Best Haunted Hotels: The Hayes Mansion Lovely Lady
As an avid traveler and ghost hunter, I love combining the two. It always enhances a place when you can meet new people. And in my case, I don’t mind if they are alive or spirit. The Hayes Mansion is a favorite place, and very spiritually active with lots of positive energy.
See my Northern Cali Road Trip to visit Hayes Mansion as part of your unusual journey.
Read up on my method of ghost hunting, and another spirit I met while staying at the Hayes Mansion.
The Hayes Mansion Ghost #2 Introduces Herself
On this night, I was on the patio outside of the small bar area at the hotel, my favorite spot to enjoy an after dinner wine and the beautiful California evening air. It was around 9:30pm.
When the light came on it was bright and strong. The spirit was able to master control almost immediately. This was a powerful energy and someone who wanted to talk.
The light quickly was able to turn on and off at my request, indicating a good mastery and that I could proceed with questions. The spirit was incredibly energetic, positive and excited to talk to me. During the approximately hour and a half long conversation, the light often went in and out quickly, dimming and brightening as though she was talking and the light was mirroring the rhythm of her speech. At one point I said, “Wow, it feels like you’re really trying to say a lot and I’m so sorry I can’t hear you.” In response, the light went very bright in agreement.
Q&A with the Hayes Mansion Caretaker Spirit
Are you a woman?
The light went on … yes.
Are you a man?
The light stayed off … no.
Sorry about that. I just needed to make sure I could validate your answer. I appreciate you bearing with me.
Are you a member of the Hayes Chenoweth family?
no
Did you work here?
no
Did you visit here?
yes
Are you from California?
no
Are you from the West Coast?
no
Are you from the East Coast?
yes
Are you from the Northeast?
no
The Southeast?
yes! (bright light, generally means excitement and an emphatic answer)
Virginia?
no
The Carolinas?
yes!
North Carolina?
yes
So you visited the Hayes mansion on a trip to California.
light on in agreement
Did you visit anywhere else in California?
yes
Have you been to Santa Cruz? I was just there and we loved it.
yes
The property was famous for having its own train stop. Is that how you came?
yes
Were you here visiting for a long time?
no
Perhaps you stopped here on your way through?
yes
Did you meet the family while you were here?
no
Did you know the family at all?
no
Did you stop here because the house and grounds were famous?
yes
Have you heard about the famous old oak grove?
yes
Did you see it while you were here?
no
Supposedly a president visited here. Did you know about this?
yes
Were you here in the 1900s?
yes
Were you here in the 1910s?
no
1920’s"?
no
1930’s?
no
1940s?
yes!
Do you love nature, is that why you stopped to see this place?
yes
Are you a fan of animals too?
no
So you visited for the nature and beauty, is that why you come back?
yes
Were you alive during the roaring 20s?
yes
I hear there was a lot of partying. I guess they call them the roaring 20s because they were indeed roaring (I laughed)
light goes bright in agreement, they were indeed roaring
My husband (on the phone with me now, he’d called me up and “joined” the conversation about half way through) says that there were party girls in the 20s. Have you heard of party girls?
yes
Were you a party girl?
light immediately goes off, as if she was adamantly wanting me to know that she was NOT a party girl
Ah, so you were no party girl. You were a good girl.
yes
I’m very much enjoying this conversation and this wine. Do you like wine?
no (I got the distinct feeling she was a very religious and straight-laced lady)
At this point I was feeling very much like I had been spending the last hour and a half with a wonderful woman, full of life and love, energy and passion. She had been so animated with the light, and so in tune with my questions and thoughts. It was truly as though I’d met someone special, shared a moment in time and in a life. She seemed to just beam with excitement in her ability to have this conversation, share her life and story with a stranger who was so open and interested in learning from her experience.
I really wished I could know her name and said as much. I attempted to use a process of elimination to determine the letter her name started with. But there are so many letters and possibilities that I got a little frustrated, and I think she did too. She understood how hard the process would be and how unlikely the outcome of me actually getting to her name would be.
I stopped with a sigh and said, “I think this is going to be really difficult.” The light went on in agreement. But it was getting slower and dimmer, like she was growing tired after such an extended conversation.
Knowing of all the parties and weddings that were hosted at the hotel, I asked her if she liked seeing so many people on the grounds. She said yes.
I could feel the difference in the energy at this point, and it was getting late. I told her how much I had enjoyed meeting her. How much I appreciated that she wanted to share her love for this place with me. I loved it too! It was so difficult to say goodbye, but we did. And I bid her good night and thank you.
My lovely lady of the Hayes Mansion is one of the most wonderful spirits I’ve ever spoken to. It was truly a sweet experience and I will never, ever forget her.
Feature Photo Credit: Hilton Curio Collection
Read about the other two spirits I met at the Hayes Mansion Hotel:
