Using Photos and Videos To Show 13 Things You Can Learn by Traveling to Haunted Places

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When you love the paranormal and travel in search of it, or Haunt Jaunt as I like to call it, you don’t necessarily learn where the best ghosts roam. You’re lucky to experience any paranormal activity.

However, you still learn things. (That’s pretty much true for any travel really.) I once wrote about using Haunt Jaunts as a teaching tool. At the time I didn’t realize I’ve been a student during all my travels. In fact, I’d argue jaunting like I do has helped put a lot of things in perspective that I learned about in school but didn’t fully grasp until I experienced them.

Below is a list of 13 things I’ve learned, or have come to better understand and appreciate, thanks to  my restless spirit.

Which ones would you say you’ve learned from your travels? What have you learned about that’s not on the list?

1. History

Historic sites are my favorite things to discover and explore.
This sign used to be in the middle of a median in Brentwood, TN. It explained a time from the area's past.

 

This marker explains the history of a riverboat.
This canon is a remnant from the Civil War battles that were fought in Stones River. I wonder if the deer is a descendant of any that inhabited the area back then? Were they a witness to the history that took place there?

Video: Haunt Jaunt to the Midway Plantation Slave Cemetery

2. Geography

When we cruise, I love studying the maps of where we've been, where we're going next, and how we're getting there.
Where in the world am I? Not Sydney, Australia. Sydney, Canada! Didn't know there was one until we went there.

3. Navigation

Sign posts often help point you in the right direction.
It is always good to know the way out in case of an emergency

4. Architecture

The entrance gates to Topkapi Palace
Greece in the South? Yep. Full scale replica of the Parthenon in Nashville's Centennial Park.
The City Hall in Gloucester, MA. Can you name what style it is?
An example of an ionic column in Ephesus, an architectural detail that has endured for centuries.

 

A Victorian mansion in New Orleans that I thought was superb.

5. Languages 

Sometimes signs convey more than mere words ever can.
This sign from Saguenay is a good example of how often times signs are in two languages.
Another example of a bi-lingual sign. This one points to shopping!

6. People and Cultures

The townspeople of Saguenay greeted us visitors by donning period costumes and handing out free samples of maple treats and blueberry pie
Mexican dancers in Costa Maya

Video: How Saguenay Welcomes Cruise Ships

Video: Amazing street performance – Singer in Quebec’s City Le Basse-Ville

7. Religion

One of my favorite pictures ever. Three religions in one spot: the lone column is where the Temple of Artemis once stood, the building behind that is a mosque, and the building atop the hill is St. John's Basilica. If there was only a synogogue nearby...
The thing this image doesn't capture is how awesome the Blue Mosque at night lit up is with the call to prayer echoing from its minarets. Sublime!
On our Ghost Tour of Quebec we got to go into this church (Holy Trinity Cathedral) as we heard the tale of the spirit who may haunt it.

8. Archaeology

The ruins of Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux excavated in front of the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City for tourists to explore.
This was one of the Mayan ruins unearthed during excavations at Chacchoben in Mexico.
The library at Ephesus was one of its most stunning remains.

9. Nature

These racoons and their brethren were all over the place when we visited Vancouver's Stanley Park
Foliage in Gumbalimba Park - Roatan, Honduras

 

A moose we met in Anchorage. Fact we learned while there: moose kill more people each year than grizzly and black bears than bears do!

 

Part of the stunning shoreline in Acadia National Park.

10. Food

I'm grinning so big not only because I was fixing to feast on lobster, but because I was fixing to do so in Bar Harbor, something on my bucket list.
This was the breakfast spread they laid out for us every day at our hotel in Istanbul.
These are not people donuts. This case was filled with dog treats. We were in a dog bakery after all. (I bring home food from the road for my pup whenever possible!)

11. Art & Literature

Fun sea-themed sculptures like this line Rafael Melger in Cozumel.
This intriguing piece was hanging out in an alleyway in Quebec City's Haute Ville.
This violin in Sydney, Nova Scotia is the largest sculpture of a violin in the world.

 

The totem poles in Stanley Park
The Hotel Monteleone has a couple of display cases full of books from authors who have stayed in the hotel, many of whom have often included the hotel in their works.
A photo of Lucy Maud Montgomery with her beloved character creation Anne at the Anne of Green Gables house on Prince Edward Island

12. Science & Technology

It's non-operational now, but in its day this aqueduct supplied water to Istanbul. Quite the technology in its day.
Biology often factors in to our trips. Here Wayne examines a starfish he found on an island off of Ketchikan.

13. People

My husband posing with a man dressed in period costume who was among the townsfolk of Saguenay who greeted us "les croisieristes" (cruise ship tourists)
These two little rascals about mowed us down in Sitka en route to their favorite fishing spot. They stopped long enough for us to snap a quick pic of them.
Me with Taner, who worked the front desk at our hotel in Istanbul. He was super helpful and spent hours answering our questions and talking with us.

 

It's neat to watch people and how they interact with others.
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8 Comments

  1. Travel really does give us a big education on many different levels. I have to agree with your list of 13 (hmmm… why the number 13?). Great selection of photos from your travels, too.

  2. My hair was about to stand up when I thought I will see paranormal photos O_O (Reading this at 4am does not help either XD)

    I think what I learned the most with my one time fascination with ghosts is definitely the history and culture. Everything’s related and all makes sense why and how the spirit is still around.

  3. You don’t even need to be a paranormal crusader to take in the above! And there’s always the off-beat, the quirky and the bizarre for me – or maybe that’s just a by-product of travelling in OZ …

  4. Author

    LOL, Red. You are right. You can learn this from any kind of travel. You pick up AWESOME quirky things. Very fun indeed!

  5. Author

    Jessica: It is, isn’t it? I’m sure you’ve learned a lot acquiring info for your books.

    Annie: OMG! Your comment had me in stitches! Thanks not only for the comment, but the chuckles.

  6. Author

    Oh, Cathy, you picked up on the 13! YAY! Clever woman, you! Thanks also for the comments on the photos.

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