In my last post, I talked about our upcoming road trip, planned for August 2022. We had an itinerary of places to go, and energy sites to visit. Well, it seems the Universe had other plans. We ended up pushing our trip back to October 2022, and cut out a few destinations. I should have posted this blog MONTHS ago, but better late than never!
Here's where we ended up: Bodie, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Good Springs, NV; Sedona, AZ; Joshua Tree, CA; Solvang, CA. The trip didn't exactly go as planned, but does it ever?
I had three travel companions on my trip... My oldest daughter, Noelle. My friend/coworker Lauren, and my friend Christine (who also owns Crimson Fairy Boutique and creates our resin products!). Packing for the trip was our first adventure. Space was limited in the car, and it was definitely a Tetris exercise to get everything in!!!! Monday, October 3, we set off. Our first stop: Bodie, CA.
Bodie, CA is quite the interesting spot. A historic Gold Rush town, it is also an official Ghost Town. We didn't see any ghosts, but there is an eerie quiet to Bodie that I have not found anywhere else. We mostly explored the cemetery, which was a hodge-podge of different types of graves. Some were out in the open, others enclosed by fences. Child graves were mixed in with adults, except in one spot, which seemed to be a small children's grave yard. Masonic symbols popped up every so often, mixed in with different religious symbols. There was a large-ish building outside the cemetery, which we assumed was a crematorium, but could not be 100% sure. After the cemetery, we went walking through the town. Some buildings were in complete disrepair, but others were in fairly good condition. A few were being utilized as staff housing. You aren't allowed to enter most of the buildings, but you can look through the windows to see inside. We were able to look through the windows at the Hydro-Electric substation, the school, and the bar (which was also the barber shop). A portion of the town had been lost to fire damage, and we didn't hike to the upper portions of the tow, but Bodie is definitely worth a visit. We had time constraints, so were not able to explore as much as we might have liked. Word to the wise though, if you plan to visit Bodie, wear good hiking shoes, and if there any fear of heights or motion sickness issues, pay attention to your route! We went through A LOT of windy mountain roads on our way to and from Bodie..... Our next stop: Las Vegas, NV.
Vegas has always been one of my favorite places to go. It's a great place to chill and recharge with friends. We stayed at the Jet Luxury Elite at the Signature (an MGM Grand property). We had a gorgeous suite and were able enjoy a few days. Our hotel connected with the MGM Grand and we were able to utilize their pool areas as well. We spent a lovely afternoon out by the Lazy River. It was Noelle's first time in Vegas, so we explored some of the Strip with her. I have a few pictures of her with a drink that was almost bigger than her! We also spent some time at the Forum shops.
On our last night, we took a VIP tour of the Zak Bagans Haunted Museum. This was the part I was most looking forward to on our Vegas trip. If you've never been to the museum, it is owned by Zak Bagans, of the Ghost Adventures show. The museum is filled with memorabilia and reputed haunted objects. I've heard stories of phenomena happening at the museum, as well as personal experiences of some of the guests. so I was VERY psyched about this tour. The tour is two hours long, and I purchased the VIP tour for our group, which gave us a few extras.
I had mixed feelings about the museum. While I cannot discount any previous personal experiences (as I was not witness to any of these events. No one experienced anything on OUR tour), I can't help but wonder if the environment created for the experience contributed to what people experienced. Temperatures varied from room to room. Some rooms had mist, others did not. Another room had a portion of the floor that vibrated (which I can only assume was from machinery below). For an easily suggestive mind, I think that these details can "help" to have an experience. On the positive side, the artifacts, memorabilia and objects were incredible. We were able to see objects that I've only seen in documentaries (Peggy the Doll, Robert the Doll, and more!). These items have countless reports of activity. There were items from serial killers, as well as items owned by the leader of the Satanic Church (all of which I found FASCINATING). I did experience energy from some of the items and don't believe the energy I felt was created or affected by the environment I was in. Final thoughts... I would ABSOLUTELY go again. i would only wish for more time to examine some of the objects. And if you are planning to visit the museum, my recommendation is to go with an open mind, your wits about you, and medium expectations. I do feel my experience was worth it, even if it was not exactly what I'd expected.
After the museum, we headed over to Gilly's Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que, located at the Treasure Island Hotel. If you like country music, BBQ, and bull riding, Gilly's is a great time! They have plant based options for the burgers if you have a vegetarian in your group. The drinks are fun as well. We had a lots of fun, especially while watching Lauren ride the bull! It was a good way to end our Vegas portion. Next stop: Goodsprings, NV & the Pioneer Saloon.
Goodsprings, NV is about a 40 min drive from Las Vegas. It goes pretty quickly though. It was not an overnight stay for us, but it has a bar with an interesting history.
The Pioneer Saloon is a historic landmark, being the oldest bar in Southern Nevada, as well as the place where Clark Gable waited for news of his wife, Carole Lombard's fate after a plane crash. It is also reputed to be haunted. We did not experience any paranormal activity, but we heard some great stories from our waitress Nancy, who was AMAZING! She also shared a lot of the history with us. The food was very enjoyable as well. We ate in the Carole Lombard & Clark Gable Memorial Room, which was filled with pictures and newspaper clippings of the famous crash and other events that had taken place at the Pioneer. I can't recommend this place enough if you happen to find yourself with an opportunity to go. We were only there for lunch, but it was a highlight of the trip. Special thanks to Nancy & crew for being so awesome!
Then we were off to: Sedona, AZ.
Sedona was another relaxation place for us. We had intended to go to a few of the vortex sites, but that plan kind of snowballed on us. We did end up making it to the Boynton Vista Trail, also called the Boynton Vortex Trail. While we did all make it to the "vortex" area, only Noelle made it to the very top. I use quotes to describe the vortex area, not because I don't believe there is vortex energy there, but because I personally did not feel anything. Lauren and Christine definitely connected to the energy though. I think that the particular energy here is indigenous, which would explain why I did not feel anything, and they did. I was able to have an experience with the dowsing rods, which confirmed questions that I had here. Sedona was definitely worth the visit and I look forward to a trip back out in the future! Our next stop: Joshua Tree, CA.
Joshua Tree Nation Park has long been known as an area with multiple vortex energy areas. Long considered a spiritual mecca, Joshua Tree gets well over a million visitors a year. We had planned a nighttime excursion, so we checked into the hotel, went to eat, then prepped for our adventure. There was a beautiful full moon out that night, and for the most part we were pretty excited. I was driving, so didn't notice the energy as much while we were driving in. But once we found a place to stop, I definitely felt that hum of energy. Upon exiting the car, it got so much stronger. It was a completely different felling for me than Sedona. THIS I FELT. The warm buzz across my skin felt familiar but not.... We all kind of separated to do our own thing, close enough to see each other and be safe, but far enough than we wouldn't bleed into each other's experiences. I tried to lose myself in the moment and be open to whatever this energy wanted to show me. It was difficult though, with little noises and things moving in the distance. I knew that we were in the middle of different camping areas, and that the noises and movement were likely campers. After a bit, I started to relax into the energy of the area. I began to feel the energy of the elements. Every sensation was heightened. The wind on my face was cold and crisp. I could hear the crackle of a nearby firepit and smell the wood burning. The sky was clear, and I was hyper-focused on the moon and clouds for quite a while. I could almost feel the clouds moving. I felt grounded and balanced. A sense of much needed peace came over me.
I'm not sure how long we stayed out there, but at some point we came back together, and went back to the hotel. We all felt some connection to the area. I hope to be able to plan a camping trip in Joshua Tree at some point in the future and experience that energy again.
Our last stop was Solvang, CA. If you've never been to Solvang, it's absolutely worth the trip. Unfortunately, our drive had taken so long, we didn't get into Solvang until the evening. We still took the time to walk around a bit, and enjoy the festive air of the town before heading on our way to our hotel in Seaside. Solvang is the cutest little Danish-style town. While not yet fully decorated for the Holiday season, there were lights strung all over and some Halloween décor here and there.
Sadly, we just missed being able to get cookies at Olsen's Bakery...
While not able to hit all the locations we had originally planned, we still had a lot of fun and had some great experiences! And we can plan a future trip to hit the other sites! Do you have a favorite metaphysical or paranormal location? Post in the comments, and maybe we can plan a future trip!
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