Seeing Odd things while Rving.

[Lakota Wolf]

I was wondering if anyone has SEEN, some unexplainable things while traveling? Weird animals, odd looking signs or eiry houses?

After many many miles going from one coast to the next and back and the points in between, I have seen a few things I had to double take or even be left baffled. I have always enjoyed driving through New Mexico and Arizona,, and even some parts of eastern California. Im a sucker for Ghost towns,,,, places that time has forgotten. I have even seen a few towns off the beaten path that seemed as if the people just packed up one day and left. Leaving everything behind,, and only leaving with the clothes on their backs. Seeing pictures in frames still hung on the walls, dinner plates on the dining table with petrified food on them. Beds made up and tattered sheets somewhat still in tact.

Most of these are cobblers cabins, gold and silver miners cabins, or what once was a start to a small town that went bust. Its hard to say, But its kind of interesting with a touch of spooky. I have set up camp, keeping my guard up the 1st couple of nights,, not wanting to be rudley awoken or charged with tresspassing,,, not to mention, the freaks out there,looking for trouble. I have stayed at one Ghost town close to New Mexico/Arizona border,(can't recall exactly where), And it was too cool to put into words,so to speak. Just walking around, snooping,, and NOT disturbing anything,, You get a glimps of what life was like, when people lived here. I did find a few papers, aged and brittle, that had dates from the 50's.. To some that doesnt sound like to long ago,, But to be in a town that is now empty,, it was a cool find.

The last night I was there, it was a beautiful full moon,, light breeze,, perfect for sitting under the stars in my recliner chair just outside the RV door. Hearing a few rustles in the dried weeds and scrub, I assumed it was a rabbitt or squirrell,,, something that was braving the night.I sit quietly relaxing, writting in my journal when I glance up at one of the cabins,, not quite at the far end of this small town and see a light glowing. I brush it off and figured it was just the moon light reflecting off one of the windows or a bottle. I write a little more and glance up and the light is still there,,, but something odd on the small front porch,, sitting in the old wooden chair.  I again, brush this off as imagination and the moonlit sky playing tricks, I close my journal and just look around the sky as a few clouds pass under the moonlight, and again, I look down the way and see that same light glowing,, even as the moon is slightly covered by a passing cloud. Ok,, right about now the hair is standing on end on the back of my neck. I concentrate looking at the glowing light and notice its comming from the front window,, and in its light glow a silloette is sitting in that old wooden chair on the porch. Ok,, not only is the hair standing high,, chills go down my spine.. Nawwww, it can't be ghosts,, hmmmphhhh,, no way.

I then figure, maybe someone does live way out here and was gone when I was walking around, Yea,, that must be it. Couriosity got the best of me,,, so to be safe, I grab my ole trusty rifle, and head out to investigate,, have to be prepared just in case I come across a rattlesnake,, right? I walk slowly as my eyes are still adjusting to the light and surroundings and stay in the middle of the 2 track road,

I get about 50 yards from the cabin with the light in the window, and see the silloette get up and move around to the back side of the cabin. Ok,, someone lives there,, so I holler out,, excuse me,,, hello?

No reply,, so I cautiously walk closer and I get about 25 to 30 feet from the front and that light goes out. Whoa.. Thats weird.. I decide, Ive seen enough and dont want to bother who ever it was and head back to the RV, and call it a night. I basically slept with one eye open and ears on full radar mode.  Sun finally came up after what seemed like forever,, and I was dead set on checking out that cabin. I head out, leaving the rifle behind,,, I didnt want to pose a threat, just in case the person was there.. I get to the front of the cabin, and the door is open and I can hear the wind blowing through, rustling an old phone book on the floor. I step up on the small porch and walk past the wooden chair sitting there,,the seat part still having a heavy coat of dust, and no inclination of anyone having sat there in a long time. I step inside and look around, and its empty,, and the breeze blowing in from a broken window at the back. I glance next to the front window and there is an old, kind of melted over very aged candle, Its coated with dust and cobwebs and looks as if it hasnt been lit in years. This couldnt have been the source of light that I saw,, this candle hasnt been lit in several years. I brush this off as an active imagination, and headed back to the RV,, I fixed a quick breakfast with some coffee,, finished up the dishes and secured everything and was ready to leave onto the next adventure somewhere down the road. I get turned around and start heading out the old 2 track lane road and look in my rear view mirror for a last look on this quiet sleeping town and see an old man, Tattered clothing, dusty tattered old cowboy hat and a long tattered duster waving.. I stop, and step out, and hes no longer there,, I look all over scanning the area, and hes no where to be seen. Notch that one up for either eary or weird,, I climb back in and head back to the main road. Its a good 45 minute drive down this old 2 track till I finally hit the main road, and then another hour till I find a fuel stop. I go into the jiffy mart store to get a coffee to go and the lady asked if I had seen a ghost.. LOL,,, I laughed and said not really,, why do you ask?  She said folks like me who see ole Jack always have that funny look on their faces. I asked who is Jack,,, and she said hes that last known survivor in a little ole town down the road a ways.. He lived there all his life and died in 1955,, But folks still see him,, standing at the edge of town waving at the folks who come to visit. Then she said, But thats just folk lore,, Ive never been down that ways so I never got to see him. I paid for my coffee and headed back out to continue my trip,, But it has still crossed my mind if that ole man was really there.

Maybe he is and maybe he isnt,, But that old town was peacefully quiet.

[Lakota Wolf]

Another weird ordeal was travel just south of Santa Rosa New Mexico. Typical late evening traffic flow along the interstate, nothing out of character. Just cruising along,, jamming to some Sugarland,, attempting to sing along, when I hear that distinct sound of a motorcycle wide open full bore,,approaching rather quickly. I glance in the rear view as I go over a hill and dont see anything, but still hear a motorcycle approaching quickly,,, getting closer at a high rate of speed. I glance again in the mirrors and catch a glimpse of a single headlight. In the very few seconds I saw it, I felt the thud and heard the smashing of metal and glass. Holy Moly,, I just got nailed in the back end,,, I quickly slow down and hit the ole shoulder. I step out, thinking and knowing this IS NOT going to be pretty. I round the back of my trailer and there sits what used to be a full dressed chromed out bike, firmly implanted into the back of my trailer.

Heres the weird or odd part of this,,,, There is NO RIDER. No where. I climb up the back of the trailer and look over the roof,,, I walk all around the trailer,, looking everywhere. I can't find the rider. Another motorists stops and is looking over the impalled bike in the back of my trailer and he asks, where did the rider go?, We both look everywhere,, up above,, underneath, each side of the road,,, no where to be seen.. He uses his phone and calls the Police and they arrive shortly. They search and even call in a few more officers. With a dozen or so people walking up and down the road looking for our missing rider,,, he is no where to be found. After sitting there for 5 plus hours,, a wrecker removes the bike from the back of my trailer and I filled out the info the police wanted and they sent me on my way... Several months later I was going through the same area and stopped by the police dept. and talked with the original officer who handled the call and he said they still have never found out what happened to the rider of that motorcycle.. and even a trace of the motorcycles owner,, came up with no one,,, They couldnt even verify the V.I.N..... he said its just a case of a wild renegade motorcycle with no rider.

[Rich Thomas]

When I was just about to graduate high school I took on a motor rout delivering papers. On my route was a small abandoned; well almost except for one family that took the Sunday paper. It was way back in the woods and you had to cross an old iron bridge with a plank floor. The paper was delivered on Saturday night and almost every time I crossed that bridge I would see a shooting star. The houses all the same ceramic tile foundations and old faded lap board siding. It could be very intense for some one who didn't know it was there. I often took a friend along that just liked the scare factor. He would ride along with a six pack just to get the courage to cross that bridge.It was a lot fun.   

[Dawn Michelle]

Now if that ain't a story!!!! Had the hairs on the back of my neck raised right along with you.

[Marvin Taylor]

My wife and I volunteered as camp hosts at Bannack, Montana a few years ago.  An old abandoned Gold mining town, that has been turned into a State Historical Park.  Not restored, but controlled deterioration.  A park ranger and family live on each end of town in original houses which has been modernized for them.  They have some interesting stories similar to that that they have witnessed.   Would encourage anyone to visit there if they have an opportunity.  In late evenings, it seems if you listen real close, and good imagination, you can almost hear the piano playing in the saloon.  We were there about 6 weeks and enjoyed ever minute of it.