Memorial Day Weekend Haunt Jaunting

Memorial Day Weekend…who doesn’t live for weekends like this?  Wayne ended up not having to work all weekend, so that leaves three glorious days to Haunt Jaunt at will.

We’d hoped to steal away to St. Louis to visit friends this weekend. Trouble was we weren’t able to let them know until just a few days ago that Wayne’s schedule was clear. It was too short of notice for them.

Rats. Scoping out Lemp Mansion was put on hold again.

We toyed with the idea of heading down to Jacksonville. Neither of us felt up for the drive though. (Going down might not be bad. But coming back on a holiday weekend sent shudders down both our spines.)

We decided to make the best of it and stay home. I have a list of places I’d like to Haunt Jaunt too, including:

• The Lost Sea

• Hurricane Mills

• Castalian Springs

THE LOST SEA

The Lost Sea is allegedly America’s largest underground lake. They offer boat tours and everything. I’d heard about it before we moved here and have wanted to go check it out ever since we’ve lived here. We have some time this weekend, so why not?

However, Wayne nixed the Lost Sea idea. For one, it takes over three hours to get there. For another, it looked to him suspiciously like the Lost River cave tour we took in Kentucky. (It also boasts a boat tour, but what a joke that was. In and out in 10 minutes. We were a smidge disappointed.)

HURRICANE MILLS

I don’t remember when I saw the haunted history of Loretta Lynn’s Ranch in Hurricane Mills featured on the Travel Channel, but it sure stuck in my head. When we moved here I was reminded about it, but when weekends roll around I always seem to forget about going to check it out.

I remembered this weekend. Wayne was even up for taking a drive over there. (It’s about an hour and a half away from where we live.)

However, a quick check of the website to get directions revealed tours for this weekend have been canceled due to damage the property sustained during the floods we had at the beginning of this month. Another Tennessee tourist attraction to fall victim to that disaster. Damn!

CASTALIAN SPRINGS

I’m not sure why I want to go to Castalian Springs. The name stuck in association with something, but the trouble is I can’t remember what. (And if I jotted a note in connection with an alleged haunting or ghost story, I’ve misplaced it.)

It could’ve been I heard something about one of these historic sites: Cragfont, Wynnewood, or Bledsoe Fort Historical Park. (Which I guess Wynnewood is actually considered a part of.)

All I know is it’s a place I’d like to check out. It’s not too far and near as I can tell via the Internet, it didn’t sustain flood damage. (Internet research reminded me it was damaged in a tornado outbreak we had in 2009, though. Which reminded me I think watching images of it on the news is when I learned about this place.)

Anyway, Wayne’s game for a trip there. Yay! I might get to do some Haunt Jaunting this weekend after all!

Courtney Mroch

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.