McMenamins Edgefield

Originally Built in 1911 to function as the Multnomah County Poor Farm. Residents ran a self-sufficient community, with a farm, laundry, kitchen, and hospital wing. In 1962 it was renamed Edgefield Manor and operated as a nursing home until 1982 when it was closed. In 1990 the McMenamin brothers bought the property and slowly began renovating and restoring the buildings and grounds. McMenamins Edgefield now has a Winery, Distillery, Brewery, Pub, Golf Course, Restaurant, Banquet Facilities, and European style lodgings. Murals and artwork by local artists adorn the walls, doors, and even the pipes. There is something new to see or do around every corner.

Ghost Stories

There are two places at Edgefield that are supposed to contain ghosts. In the old hospital wing over what is now the winery, people are suddenly come over with sadness, and a nurse has been seen wandering the halls. In the administrator’s a young girl (said to be the old administrator’s daughter who died young) has been seen wandering, guests have had their ankles held in the middle of the night, and a black man in tattered clothing has been seen.

Our Review

Accommodations: The decor is a contradiction. Very sparse rooms. Ours had a fairly hard bed, a desk & a sink. We had to share a bathroom. (which based on the information for the 2 other McMenamin’s hotels nearby, is pretty par for the course.) However, there is very little wall space that is not painted with some fantastical scene, or of a person who used to live at the poor farm. So in that sense, there is an abundance of style.

If you like spirits of the liquid kind, this is the place to come. There are at least 7 places to drink.

The Black Rabbit is the in-house restaurant. If you look up at the sprinkler pipes there, you can see the figurine of a little boy trying to feed a black rabbit a carrot.

The food is good, the artwork is phenomenal, but we missed having a private bathroom.

We stayed here are part of our “Haunted Honeymoon.” You can get more information about our stay on our honeymoon pages day 6 and day 7.

Official site for McMenamins Edgefield

Colonel Silsby’s B&B

Colonel Silsby’s Bed and Breakfast was originally built in 1896 for Colonel Silsby, a hero of the Civil War. It is a Queen Anne Victorian listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ghost Stories

The most haunted room in this B&B is reputed to be the “Elizabeth Suite”, the suite in which we stayed, but no unusual activity happened in the room during our visit. The ghost is said to be that of Elizabeth Silsby, the granddaughter of Colonel Silsby. Elizabeth is supposed to be a friendly spirit. There are reports that she has turned on and off the showers and sinks, opened and closed doors, and even sat next to guests in bed. We had some fellow guests tell that just the morning before when they were just sitting & reading, a jar of jelly fell off the stacked display of jellies for sale. These guests (who also saty in this B&B once a year while they enjoy the OSF, tell us that Col. Silsby himself is still around. Ghosts or Gravity: You decide.

Our Review

Accommodations: A really quaint Bed & Breakfast. We really enjoyed the Elizabeth Suite. A small built on cottage complete with a mini kitchen and better yet, a Jacuzzi. It was originally built as the room for the innkeepers, but when a previous owner purchased a house down the street a little ways, the old room was remodeled into a suite.

The Inn is located only a few blocks from restaurants, shops, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Breakfast: We had the “Taming of the Shred” Shredded eggs and mushrooms over toast served with poached pears and cinnamon. It was better than the corny name.

We stayed here as part of our “Haunted Honeymoon.” You can learn more about our stay by visiting our honeymoon pages day 5 and day 6.

UPDATE: This B&B is apparently no longer in operation.  Wonder if the current occupants of the house have any supernatural experiences.

Abigail’s Elegant Victorian Inn

Abigail’s is located in Eureka, California near Humbolt Redwoods State Park and Redwoods National Park. Built in 1886, the mansion is a National Historic Landmark. Owned, operated, and renovated by Doug and Lily Vieyra, this B&B is a truly special place.

Ghost Stories

The owners claim that their resident ghost, Elizabeth, does all the dusting that is out of reach for them. There are also stories that Elizabeth will play Jazz on the phonograph when the mood strikes her. She is said to be a playful spirit. It is told that a guest door kept opening despite her locking and latching it.

Our Review

Accommodations: We absolutely loved this place. The interior decor, while a dusting nightmare, was phenomenal. The wallpaper, by Bradbury & Bradbury, was really something to behold. The owner made most of her own window treatments. There were treasures laid out for perusal everywhere. Something to look at, examine, read, play with, over ever square inch of this beautiful Victorian home. We played some Scrabble, read some old magazines and catalogs, books on the three kinds of car (Gas, Electric and STEAM POWERED!) from the early 20th century. It was fascinating! But to truly appreciate the eclectic collection displayed at this B&B, you need to experience it first hand.

Breakfast: The Breakfast was good. A good continental with banana-orange smoothies, but it was our conversation with the hosts, Lily & Doug Vieyra, that made it special.

We stayed here as part of our “Haunted Honeymoon” you get get more information on our stay by visiting our honeymoon pages day 4 and day 5.

Official Website for Abigail’s

Mendocino Hotel

The Mendocino Hotel and Garden Suites was started in 1878 as the Temperance House. It was later expanded when a second building was added on and a facade added to unite the two buildings from the front and renamed the Central Hotel. It is said that the hotel, at onetime, served as a brothel. The hotel is located in Mendocino’s Historic District which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Ghost Stories

It is said that a Victorian era woman visits tables 6 and 8 in the restaurant. The employees had a little to add about a friendly ghost upstairs that would move things in the bathrooms and turn the lights on and off. There are also certain rooms the main building that are supposed to have visitations.

Our Review

Situated in the picturesque town of Mendocino, the hotel that shares its name is a throwback to an earlier era, as I suppose, most haunted places are. The whole main hotel has a Victorian feel to it. The accommodations in the garden suites are nice, but not worth the money that we paid for it. Our complimentary breakfast (included in the special package that we bought) was very good on both of the days that we tried it. As a part of the package, we also had a complimentary wine tasting at the wine shop next door to the hotel. It was a nice town to get away from it all. There is no cell phone coverage in Mendocino, so you do not have to worry about that breaking the mood as you enjoy the shops and stores.

We stayed here as part of our “Haunted Honeymoon.” You can learn more about our stay by checking out our honeymoon pages day 2, day 3, and day 4.

Official Website of The Mendocino Hotel

Madrona Manor

Madrona Manor is located in Healdsburg California in the heart of wine country and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1879 by John Alexander Paxton. It has been open to the public as Madrona Manor Inn since 1981.

Ghost Stories

When we asked the employees during our stay, none of them had admitted any unusual experiences with the supernatural or paranormal, but we did hear of a story about the ghost of a woman approaching a guest in the main house and asking her to tell the owners that “She liked what they have done to the place.” There are consistent stories on the web about unusual experiences in room 101 and the dining room. Most of these stories say only two things, that there is a ghost of a young girl in room 101 and a woman named Elise in the dinging room. This seems to indicate a single source, and not corroboration–especially since some websites use the exact same phrasing. Another website listed many more manifestations, and among these both the dining room and room 101 were prominently mentioned. However, there was no mention of the ghost of a little girl or anyone named “Elise.”

Our Review

Accommodations: We stayed in the carriage house. And it was very nice. We liked the decor (Kryis especially liked the amount of Asian art in the carriage house) and the atmosphere. It was nice wandering the grounds. We appreciated the lack of “soft” water in the shower. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Breakfast: The breakfast buffet was one of the best that we have experienced.

We stayed here as part of our “Haunted Honeymoon.” You can get more information about our stay by visiting our honeymoon pages day 1 and day 2.

Official Website of Madrona Manor