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EPISODE DESCRIPTION
I had some extra time and was able to partake in viewing a sneak peak of this week’s Ghost Adventures Bonnie Springs Ranch investigation. Rather than reinvent the wheel since Travel Channel has such a nice write-up, I’ll just share theirs:
Bonnie Springs Ranch in Blue Diamond, Nevada was built in the 1960s. The ranch was built on top of a trail that was a stop-over for travelers heading to the west coast in the 1800s. Traveling the old spanish trail was an extremely dangerous task. Numerous travelers died from attacks, sickness, and exposure to the elements.
The travelers went through a lot of mental, physical, and emotional pain which could explain the odd occurrences that frequently happen at Bonnie Springs today. Recent visitors and investigators have reported hearing voices, odd feelings, and one woman even left with large scratches down her back.
One man has worked around the ranch for 30 years. He claims he once saw the merry-go-round on the play ground spinning on it’s own. As he approached the playground to get a better look, the merry-go-round came to a sudden dead stop. This experience and many more have convinced him that there is a strong spiritual force at the Bonnie Springs Ranch.
Since they were investigating in a wild, wild west spot it would stand to reason it might be a rough investigation. Nick fared okay, but Zak and Aaron seemed to have a heck of a time.
ZAK BAGANS, THE STUNT MAN MULE WHISPERER
Wow. We see a whole other side of Zak this week. In addition to perhaps catching a shadow figure on film at the same time they caught an EVP of a child, Zak:
- Tests his skills as a wild burro whisperer…and has some success. (But it becomes clear pretty quick he should stick to ghost hunting.)
- Tours a wax museum. (Zak admitted wax figures and mannequins make him uncomfortable. They don’t get much creepier than the wax figures in the Bonnie Springs Ranch’s museum!)
- Of course pinpoints a place where a dark energy lurks. (In the ranch’s Opera House.)
- Makes his stunt debut! (Aaron’s vlog capturing the event is below.)
AARON RIDES THE HAUNTED MERRY GO ROUND
Poor Aaron. He:
- Falls in the desert when they’re looking around.
- Falls on the steps when they’re investigating at night.
- Gets nervous when he hears coyotes howling in the desert. (I loved when Nick teased him about them being “meat for the beast” if the coyotes got in.)
- Gets spun around on the haunted merry go round.
Speaking of that merry go round, I may have missed during the sneak peek what they concluded about it. To try and debunk whether the wind was responsible for making it spin on its own or not, they set up a pinwheel and flag next to the merry go round and left a camera rolling.
However, if they talked about what happened I missed it. If anyone else sees it when you watch the episode will you tell me what happened?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
You all are soooooooooooooooo great!!!!! I hope I will one day get to be a guest fan! Cant wait to see the Bonnie Springs Ranch Invest. I have never missed an episode from day 1!!!
I’ve enjoyed every episode so far, however Bonnie springs
Was pretty poor compared to the others. It almost
Felt as an attempt by the owners of the ranch to butter up stories to get the best paranormal investigators,To drum up some extra business to save the dying ranch. I could just hear the owners calling up GAC location scouts laying on the ghost stories extra thick. Every time I heard the manager speak telling his tales I would cringe , he reminded me of that long lost family member on holiday that always tells the same story but changes it up each year to add and make it more interesting .
Sadly Bonnie springs ranch is no more haunted than my underpants.
Thanks for all the comments everybody. And J Pierce, in your case thanks for the laughs! I have to admit as far as haunting and evidence it wasn’t one of their more exciting episodes. I got a kick out of the extra stuff they did…esp Zak talking to the burros and learning to a stunt. But I can see why you felt that way about the owner. That was a well thought out analogy.
LOL Jack. Does every family have one of those??? It seems like it!
I’ve been to Bonnie Springs and I can see why they’d want to make it out to be a bonefide ghost town. Keep in mind that the GA team is based out of Las Vegas and Bonnie Springs Ranch is just west of the Vegas valley. The wax museum is indeed VERY creepy. Walking through it and I got chills for no reason. The opera house is a small-ish sized room with a stage. Didn’t really get any sense that anything odd was happening there.
The bottom line is that this little attraction outside of Vegas often gets looked passed. Nestled between the Red Rock Canyon State Park and the more famous Spring Mountain Ranch, Bonnie Springs Ranch could definitely use the publicity. Is that the reason why Zak and the gang went there. More than likely, not. There’s lots of ghost towns, abandoned mines (Nevada was once the #1 place to find silver), and places with shady history around Las Vegas. The GA crew started out exploring these. So exploring a place like Bonnie Springs Ranch may not be too far out of reach.
Love the insight, Dallas! Very interesting to get the perspective from those who know the area like this. I never heard of the place before the GA epi. Looked pretty neat though. (Even if it has no ghosts.) Thanks for stopping by!
I just returned from Bonnie Springs. I have to agree that this place wasn’t very haunted, if it was haunted at all. I will say that the petting zoo was cute, even if the deer like to nibble at your clothes and like to much at your backside.
It was 3:45 pm on a Wednesday when we arrived, and other than the 4 people in the petting zoo and the crew, we were the only people there. There were no gun fights, no one inside the “gift shop” and the wax museum was closed. The haunted merry-go-round was not turning at all. Over all, the “Ghost Town” was pretty much just a cold, barren stop in the desert.
Oh wow. Thanks so much for sharing your experience there. How disappointed I’d be if the wax museum had been closed! Regardless if there was any activity in there of the paranormal variety or not, they’re always fun to go in. I loved your anecdote about the deer, too. Funny! Thanks again for taking the time to leave your impressions on Bonnie Springs Ranch!
hey what season is this in? email me at zero.says.hi@gmail.com THX!
I worked at Bonnie Spring Motel in the late 90’s. I worked the night audit so was there from 10pm to 9am. The motel is not in the old town but right outside of it. There is something there, in the middle of the night which is scary anyways I heard odd sounds but the oddest was a running sound when I was outside the office. It sounded like someone was running towards me. Their restroom was not in the office but a couple of doors down so you had to leave the office and that’s when you would hear the running sounds. Very unsettling and scary as hell. They should have been there at the motel then they might have really gotten something.
Is the motel still there? I wonder if they stayed there? Sounds like a super place to investigate! I’m really glad you stopped by to share this. Thanks!
haha i work at the motel in bonnie springs…. i work swing and have worked all night before. i am currently working at the front desk as i write this. bonnie springs is very huanted. last night the security man and the restaurant manager said they heard the little girl from the wax museum laughing and a spirit orb sighting. usually around 2 in the morning you can wait at the big L in the road and see spirit orbs walking around the houses out there in the desert. dont be so quite to asume that there isnt any funny business going on…
Hi Chris! This is SO awesome you shared this here. THANK YOU for taking the time to leave a comment about your experiences while on the job in Bonnie Springs. How exciting to get this kind of feedback!
Oh wow! I really like when I go somewhere and get to experience something. It doesn’t happen much, but when it does…so awesome! LOVED hearing about what happened to you. Thanks for stopping by to leave a comment. If you go back again and have anything else happen, I’d love to know if you have the time to share again.