The Wandering Disciple

Osprey, Florida: For the third straight year, we went to Historic Spanish Point for their annual Ghost Hunting Tour. Life at Spanish Point dates back over 5,000 years and in turn has plenty of opportunities to have paranormal experiences. A little but of procrastination combined with a busy schedule almost caused us to miss this year’s event. But we managed to get booked on the 7pm tour. While I was a little worried that it would be a little too bright still at the beginning of the tour, it turned out to be dark at just the right time. Shortly after seven, our group led by our tour guide Kara set off on a journey through the haunted history of Historic Spanish Point. For much of the night, our paranormal phone app was relatively quiet which is unusual for Spanish Point. In the past, our app would be going off like crazy but tonight it seemed to not be as active. Even the stop at the Guptil House did not provide any hits on the app like in other visits. It wasn’t until...

Osprey, Florida: As be get closer to Halloween, our tour of historic haunts continued with a ghost tour in our own backyard. We have been looking forward for the Spanish Point Ghost Hunting Tour for over a year. After our experiences last year, which you can read about here , we could barely hold back the anticipation for this year's tour. Historic Spanish Point is a thirty acre historical preserve located along Sarasota Bay.  The grounds feature over 5,000 years of history dating back to the Native American, through the pioneers of the late 1800's and eventually ending with the Palmer family in early 1900's.  With so many era's living on the property, it is only fitting that Spanish Point would be rich with paranormal activity. We booked the middle tour at 7:30.  The sun just set over the bay and the bats were flying overhead, setting the stage for a great tour.  We met our group of thirty people at the gazebo and set out for the tour. The first stop ...

St. Petersburg, Florida:   Halloween is right around the corner and cool weather is in the air so we decided to take a ghost tour.  We originally wanted to take one in downtown Tampa but it was full so we decided on their sister tour in St. Petersburg.  The tour we took was called the Ghost Tours of Historic Haunted St. Petersburg. We headed north to Pinellas County right after dinner and I was hoping to get some photo time at Tampa International Airport.  But I misjudged my time and didn't have enough time.  As we were crossing over the Sunshine Skyway, my wife noticed a Carnival cruise ship coming towards the bay.  So we decided to pass some time by waiting for the ship to pass under the bridge.  Its amazing how little room remains, at least from our angle, from the ship to the top of the bridge. After watching the ship clear, we continued in to the bayfront in St Petersburg.  Boy was it hopping downtown.  The closest parking spot was...

Tampa, Florida: After months of talking about going and life getting in the way, we finally made it to Ybor City for a ghost hunting tour. Friday after work we headed north for dinner and a night of ghost hunting in what would turn out to be the best ghost tour we have been on. Located in the heart of Tampa, Ybor City was the center of Cuban life in Tampa. Here Cuban immigrants worked in Cigar factories and lived in the small casitas located throughout the neighborhood. While the factories have gave way to clubs and restaurants, the Cuban culture is still evident throughout Ybor City.  After arriving in Ybor, we began our evening with dinner at Columbia Restaurant. Opened in 1905, it is an original landmark here in Ybor City. The restaurant is just as much of a reason to go as the food.  Spanning an entire city block, the building housing the Columbia is elegant in its design and the history within its walls is amazing. The food at Columbia was very good.  ...

Savannah, Georgia: As the sun sets over the historic city of Savannah, the nightlife kicks into high gear and ghost tours are one of the most popular evening attractions in the city. Savannah is considered one of the most haunted cities in the country and the Sorrel-Weed House is one of the city’s most haunted. Built in 1840 for Francis Sorrel, the home has a rich history. It was here that Francis through some of the biggest parties in the city. He entertained the most prominent socialites of the city including General Sherman and General Lee. It even had its place in Hollywood history as the opening scene of Forrest Gump was filmed from the roof of the house. But it is the darker history that draws people to the home. Shortly after moving into the house, Francis married 17 year old Lucinda Moxely. But Lucinda died in the home five years later. Francis would later marry her little sister Matilda. But later she caught Francis having an affair with a slave named Molly and...

Osprey, Florida: Our October tour of haunted sites continued with a stop at Historic Spanish Point for their Ghost Hunting Tour. Historic Spanish Point is reported to be one of the most haunted locations in Sarasota County and its reputation did not disappoint us on our tour. Located along the bay in Osprey, the 30 acre Spanish Point has a rich history. It was the site of a native American village as well as the pioneer homestead of the Webb family and eventually the vacation home of socialite Bertha Palmer. With burial mounds, a pioneer cemetery and original homesteads there was sure to be plenty of paranormal activity to witness at Spanish Point.  Our tour started at 8pm at the white gazebo. Here we were introduced to two of our guides Ryan (an archaeologist with Sarasota County) and Bill (a historical actor at Spanish Point). Then our group of twenty ghost hunters headed out to explore to property. On this tour, we came a little better prepared. The staff at Sp...

Tampa, Florida: Since 1926, thousands of movie goers have passed through the doors of the Tampa Theatre to catch a film in the historic theater. But its not just the guests that love the theater, the Tampa Theater has five ghostly spirits that love the theater that much they don’t ever want to leave. It is the actions of these spirits that makes the Tampa Theatre one of the most haunted places in the area. Today we took a look at the ghosts that haunt the Tampa Theatre as part of the Ghost Stories tour hosted by the theater. Guided by the theater’s Director of Marketing & Community Relations Jill Witecki, we took a look at the historic theater’s haunted history. Today’s tour combined the history and architecture of the theater with a detailed focus on the ghosts that still roam the halls. The tour began in the lobby of the theater were we heard the story of a box office attendant who died of a head injury on payday. The attendant known for his unique way of taking tic...

St. Augustine, Florida: Take a trip into the darkness of the third most haunted city in the country onboard Ripley’s Ghost Train Adventure. Board the train and listen to the dark history of the oldest city in the county, while stopping to look for paranormal activity at three haunted locations. The tour begins at the Warden Castle, home to Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum. Here you are issued an EMF detector and a disposable camera to use on your tour. After a brief introduction and lesson on your equipment, the group boards the train and its off to explore the city. As you travel the city, the hosts tell you stories of the various haunted establishments in the city. From the ghost that charges the fences of the Tolomato Cemetery to the ghost of a little girl that is found near the city gates, these are just a few of the stories that St. Augustine has to offer. The first stop of our tour was Castillo de San Marcos. From here, we split into two groups and explored the grounds of...

Boca Grande, Florida: The oldest building on Gasparilla Island, the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse has been guiding ships through the waters of Boca Grande. The lighthouse was almost lost to Mother Nature before an effort led by local citizens restored the lighthouse to its original splendor. Built on the southern tip of Gasparilla Island, the lighthouse marks the entrance to Charlotte Harbor via the Boca Grande Pass. The lighthouse was placed into service on December 31, 1890. The complex consisted of a two story wooden lighthouse on stilts with a three and a half order Fresnel lens at the peak of the roof along with a second building for the assistant keeper. The lighthouse keepers and their families lived on the complex until 1956 when the light became automated. Then in 1966 the United States Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse due to deterioration. A local effort began in the early 1970’s to help restore the lighthouse. The lighthouse was transferred to Lee County in 19...