The Unplanned Adventures of Sisters... (Part Three)

(Mount Shasta. And yes, that is crap on the windshield..)

And so we were on our way back to California. Destination, San Jose.

The trip back to California went by pretty quick thanks to awesome music on the iPods and beautiful scenery. We were sure to wave to my brother as we drove past his exit. there were tons of deer on at the shoulders of the freeways just chilling in the shade or chewing on some plants. I don't think I've ever seen so many of them at the side of the highway (alive that is)...

We arrived in San Jose a little after 11pm. I drove up to the Winchester Mystery House since this was our plan for the morning. Ashley has never been so I wanted to be sure she experienced the construction plans of Sarah Winchester. (More on that in a second.) We ended up staying in a motel that proved to be shady and very creepy. When we got our key, it was an actual key with the plastic keychain with the room number on it. It made both of us think of the John Cusack movie Identity... We opened the door to be pummeled by the smell of cigarette smoke. Ugh.. After we grabbed our stuff, including our bedding for we refused to sleep in their blankets and sheets, we were met by an army of bugs. Then Ashley came out of the bathroom and told me how it looked like someone had just taken a shower in there. In short, it was disgusting and creepy. We ended up barricading the front door with one of the big armchairs. then Ashley said "I've seen tis movie. Can we please put the other chair in front of the closet door?" I was more than happy to.

Needless to say, we made it through the night.

the Winchester Mystery House was so worth the $26! We did our usual thing of being the last people on the tour so we could take heaps of pictures. Let me give you a background on this mansion...

Sarah Winchester was the wife of the man who made Winchester rifles, etc. He died along with their child. After this, Sarah Winchester was told by a psychic that she needed to keep on building and adding on to the mansion to confuse the spirits that killed her husband and child, for they were the same spirits of those killed by the Winchester guns. The construction of the mansion lasted 30ish years, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until she died.

(The stairway to nowhere)

(The door to nowhere)

In this house, there are stairs that lead to a ceiling, a door to nowhere on the 2nd floor, doors opening to walls, etc. We were very amused. She even had a seance room where she "met" with the spirits to tell her where to build next. This is also where she spied on her servants.

It was great fun and Ashley and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Oh, by the way, yes. Ghost Hunters did investigate there but could find no proof of a haunting. :)

(The supposedly haunted ballroom)

(Our tour guide, Ash -- and some Orbs!!!)

We continued on our way back home. As we rode, I read my "Haunting In California" book that I had bought from the gift shop. It just so happened the highway we were driving on had some paranormal activity! Pretty cool to read it as we drove on it. Of course, we are skeptics and nothing happened to us. We drove through Mount Shasta and The Grapevine and got caught in traffic in LA. We were finally home!! :D