Thursday, November 5, 2009
St. Joseph's Plantation
St. Joseph's Plantation is a beautiful plantation like all plantations are, but to me this one is extra beautiful. It is still a working sugar plantation. The sugar cane stretches for miles and the house itself is simply beautifl. They just started giving tours so it's not widely known just yet. The owners are decendents of the original owners and you cannot work there unless you are a family member or are a friend of the family. Even a movie was filmed there (Skeleton Key). It's simply a beautiful plantation to visit.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mrytles Plantation
Ok my trip to Myrtles the second time round was the best I think so far. I am planning on going back but sadly just for the day (for now, working on that second overnight stay). My friend and I make it one of our summer day vactions (kind of a girls' day out but instead of shopping we go see plantations) of going to plantations for the day (this will be our second year and Myrtles is on our list). Last year we got rained on but it was still a lot of fun. Anyway, while at Myrtles I got a really awesome video that happened in my room while I was still in it (video will be posted after finals are over, I promise: cross my heart and hope to die). I have about 8 hours of audio still to go through but I don't have the right program to actually hear the EVPs but I hope to get that over the summer. I did have a piece of the audio analyzed (I don't think myspace will let me put it on here, but I will be sending a copy to Mrytles when I go back hopefully in the summer, so look for me in the summer Bri lol). I'm not going to say what I think it said but it'll give goosebumps to anyone.
Also I took lots and lots of pictures (don't know how many but there's a lot). I have gone through all of them and I have had them looked at as well for second opinions. The other opinions think one in particular is really something. The funny thing is about that picture: my awesome tour guide was telling us about one woman who took a similar picture (I think) and she ran down the stairs (don't know how she didn't kill herself cause those stairs are a bitch going up or down it doesn't matter, you can't go up or down quickly trust me), well I won't give too much away on what she got I'll leave that for Myrtles . Well the shot I got was very interesting. I first thought it was light reflecting off the camera lens.....wasn't. It wasn't a normal orb let's just say that.
As for the video that has been raved about at Myrtles is in fact real (to those of you who don't believe it) and I have it. It's on an external hard drive safe and sound but it's too big at the moment to post on myspace or youtube (I've tried both and they wouldn't have it, I even tried burning it to a DVD-R.....still too big even though it was an hour and a half I think). But have no fear, the part that is totally awesome will be posted because it will be the right size for posting (yes on myspace, youtube and facebook). I didn't even bother trying to post it to facebook if myspace wouldn't have it.
During the day, the plantation is very beautiful and for me very relaxing. I almost forget that there are ghosts there. Plenty of money shots for photographers, I have taken quite a few both times I went. I don't get the sense that it is haunted at least during the day for me, might be different for others. But at night...well that's a horse of another color (and breed). That's when everything happens. You don't just feel it in the house, it's on the grounds too. I can't say that it feels like another house at night because I still feel like it is the same house just creepier. It's like when people decorate for Halloween and they go all out and then when Christmas comes it's decorated completely different. Quite literally night and day!
I was with two other women when I went and we were dubed The Crazy Ladies by our tour guide, Bri. She gave a wonderful ghost tour (and day tour). The house had one room downstairs that gave off a really odd vibe and you can only feel it at night. The other rooms weren't really that cold but when we got to one with odd vibe, it was very cold to me. Not cold like you can see your breath cold, cold as in someone turned the AC on in this room only, but it was "contained" in that room only. It was very odd, but once we left the room I had the feeling of something on my leg from about mid thigh down, and it was only one leg. It followed me around along with one of the ladies in my party until we went back through the house with Bri, then it left.
My group and I went to dinner afterward, then went on the grounds for a few pictures and then we went back up to our rooms (Ruffin Sterling and William Winters). That's when we looked at the video I recorded with my laptop and saw what we saw (I'll let ya'll see for yourselves). We also put out some change in the Ruffin Sterling room for the ghost kids. I guess you could call it bait if you want but it was for the kids to play with while we slept (if we slept at all). A few things happened that night, one in which happened while my co-workers were asleep in the other room. I heard a dog barking (doesn't sound like much I know but apparently there is something there about a dog) but what I heard was the neighboring dog barking so yeah that was no big deal. However, after I turned the light out (about 3:30am) I felt a sensation of someone (or something) wanting to tuck me in bed, when I had already tucked myself in up to my nose. Whatever it was did leave me alone after I had said that I was fine and completely tucked in, don't touch me. I went to sleep and then at about 5:30am we were all awakened by my co-worker who felt the odd vibe downstairs. It's very hard to explain what exactly happened but basically, the kids decided that the coins that we had out for them wasn't enough to play with. We all settled down again and went back to sleep for 2 more hours. We went to a fabulous breakfast and heard what other guests had exprienced if they wanted to share. We spent more time out on the grounds and I took more photos. We packed and I showed Bri and Ms. Hester the video I got, but also we found out that we were missing something. The kids did take a nickel (I think, if I remember correctly) from the coins we left out and we never got it back and I have no idea what happened to it. But if they want it they can have it.
And that was my overnight stay at the Mrytles Plantation. I will be back again and hopefully catch that sensation I felt on video next time no guarentees of course, ghosts don't come on demand unlike dogs and performing monkeys. But I will be back for another day trip and leave the busy life I have behind me for a day.
Also I took lots and lots of pictures (don't know how many but there's a lot). I have gone through all of them and I have had them looked at as well for second opinions. The other opinions think one in particular is really something. The funny thing is about that picture: my awesome tour guide was telling us about one woman who took a similar picture (I think) and she ran down the stairs (don't know how she didn't kill herself cause those stairs are a bitch going up or down it doesn't matter, you can't go up or down quickly trust me), well I won't give too much away on what she got I'll leave that for Myrtles . Well the shot I got was very interesting. I first thought it was light reflecting off the camera lens.....wasn't. It wasn't a normal orb let's just say that.
As for the video that has been raved about at Myrtles is in fact real (to those of you who don't believe it) and I have it. It's on an external hard drive safe and sound but it's too big at the moment to post on myspace or youtube (I've tried both and they wouldn't have it, I even tried burning it to a DVD-R.....still too big even though it was an hour and a half I think). But have no fear, the part that is totally awesome will be posted because it will be the right size for posting (yes on myspace, youtube and facebook). I didn't even bother trying to post it to facebook if myspace wouldn't have it.
During the day, the plantation is very beautiful and for me very relaxing. I almost forget that there are ghosts there. Plenty of money shots for photographers, I have taken quite a few both times I went. I don't get the sense that it is haunted at least during the day for me, might be different for others. But at night...well that's a horse of another color (and breed). That's when everything happens. You don't just feel it in the house, it's on the grounds too. I can't say that it feels like another house at night because I still feel like it is the same house just creepier. It's like when people decorate for Halloween and they go all out and then when Christmas comes it's decorated completely different. Quite literally night and day!
I was with two other women when I went and we were dubed The Crazy Ladies by our tour guide, Bri. She gave a wonderful ghost tour (and day tour). The house had one room downstairs that gave off a really odd vibe and you can only feel it at night. The other rooms weren't really that cold but when we got to one with odd vibe, it was very cold to me. Not cold like you can see your breath cold, cold as in someone turned the AC on in this room only, but it was "contained" in that room only. It was very odd, but once we left the room I had the feeling of something on my leg from about mid thigh down, and it was only one leg. It followed me around along with one of the ladies in my party until we went back through the house with Bri, then it left.
My group and I went to dinner afterward, then went on the grounds for a few pictures and then we went back up to our rooms (Ruffin Sterling and William Winters). That's when we looked at the video I recorded with my laptop and saw what we saw (I'll let ya'll see for yourselves). We also put out some change in the Ruffin Sterling room for the ghost kids. I guess you could call it bait if you want but it was for the kids to play with while we slept (if we slept at all). A few things happened that night, one in which happened while my co-workers were asleep in the other room. I heard a dog barking (doesn't sound like much I know but apparently there is something there about a dog) but what I heard was the neighboring dog barking so yeah that was no big deal. However, after I turned the light out (about 3:30am) I felt a sensation of someone (or something) wanting to tuck me in bed, when I had already tucked myself in up to my nose. Whatever it was did leave me alone after I had said that I was fine and completely tucked in, don't touch me. I went to sleep and then at about 5:30am we were all awakened by my co-worker who felt the odd vibe downstairs. It's very hard to explain what exactly happened but basically, the kids decided that the coins that we had out for them wasn't enough to play with. We all settled down again and went back to sleep for 2 more hours. We went to a fabulous breakfast and heard what other guests had exprienced if they wanted to share. We spent more time out on the grounds and I took more photos. We packed and I showed Bri and Ms. Hester the video I got, but also we found out that we were missing something. The kids did take a nickel (I think, if I remember correctly) from the coins we left out and we never got it back and I have no idea what happened to it. But if they want it they can have it.
And that was my overnight stay at the Mrytles Plantation. I will be back again and hopefully catch that sensation I felt on video next time no guarentees of course, ghosts don't come on demand unlike dogs and performing monkeys. But I will be back for another day trip and leave the busy life I have behind me for a day.
A word on Plantations
I was thinking about plantations yesterday. I have a friend who works at one that I stayed the night in and she reminded me about the time I spent there and other plantations. For me, plantations are great to see and learn about. They're a part of history and a time of history that I love but never really got into much detail about in school. When you go to see plantations most people go for the tours and pictures and the stories that surround them. Those are good reasons to go, don't get me wrong. For me plantations are places where time just seems to stop and all the worry, stress and cares you had before you stepped onto the grounds just vanish. They don't melt away, they simply vanish into thin air and you don't see those cares until you get home. I have been to seven plantations and there is one plantation that I really felt time stand still. That was the Myrtles Plantation. Yes it is named one of America's most haunted homes but really it has a whole other side to it. The phrase "the difference between night and day" is the definition of Myrtles.
The very first two plantations I visited was for a school field trip and I wasn't fascinated by them as I am now. I hope to return to those plantations and feel the fascination.
There was one plantation that seemed to follow me everywhere I went, Oak Alley. It is a very stunning plantation, a very elegant lady. Another elegant plantation is Nottoway Plantation. It is known as the White Castle of Louisiana and is also and bed and breakfast.
The last very elegant plantation I visited was Rosedown Plantation.Rosedown is a photographer's paradise. There are plenty of money shots all around the grounds no matter if you're taking a picture of the gardens or of the house (even when you're on the balcony there are money shots). I went crazy taking pictures. The gardens of that plantation I envy. They are so beautiful, they're jaw dropping. I was in a complete state of awe just by being in the gardens. Oakley Plantation is beautiful for it's artwork, museum, the inside of the house and the garden it has. The outside of the house gives it the look of a very boring plantation but in fact it's rich with beauty on the inside.
Plantations are wonderful to visit and a great place to escape the mundane things. Time stands still when you step onto the grounds of plantations. They are places where I wish I could go back and unwind from all the stress that builds up from school. There are a few plantations I would love to go and revisit or even visit for the first time. But Mrytles is at the top of my list of plantations to return to.
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