Haunted California: a little foray into the ghosties and ghoulies of this gorgeous and tumultuous state.

I believe in ghosts. Or rather, I believe that a place may be haunted by the past. Try going to a couple of battlefields, and you'll know exactly what I mean.

One July, I went to see the Gettysburg battlefield. I was a graduate student, working temporarily in Washington DC, at the National Archives. One day, a bunch of other students and myself travelled to the battlefield, to see it; to experience it, and it remains one of the most memorable experiences of my life. To wit: we walked the entire battlefield--not a mean feat--and there were most of the noises one expects in the East in summer: cicadas, birds, other insects. But, when we got to the cemetery, there was not a single sound to be heard. I swear to God, Dear Reader, not a single sound. Nada. Nothing.

But, this post is not about Gettysburg.

For anyone who has seen and loved any ghost hunter, or paranormal hunting show, this post is dedicated.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Do you believe in the phantom cocktail parties being held at Hearst's Castle? There are stories of sounds of glasses clinking, and distant music and voices being occasionally heard in the depths of the night. And, if any house had the right to be haunted, it was the Castle. Here was the scene of much heartache, if the experiences of Marion Davies, Orson Welles, and Herman Mankiewicz could be used as testimony. I believe that the sadness of the denizens of this house have, in some way, become imprinted on the walls of Hearst's domain.

And, who can forget the legends surrounding the Winchester House, located in San Jose? This house was redesigned by Sarah Wincester in the late nineteenth century. What began as a farmhouse, ended as a strange conglomeration of architectural styles, creating an oddly beautiful mixture of architectural styles:

It was said (largely by later inhabitants), that Sarah foresaw her death when the house was finally completed. The property fell into dis-repair throughout the 20th century, and most recently has capitalized on what appear to be false stories of the house being haunted by its' singular designer.

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