One book leads to another...

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

A Bed, the Dead and Breakfast!



Besh Be Gowah Ruins

Funny the things you don’t quite see on the way to somewhere else. Try as we might for an earlier start, it’s usually nearing noon by the time we reach Globe, Arizona where we top off the tanks for the trek across the Salt River Canyon. 


We’ve got it down to an art, really; fuel, ice, food, kids, dogs, boat tarps and tires checked—and we’re on the road again. Unless of course, there’s a line at the pump, kids are too distracted by fast-food to eat sandwiches from home or we have to conduct an all-out search for a shady spot where the girls won’t scorch their paws on the blacktop. 

And it’s these extended stops that have led to some amazing discoveries of things you see and often miss.

For instance mi vida spotted the remains of the Old Dominion Mine while I was transfixed by the adjacent view of a long-ago schoolhouse atop a rugged, windswept hill where high sierras reach in panoramic unison for cloudless sapphire skies.  And still the mercury rose.

Now known as the Noftsger Hill Inn, it’s not all that difficult to imagine the stately edifice as the respected institute of education it once was. Given the artfully appointed rooms lending undeniably charged Feng Shui;( mirrors reflecting mirrors, elegant bygone era artifacts, spacious windows facing troves of vibrant fruit trees, the entire scene dotted with sociable cats)  it’s said to be impossible not to sense, hear and sometimes see the presence of turn-of-the-century classmates engaged in perpetual reunions.

While you may encounter the disembodied voices of children, pleasantly creaky wood floors or outright phantom footsteps in unoccupied rooms, visages are reportedly quite pleasant to behold. In fact, one woman’s account states that when motherly instincts prompted her to reassure the young spirit who had appeared at her bedside, the child then smiled and presently vanished.

 
By most accounts and many reviews, the food and hospitality are phenomenal for this quiet retreat where original chalkboards bear the messages of modern-day guests!


While you’re in the area you might also stop by the Gila County Jail where a waving apparition makes almost daily appearances!  But I would caution against getting too close to the catwalk; it seems there are a couple of specters of malcontent known to beckon the living into their otherworldly limbo…

Have you ever ‘happened’ on a memorable place? Would you stay at the Noftsger Hill Inn? Would you venture across the catwalk?

16 comments:

  1. Good morning, dear Diedre! I read that the American Southwest is in the midst of a hot spell. I hope you aren't suffering too much out there. I can imagine those poor peccaries desperately searching for cooling shade. It's a good thing Mrs. Shady and I took our trip through your area last August when the temperatures were in the "comfortable" normal range. The highest temp we encountered on our trip was 111. On our three week cross country journey last summer we happened upon a number of memorable places that weren't on the itinerary. One was a quaint cafe in central El Paso, Texas, where electric fans replaced air conditioners and we enjoyed a surprisingly great lunch of authentic TexMex cuisine. Another was the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico. On our long trip to the mountains and through the desert region on our way to California we made many unplanned stops and took pictures of the glorious red rock formations and majestic pipe organ cactus fields. It was a wonderful experience.

    Mrs. Shady and I would love to stay at the Noftsger Hill Inn. She was very brave at the Grand Canyon, standing too close (in my opinion) to the edges of cliffs. Therefore I believe that she would boldly venture out on the catwalk while I took pictures. I would be very happy to encounter a ghost and believe that I would treat the specter of malcontent in a kind and compassionate manner.

    Thank you, dear friend Diedre, and have a delightful day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good Morning, Shady!
      Your mention of quaint cafes, organ pipe cactus and red rock formations tells me your trip was indeed one for the memory banks!
      Ack! The Grand Canyon in all its grandeur has always scared me half to death. I won't go near the skywalk - or glass elevators, for that matter - ha! I have however found myself wedged in canyon crevices, and wrapped in barbed wire after curiosity led me to slide right down a mountainside :-)
      I love observatories! Mount Graham and Kitt Peak are two I've visited multiple times :-)
      Summer has not yet ended here but it is indeed on it's way as Monarchs have taken leave and Nectar bats are back.
      Thanks so much popping in, Shady!

      Delete
  2. Yikes. I don't think I'd ever stay anywhere that's purported as haunted. We did live in a 1800's house for a bit, but it had been a nunnery before that and while it could have been incredibly terrifying (especially in the middle of the night), there really was a very peaceful, very good feeling about the place.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I'm fascinated by old places, how cool! And at least you could be sure any ghost would be friendly:-)
      I see you're a fellow Koontz fan, have you read "The City"?
      Glad you stopped by, Crystal!

      Delete
  3. It would freak me out to have any kind of apparition next to my bed. Creepy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kelly! One of these days I'll come up with a destination that you'd enjoy, you'll see :-) Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  4. Ooh! I love things like this! We always take ghost tours when we visit new towns and if I can, I always visit one or two haunted places. Each year in October I post about a scary place every Friday! I can tell I'm going to like your blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Stephanie! Glad you came by :-) So far I've posted an entire summer of ghostly places in Arizona - with plenty of hometown hauntings and oddities left to write about ;-)

      Delete
  5. The inn sounds fascinating....but not sure I'd stay there:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha! You know, I think I would indeed stay there once, though I doubt I'd be able to sleep;-)
      Thanks for popping in, Sandra!

      Delete
  6. I've happened to many memorable places and tend to write about them on my blogs now and then. Dawdling along the road can lead to some great finds. I'm not familiar with these places you've mentioned, but they do sound like fun.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good to see you, Arlee! You have indeed encountered some highly interesting places - and people :-) Isn't it wonderful that there is always something more to discover?

      Delete
  7. Hi Deidre,
    Thanks for stopping by. And I'd love to come to your place for a release post of Ghost For Sale. Thanks for the offer;) My email is sandracox1@gmail. com.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've always wanted to go on a road trip. I can only image the neat, unexpected, and possibly haunted places one could find. There's so many out there just waiting to be discovered. I don't think I'd mind staying at the Noftsger Hill Inn. It doesn't sound as scary as some of these other haunted hotels.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you, Chrys. :-) The ghosts at this place seem almost delightful in comparison - ha!

      Delete

Any thoughts? Join the conversation, comments welcome here!