel is one of the most visited hotels in the South. With its long and extensive history, it is also known to be one of the most haunted places in the Ozarks. Staff and guests alike tell stories of a number of ghosts that are still said to inhabit the old hotel.
The most often sighted apparition is that of an red-haired Irish stonemason, who the staff has dubbed "Michael.” Allegedly, Michael was one of the original masons who worked on the building of the hotel in 1885. However, while working on the roof he lost his balance and fell to the second floor area and was killed. This area now houses Room 218 of the hotel and is said to be the most haunted guestroom. Michael is evidently a mischievous spirit who likes to play tricks with the lights, the doors, and television, as well as often being heard pounding loudly on the walls. Others have witnessed hands coming out of the bathroom mirror and heard cries of what sounded like a man falling in the ceiling. Yet other guests have been shaken during the night, and on one occasion a patron ran screaming from the room, professing to have seen blood splattered all over its walls.
From the days when the old hotel served as Baker’s Cancer Hospital, the lingering spirit of a nurse, dressed all in white, is often seen pushing a gurney on the third floor. Only spotted after 11:00 p.m., the time which they used to move the deceased out of the cancer hospital, the ghostly spirit vanishes when she reaches the end of the hallway. Others who have not seen the apparition have reported the sounds of squeaks and rattles that sound like a gurney rolling down the hallway. Located on the third floor is the laundry area, where a hotel maintenance man once witnessed all of the washers and dryers inexplicably turning on by themselves in the middle of the night.
For a time, the antique switchboard continued to be utilized in the hotel, but when it continually received phone calls from the otherwise empty basement, the use of the old switchboard was discontinued. It was here in the basement that "Dr.” Baker’s hapless patients were often convinced of his miracle cures and handed over their life's savings for the "treatment."
Another remnant of these old "hospital” days is a ghostly figure who calls herself "Theodora.” Most often seen by housekeepers in Room 419, Theodora courteously introduces herself as a cancer patient, before quickly vanishing.
In the lobby a gentleman dressed in formal Victorian clothing, complete with top hat, has often been spotted at the bottom of the stairway and sitting at the bar. Described as distinguished-looking with a mustache and beard, many have claimed to entice him into conversation. However, he just sits quietly and never responds, before he suddenly disappears...
The hotel’s Crystal Dining Room, is another place in the hotel that is said to contain frequent paranormal activities. Here, other Victorian dressed apparitions have often been encountered. Many have seen groups of 1890’s dancers, in full-dress attire, whirling around the room in the wee hours of the morning. Other reports tell of a 19th century gentleman who has been seen sitting at a table near the windows. When approached, he says, "I saw the most beautiful woman here last night and I am waiting for her to return."
A former waitress reported that she spied the vision of a Victorian bride and groom in the dining room’s huge mirror. The groom allegedly made eye contact with her before the couple faded away.
The Victorian spirits that linger in the dining room are said to be very playful, and on one occasion during the Christmas season, the Christmas tree and all its packages were found mysteriously moved to the other side of the room. Additionally, all the chairs had been moved to circle or face the transported tree. On another occasion, staff arrived in the morning to find the dining room in perfect order, with the exception of all of the menus scattered about the room.
In the dining room’s kitchen. the apparition of a small boy has been seen skipping around and sometimes pots and pans are said to come flying of their hooks of their own accord.
One other often reported spirit is that of a young female who once attended the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women, which was open between 1908 and 1924. According to the tale, the young girl either jumped from or was pushed from a balcony to her death. Today, guests report hearing her screams as she falls.
Other apparitions have been sighted in Room 202 and Room 424, as well as a ghostly waiter carrying a tray of butter in the hallways.
Whether you visit the historic Crescent Hotel to get a peek at one of its many spirits, or simply want to experience its long history and luxurious accommodations, you will certainly not be disappointed." ~ Taken from www.legendsofamerica.com
While Tyler and I were on the tour we didn't see any apparitions but one of the guys on the tour with us caught one on film, which was awesome!
What did I like best about the tour you ask? Well, I liked when the tour guide took us down to the basement underneath the hotel and let us stand in the dark inside this small room that used to be the morgue when the hotel was used as a hospital years ago. The handheld radio that we had with us was picking up a lot of activity throughout the entire hotel but the mostly in the basement. Creepy, right?!
Okay, okay enough about ghosts. Another cool place that we checked out while in Arkansas was The Christ of the Ozarks statue. [I bet you are wondering how I go from talking about ghosts to talking about a Jesus statue, right? Well that's how I roll.:]
Christ of the Ozarks is a 67+ foot statue that was built in 1966. It's so big you can see it from the Crescent Moon Hotel and even another 15 miles away from there. I never realized how big it was until I was standing at the base of it.
Our third and final stop of the day was the Cosmic Cavern where we took a guided tour. In the Ozarks, there is over 5,500 caves!
One of the coolest things I've experienced was being deep inside a cave.
That concludes part 1 of our trip. I will blog about part 2 soon, so check back!
Happy Thursday!
