For my 60th birthday in January, 2014, I decided to spend the night in a haunted hotel. After researching, I settled on the historic Santa Maria Inn in Santa Maria, California. Built in 1917, it was once the place to stay for celebrities on their way to San Francisco or Hearst Castle.

I read specifically about one room in the old wing where a lot of activity had been reported: the Sea Captain's room.


According to lore, a sea captain was murdered by his mistress in the room.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened, but when we went to bed, I laid my things out on the bathroom counter in a specific order and photographed them. I read that sometimes spirits cannot manifest a visible presence, but can move things.

After an uneventful night, we got ready to pack up. When I went to the bathroom to get my things, I could not find my earrings I put there the night before (and photographed). I looked on the floor, everywhere, and no earrings. Then, as I was coming up after crawling around on the floor, I happened to look and see them UNDERNEATH one of my pill bottles!

They had not only been moved but hidden! I showed my husband and took a picture. Then when my husband was down at the car, I went into the closet to get our coats and something (or someone) shoved me with great force back out of the closet! I have always been something of a believer, but this was actual physical proof I could see and feel.

There was never any feeling of evil, rather it was like a mischievous child playing tricks. It was one of the best birthdays of my life!

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