Colleen's Posts

KENTUCKY

Ghosts and Bourbon

Ghost Hunting

For years, Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky has been reported to be one of the most haunted places in the country. The Ghost Hunters t.v. show has done a couple of shows investigating Waverly, capturing specters on camera and disembodied spirit voices on their tape recorders. We were determined to take one of Waverly Hills’ paranormal tours, a perfect experience considering that Halloween is quickly approaching.

Well, we weren’t the only ones thinking that wandering around in the huge, creepy edifice would be neat. Turns out that Waverly tours have been sold out for nearly a year! We’ll need to book tickets next month and come back to Kentucky next fall (darn the luck!!).

Very haunted mansion in Louisville

Our daughter-in-law, Marcella, and I were really, disappointed, though Gary and Rick didn’t really care. So, Marcella found a ghost walk tour in downtown Louisville, and we were back in “ghostly” business. After a lovely dinner at a downtown bistro, we met our tour guide and wandered the streets hearing tales of apparitions, like the Lady in Blue (a bride who was either pushed or jumped down an elevator shaft in an old hotel), a ghostly dog, and other spine chilling stories. Interesting, but we didn’t see a darned spooky thing.

One of the haunted places were visited was an Italian Renaissance style house built in the early 1800s. We’re posting a couple of photos of this very haunted mansion. The history of the place is very strange: It was owned by a family who never left! When one would die, the remaining siblings would simply close their bedroom door and leave their personal items in place. None of them ever married, so there were no descendents to care for the aging remaining family members. According to our tour guide, even though their physical bodies lie in the family plot at the local cemetery, their spirits continue to live in the beautiful old house. The city now owns the property, and the personal items remain intact. Hopefully, it will be preserved and opened for tours in the future.

Same ol' haunted mansion in Louisville

Bourbon Tasting

Kentucky is known for its delicious bourbon, and you can actually spend a couple of days driving along the “Bourbon Trail” visiting many of the distilleries in the region. Like wineries, there are tasting rooms where you can enjoy a shot of the amber liquid. On the other hand, the alcohol content in bourbon is much higher than wine, so you would be very wise to have a designated driver. Rick was ours. On the other hand, the bourbon at Buffalo Trace Distillery is so strong, it practically curls your toenails! Marcella, Rick and I all had a tiny sip, turned brilliant red, and gagged! That was the end of the Bourbon Trail for us!