Scary Places: The Myrtle Plantation

When you think of a southern plantation, you may think of women in white dresses and bonnets, gentleman farmers, and sweet tea, but do you think of ghosts? If you don’t, you might want to visit the Myrtle Plantation in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the plantation is currently a bed and breakfast, but it may not be for the faint of heart. It is known as one of the most haunted homes in America. The plantation dates all the way back to 1796 when it was built by General David Bradford, only he … Continue reading

Scary Places: The Roosevelt Hollywood

What could be scarier than a haunted hotel? You check it for a little R&R and suddenly, there is a spirit in your room! I’ve already talked about the Stanley Hotel, where the movie The Shining was filmed and the Farnsworth House Inn, where founded Confederate soldiers were taken during the Civil War. I’ve also blogged about The Hotel Chelsea in NYC where many celebs either died, committed suicide, or were murdered. Let’s go back to the west coast for the Roosevelt Hollywood hotel. Located in the heart of Hollywood, the Roosevelt was first opened in 1927. It was financed … Continue reading

‘Twas the Night Before Halloween

Here’s something way, way, way off the normal course of offerings from me to you here in the Pets Blog. My attempt at paying homage to a classic holiday poem, “The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore –but with a twist. And it stars my three little monkeys: Murphy, Mr. Meow and Tabby. (Along with some seasonally appropriate Halloween cohorts, of course.) I’ll warn you now I’m no poet. Most of the rhyming is a stretch, the meter’s off, and who knows if any of it makes any sense, but this is what taking a nap the day before … Continue reading

Scary Places: The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado

When I mention the name “The Stanley Hotel,” you may think “But Libby, I’ve never heard of this place.” Perhaps not, but if you have ever seen the classic Kubrick/King horror The Shining, you have gotten a sense of The Stanley. (This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License) This hotel is a 138 room Georgian hotel located in Estes Park, Colorado. It was built in 1909 by Freelan O. Stanley (co-founder of Stanley Steamer), hence the name. Many famous people have stayed there – Theodore Roosevelt and John Philip Sousa just to name a few. But, perhaps … Continue reading