Cyndy invited Karen and me to a very special event... a Mother's Day Spirit Tour in our favorite little Nevada town- Genoa. I am going to preface this post with one of my favorite quotes, "A mind is like a parachute, it doesn't work if it isn't open." I went with a very open mind and because of it, I had a blast!

To me, no trip to Genoa is complete without saddling up to the bar at Nevada's oldest Thirst Parlor. THE GENOA BAR AND SALOON (1851) has been able to minimize the impact of contemporary society on its gracious old structure. This faithfulness to its original purpose and design has made it a favorite location for artists, actors and directors trying to capture the spirit and to tell the story of the American west. It captures me every time. I absolutely love this place.
And there's its history- There have been some pretty impressive drinkers who came here before us:  Mark Twain, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Raquel Welch, to name just a few.
Our destination for the night was the Dake House. This Victorian home now serves as an antique store and may be one of the most haunted places in northern Nevada. The house was once the home of the local undertaker, which might account for some of the odd goings-on that take place at the site and why we were there!
This event was hosted by the Thin Veil Investigators, an independent Ghost Hunting group, based in Carson City, Nevada. They research and explore possible paranormal activity in houses, businesses, objects, and many other public and private sites and locations. Their credo is: We investigate the Spirit World with dignity, respect, and honor.
After telling us the history of the house and its inhabitants, the team summoned the spirits and then let us explore on our own. The most fun occurred when it was just the three of us, especially after we were given dowsing rods.
The theory is that these rods act as a conductor of hidden energy sources, and that spirits reside within these fields and draw upon the energy to manifest themselves. Because spirits are intricately connected to energy fields then they could, in theory, manipulate the rods to respond to yes or no questions. Whatever you believe, our rods, especially Cyndy's, were responding like crazy. The spirit of a little boy was said to reside in an upper bedroom. While we were hanging out, Cyndy was totally being communicated with. So dang fun!
We all took photos, not really knowing what we would see. Cyndy captured this image of, we were told, a Confederate soldier who likes to hang out in one of the downstairs rooms.
Orbs were seen in the barn, an especially active spot due to the fact that in the undertaker's day,  bodies were stored here prior to burial.
This is the Dake House as we prepared to leave. Between the bay window and the tree (on the right side of the home), there seems to be some sort of shape. A visitor from another era perhaps?

Whatever one believes about ghosts and spirits, tonight was pretty special. Hanging out in history with two fun & zany friends, wondering if... this was a very awesome way to spend a Saturday evening.