29 replies to this topic

[mlitsonata]

It's 1AM. I started my shift at 11PM but I got here early, just before 10:30, as I came straight from rehearsal (I'm playing Amos in "Chicago" at the Harvey Auditorium in Bakersfield, another haunted place - although I haven't personally seen or felt anything there).

A few minutes ago I went to get a coke from the vending machine in the lobby and I heard the talking again. It's like a conversation, whispered or in the distance. The restaurants are closed again, they close around ten and the people who work there usually leave by 11. For a moment I thought I was hearing the TV in the office, but when I came back to the office I found that I had put it on mute earlier when I had a phone call. I went back to the lobby and could still hear the conversation, for a moment, and then it went away. The lobby felt a little bit heavier than usual I suppose but otherwise it caught me off guard.

So that's it, just another quick update.

[sandyd]

It's been over 30 years now, but I still remember Gorman like it was yesterday. Our family lived in the mountains about 14 miles from Gorman. I attended school at Gorman Elementary. I even remember my first date was over coffee at the Caravan.

A terrible thing did happen one day in Gorman that I'll never forget. It took place at the jail, which was behind the gas station across the street from the Caravan. On March 19, 1978, our town sheriff, Deputy Arthur Pelino had arrested a mentally deranged suspect that day. While at the jail, a struggle broke out between the suspect and Deputy Pelino. The suspect grabbed Deputy Pelino's gun away from him and shot and killed him. If I remember correctly, Sheriff Deputy Pelino's wife came into the office and was able to talk the suspect into giving her the gun. I remember watching his funeral procession on television. I had attended school with his kids in Gorman.

[mlitsonata]

It's been over 30 years now, but I still remember Gorman like it was yesterday. Our family lived in the mountains about 14 miles from Gorman. I attended school at Gorman Elementary. I even remember my first date was over coffee at the Caravan.

A terrible thing did happen one day in Gorman that I'll never forget. It took place at the jail, which was behind the gas station across the street from the Caravan. On March 19, 1978, our town sheriff, Deputy Arthur Pelino had arrested a mentally deranged suspect that day. While at the jail, a struggle broke out between the suspect and Deputy Pelino. The suspect grabbed Deputy Pelino's gun away from him and shot and killed him. If I remember correctly, Sheriff Deputy Pelino's wife came into the office and was able to talk the suspect into giving her the gun. I remember watching his funeral procession on television. I had attended school with his kids in Gorman.

Thank you for sharing this! So sad I hadn't heard about that incident, it was almost exactly a month before I was born. That jail is very close indeed, although I'm not sure that it's still be used. They have new stations in Frazier Park and Lebec where I would guess they would take someone now, although arrests are rare up here. It's a very quiet and peaceful place.

Did you ever experience anything at the elementary school? They say it is haunted as well, by a little girl that lived on the farm where the school was built. I can't remember her name right now, Harriet?, supposed she was killed by her fathers tractor. You know, when you put the history together there sure have been a lot of violent deaths in this little area That schools is only what, a half mile away? Just on the other side of the freeway from the hotel and the jail.

[sandyd]

It's been over 30 years now, but I still remember Gorman like it was yesterday. Our family lived in the mountains about 14 miles from Gorman. I attended school at Gorman Elementary. I even remember my first date was over coffee at the Caravan.

A terrible thing did happen one day in Gorman that I'll never forget. It took place at the jail, which was behind the gas station across the street from the Caravan. On March 19, 1978, our town sheriff, Deputy Arthur Pelino had arrested a mentally deranged suspect that day. While at the jail, a struggle broke out between the suspect and Deputy Pelino. The suspect grabbed Deputy Pelino's gun away from him and shot and killed him. If I remember correctly, Sheriff Deputy Pelino's wife came into the office and was able to talk the suspect into giving her the gun. I remember watching his funeral procession on television. I had attended school with his kids in Gorman.

Thank you for sharing this! So sad I hadn't heard about that incident, it was almost exactly a month before I was born. That jail is very close indeed, although I'm not sure that it's still be used. They have new stations in Frazier Park and Lebec where I would guess they would take someone now, although arrests are rare up here. It's a very quiet and peaceful place.

Did you ever experience anything at the elementary school? They say it is haunted as well, by a little girl that lived on the farm where the school was built. I can't remember her name right now, Harriet?, supposed she was killed by her fathers tractor. You know, when you put the history together there sure have been a lot of violent deaths in this little area That schools is only what, a half mile away? Just on the other side of the freeway from the hotel and the jail.

No, nothing strange ever happened at the school that I can remember.

[viva_h8]

any updates on this?

i recently stopped in Gorman on my way back up to the bay area. always got a weird vibe... especially after exploring the abandoned building behind the gas station/post office.
whats up with that?

[mlitsonata]

any updates on this?

i recently stopped in Gorman on my way back up to the bay area. always got a weird vibe... especially after exploring the abandoned building behind the gas station/post office.
whats up with that?

Sorry, I don't know anything about this building and I've never explored it. As far as I know all of the buildings were a part of the old hotel that rented out separate bungalows to travelers. The building you are talking about was probably one of those.

[mlitsonata]

So it's been a while since I've written. Nothing has really happened other than the usual fair as before and I haven't been working many graveyard shifts. But over the last week I've had more instances of feeling like I saw someone walk in front of the front desk, look, and no one is there. This happened a few days ago, during a morning shift, it was about 9AM, and I was convinced someone had quickly walked by the front desk and toward the table with the coffee and tea. I looked over to see who it was, no question in my mind that someone would be there, an no one was. I also had a very strong feeling that someone was in the doorway of the break room last night. But that's just a feeling and doesn't really mean anything ultimately.

Tonight I heard a noise from the break room, which is right next to me with an open door between. I looked up and there was no one there, which I already knew. I was the only one working and I hadn't had any guests in the lobby in an hour. Not to mention that the door from the break room to the lobby was closed and locked, so no one could have come in.

But when I looked up I did notice that the water in the Arrowhead water dispenser was shaking violently. Something had shaken that water dispenser, and hard - really hard. The water was moving up and down a couple of inches. Nothing was on the ground around, so nothing had fallen and hit it. After the water settled I tried to recreate it and a simple tap wont do it, you really have to shake it hard to make the water move that much - almost to the point of taking it off its foundation. So that was rather frightening. It's the first time I've actually seen something physical move with explanation - to date I've only heard noises, lots of noises, and seen shadows.

[mlitsonata]

A new experience tonight. There have been countless times, since I started working here over a year and a half ago, that I have seen (or thought I had seen) something or someone passing at the corner of my vision. But tonight was a little different.

At about 4:45 AM I was sitting behind the desk watching TV when I noticed the shadow of a person on the landing to the hall. To explain, we have a large octagon shaped lobby with five steps up to a small landing that leads to the first floor hallway, then an open staircase from this landing to the 2nd floor hall. The steps, the landing, the tv and the staircase are all right in my view from my desk. This shadow was sort of on the landing, in front of the staircase. I could just make it out for a couple of seconds when it faded. There are sometimes people up this early and I thought that perhaps someone was getting ready to check out, and that they were just out of my view. I got up, but there was no one in the lobby.

Then I started thinking about this shadow that I saw. There is a wall that the staircase runs along and then there are several tall pieces of white wood, one for each step each about a foot apart from each other, running from the landing to the ceiling of the 2nd floor. The shadow was "cast" in front of these boards. Because the boards are a few feet from the wall, the shadow should have been broken up between the boards and the wall behind them, but it wasn't. The "shadow" was perfect and clearly had the form of a person.

There are also several lights all around the lobby and I thought it would be odd that a shadow could be so well cast with light coming from so many different angles, so I decided to walk around the lobby and try to recreate the shadow myself. I couldn't recreate it exactly, but the closest I came was by standing on the steps from the lobby to the landing in front of a wall lamp. As I stood on those steps I got a terrible chill. I walked away from the steps, and I was fine. Walked back to the steps and a chill again. Like goosebumps up my arms and neck. I wasn't scared, and I wasn't necessarily cold, it just felt different. And only there, no where else.

So that is something new.

[afterlife]

OK ....So when are you going to get us in there to do an Investigation....?? I talked to you once on the phone a long time ago. We are not to far from you..... You can E-mail me at ryan@postparanormal.com

[mlitsonata]

OK ....So when are you going to get us in there to do an Investigation....?? I talked to you once on the phone a long time ago. We are not to far from you..... You can E-mail me at ryan@postparanormal.com

Oh I'm sorry, I thought I talked to you about that. I would love to do an investigation but I talked to the owners about it (needed to get their permission) and they do not want it to happen. I did not ask why, didn't want to push it. Sorry

[Cryscat]

Gorman --- wow. been through that place several time one my way north. Been a while though. I do remember the Hotel as the Caravan or something like that. Please keep us updated!

[mlitsonata]

It's been a while since I've added a post about this hotel, but I'm still working here. Nothing particularly new to mention other than the usual - I often think I see someone walk by in the corner of my vision but I can never say for sure if it's anything so I don't post them. Although there have been a couple of times were I was so sure I had seen someone.

Tonight we just had a guest come in, a young couple (shortly before midnight). I gave them one of the upstairs rooms toward the front. Just a couple of minutes later they came back down asking if they could have a refund, that they were not satisfied with the room - and the woman seemed somewhat distressed but not necessarily upset as you would expect if they really weren't happy with the accommodations. And even that seemed unusual because this room was among those that had been renovated fairly recently and we rarely receive any complaints and try to fix any problems (which are to be expected in such an old hotel) right away when they do arise. So I said that they could have a refund, as it had only been a few minutes, but if they could tell me what the problems were I could try to fix them for the future. She said that she just didn't "feel comfortable". They seemed fine when they were talking to me and in the lobby but changed their mind when they were in the room - a nice room, secure on the second floor with no balcony (no way for an intruder to get in the window), so why did she feel uncomfortable?? Why did she look almost frightened? She wouldn't say that she felt a presence or a ghost and I wasn't going to ask her, but the vague statement of the "comfort level" in a perfectly safe area seems a euphemism for a spirit.

After they left I checked the room and, although (as usual) there is no way to verify any supernatural problem, the room did feel odd to me. I also felt uncomfortable, heavy - it felt like there was someone in the room with me. I've been in that room many times before, I don't usually get that feeling there. There are no heavy power sources near the room or inside it's walls to give a false sense of foreboding, although it is next to a linen room - the washing machines are kept elsewhere. The feeling was so strong that I even felt inspired to call out and ask if there was anyone there, half expecting a response. But there was no one of course. I went through the room, pulled back the curtains, fluffed the pillows and checked the bathroom although nothing had been touched with one exception. The curtains had been drawn closed and a chair had been moved up against them to keep them closed which I found rather odd. As I mentioned before, the room was on the second floor with the floor a good 12 feet above the ground outside (even the first floor is elevated) with no way of climbing up and no balcony and no buildings across the street - so why would she feel so frightened of the windows?

Although this was not the first time a customer had asked me if the hotel was haunted or said they felt something, this was the first time someone left for feeling uncomfortable. As I've mentioned before, I usually feel happy here and we have several repeat guests that enjoy staying here on their regular trips up and down the state.

[Cryscat]

Thanks for the update! Keep them coming! I may stop by if I go north in the future.

[leslie_dragonlvr]

Gosh, I can't believe it, but I actually stayed there one night over 30 years ago....lol!
I was too tired by the time I got there, I wouldn't have noticed a thing.

Les

[johnnych]

I used to work there back in 1998 when it was the caravan motor inn. I worked the graveyard shift it was always really quiet so I would always here strange noises and always felt like I was being watched. When I would be in the office late into night I remember always seeing someone walk past the front desk and when I would go look there was no one there. There was several times when customers would leave right away and ask for a refund because they felt uneasy in the room some wouldnt even ask for a refund they just left as quiclkly as they could. I had people tell me that their dogs would freak out in the rooms and that the water in the bathroom would turn on all by itself. I remember there was two little Hispanic maids that lived there one day back in 1999 they found a dead man that committed suicide in one of the rooms downstairs. I dont recall what room it was but I did go and see the room there was a 12 pack of beers and a large pool of blood on the bed and the floor. I worked the night he shoot himself but did not hear the gunshot, he had put himself in between the mattress and box spring before pulling the trigger. The owners were cheap people they did not have the room cleaned they just told us not rent that room and it stayed that way for many months. The last straw for me was when I was in the break room one night laying down on a roll away mattress we had back there. I felt something touch me on my back and scared the heck out of me and because of that I never went back.