10 daze till Halloween! A Ghost Story

A Ghost Story as I recall it.
I'm just going to tell you the story as it happened.

(Photo credit: Hotel Sidekick.com)

Hubby and I drove to San Diego from Phoenix Arizona in a heck of a rain storm for a short business trip... It did take us a little longer than expected. The rain whipped around by the rain and we headind right into it! By the time we got there it was almost Sunset. Our destination... The Hotel Del Coronado on Coronado Island. As the hotel came into view, I was more than impressed! I wanted to see some of the hotel, the grounds and especially the ocean and beach. We checked into our beautiful room then got our coats and headed out to see the hotel and the ocean. Yes, even in a terrible rain storm, one of the worst San Diego has seen in years, we wanted to see the ocean. As we headed down the twisting, squeaky and howling corridors and turrets of the old Victorian wing we finally found our way to the pool area and finally the beach... It had stopped raining but the wind was so strong! I inhaled the fresh ocean air as the wind blew us around... We decided to head back to the warmth and comfort of our room. Coming back we found a different way and came across the historic museum part of the hotel.

Re-using in the 30's. Paper dolls from day old menus

That's when I first saw the book:

I had heard a few things but really didn't pay too much attention to the stories. But for some reason this book really caught my attention. I had just stood on the beach where this woman in black was standing on the cover of this book. I got a chill...

When we finally made it back to our room we realized we forgot our bottled water from the trunk of the valet parked car... so I volunteered to find the sundries store.

The hotel was fairly empty, we never passed anyone in the halls the whole time we were there. As I headed back down I knew right away that I had turned the wrong way... Nothing looked familiar.. I didn't remember this:

It was like a very large room in the middle of all the hallways... weird okay which way now? Back? Which way was back? I felt (not physically) a nudge to go forward and headed down a very drafty corridor. The wind still howled outside and whistled through the windows and drafty doors rattled. I was more amused than scared but when I told my daughter about this she went pale! I don't know... I just wasn't scared. After all, the ghost of Kate Morgan (AKA Lottie Bernard) had never hurt anyone.

I actually found a open area that over looked the courtyard and there it was... I didn't remember seeing the "West Elevator" before... We had taken the larger attended lobby elevator up to our room the first time. Then coming up from the beach we had taken the stairs, since we were only on the second floor. So, I don't know what made me do this; but I pushed the call button for the elevator... it make a clacking noise... and it hummed to life... Keep in mind... No other persons were around... no hotel staff, not even another guest. I had my phone on me in case I got lost I could call hubby so I snapped these photos of the "West Elevator".

The door opened and I stepped inside...

Once inside I wasn't sure what button to push... So I pushed One, the door shut and it jumped and clanked and down I went... 

This elevator lead me to the court yard and into the lobby to the sundries store where I purchased 4 bottles of water and spied that book for sale so I thumbed through it...

Seems Kate Morgan (short version) checked into the Hotel Del Coronado on Thanksgiving night alone with no luggage using an alias name. Apparently waiting for her lover to arrive. He never showed and after a few days she went to town bought a handgun and the pregnant Kate Morgan walked down the hallway down to the stairs leading to the beach and shot herself in the head and died, right there on these very steps!

Do I still have your attention?

Here are some photos that I snapped that I didn't notice things until I got home and uploaded to my computer and compared!

This shot of the room... I took the one on the left first... then the one on the right a second later... Notice anything? My camera isn't a point and shoot so that isn't my finger shadow.

 

How about this night shot of the large red turret. These were taken only seconds apart:

Notice the blue orb and the black blotch to the left of the top of the turret?
Enlarge this photo... Its SO COOL! (unless your scared)

 

And this creepy window with a ratty curtain???? I noticed it flappin in the breeze and snapped a shot with my telephoto!

(Go ahead, enlarge these if you dare)

 

So I leave you with this: 
Coming back to the room I walked right to it. Didn't get lost and it only took me minutes... 
As I went to put the key in the door I heard someone whisper "good night". 
I turned and looked down the hallway and snapped this last photo:

This was my experience at the Hotel del Coronado one deserted evening...
 As I recall it.