This last August, the hubbinator’s bosses finally allowed that the employees could start scheduling their vacation time for the year. Yes, you heard that right. The company was supposed to move locations and so no-one was allowed to take time off until the move was complete. The move didn’t happen because the great businessmen in charge decided it was cheaper to pay rent on two places then move before they could fly the big boss out for opening ceremonies and kiss his ass. To make things even more fun, there can only be one person out in each department at at time. 35 people in one department with 2-5 weeks off per worker. That’s Republican math right there.

Needless to say, the hubbinator will only be allowed to take 2 weeks of his 5 week allotment and the company doesn’t have to pay him for the lost time, because Republicans, greed, and rampant stupidity (the last two are redundant).

The hubbinator decided we needed a vacation away from home. Of course the water line had other plans, but still we had planned for a mini vacay in the middle of the week. And since we weren’t flat broke after the path job, we headed north.

There had been a choice of 3 vacations I offered to the hubbinator. He couldn’t choose, so I picked.

We were to go ghost hunting in Jerome, AZ and then ride the Verde Canyon Railroad to see the fall colors along the Verde River.

We arrived in Jerome early afternoon and after finding a parking spot (a true miracle), walked around and ate at the Haunted Hamburger. Yes, we had hamburgers. They were excellent with mushroom, cheese, and bacon. Yum.

We then checked into our room at the Connor Hotel, which the clerk assured us was not haunted unless we wanted it to be. The hotel was built in the late 1800s and has been sliding off the hill ever since. Even the room was sloped.:D. Still it was clean and modern. After dropping off our stuff, we explored the town, bought some souvenirs, and searched for the ghost hunting place.

We arrived early and chatted with the owners and guides. We were to be joined by two professional hunters from Wyoming. Which was cool. Alas when they asked what I did and learned I was a scientist, there was a comment made that having a hardened skeptic with them might suppress the activity. Yeah, awkward.

Still, they extended our tour and told us tales of our non-haunted hotel:D. To be fair, we didn’t experience anything during our stay, except hubby swore someone kept sitting on the bottom of his bed.

The first stop was the 3rd hospital where they’d stacked the bodies 6 feet high during the Spanish Flu. It is said to be haunted by a little girl. I got a headache but except for one hit on the ghost hunter’s energy box, we got nothing.

Fun Fact: there are about 3 thousand graves from the time the mine was active. Problem is, about 30 thousand died during the time. The rest of the bodies were cremated above the mine’s smelter, then, so rumor has it, the ashes were used to make the brick buildings of the town.

Anyway, we took a trip to the entrance of the mine, which is a nice drop that takes an hour reach the bottom. Apparently the miners who fell off the lift (which they stacked in two levels of 11 miners each) were shredded on the way to the bottom. No head, no arms, no legs, well you get the picture. If your daddy happened to be killed, the sons were able to take his place the next day. Good times.

Our last stop for the night was the high school. A beautiful Art Deco building that was integrated since before the first world war. That way the kids from the miners (some 20+ nationalities) were able to teach their parents English. Anyway, our guide took us to the auditorium/gym, art room, and the locker rooms.

As the art room in the basement was the creepiest for the guide, we started there. We got a small spike on our EMF meter but someone said Hello on the spirit box.

No pictures of ghosts, sadly. Here’s part of the stage.

While the professionals set up their equipment in the room next door, we headed for the girls locker room.

Hubbinator asked if anyone was there.

Jack answered. Then Dave. Naturally, I asked what were they doing in the girl’s locker room. To which we got a burst of static. Apparently there are censors on the other side:D.

I then asked if they worked there or had graduated from the school. Nothing. We stuck around a bit. Visited with a large lizard snoozing in the shower and avoided the black widow spiders. As we were leaving, we talked about how we didn’t get much then the spirit box said to focus. Guess either Jack or Dave were former gym teachers. LOL.

Anyway, we met up with the others and were surprised to learn we had more activity than the professionals:D

It was a lot of fun and we plan to do it again.

Until next time.