Imaginary Friends are a psychological and social phenomenon where a friendship takes place in the imagination rather in physical reality. To the person, usually a child, the friend is real, and they often get frustrated when others can’t see their friend. Often, as they grow older, children lose their imaginary friends, whether that friend leaves, or is simply forgotten over time, we may never know. For one little girl, she shared her imaginary friend with the world when she first wrote, “This is Lisa.”
The Koolau Range mountains, on the eastern coast of Oahu in Hawaii, was formed by numerous volcanic eruptions. The most prominent feature of the range is a serrated precipice, the “pali” or cliff, that rises on the eastern side and reaches heights ranging from 500 to 2,500 feet above sea level. Two cliff passes cut through the range, one of which is known as the Nuuanu Pali.
In 1782, the island of Hawaii was separated into three fragments, striking a power struggle that would last for ten years. On the large island, the death of the Hawaiian monarch Kalanipou’u left rival warrior princes to fight for power. One, Kamehameha, managed to take the Hawaiian throne.
If you visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse, be prepared to catch the faintest scent of cigar smoke, or to hear two little girls laughing late into the night. Expect to see a ghost or two, because this lighthouse is haunted.
Cheesman park, in Denver, Colorado, is a lush park in the center of a bustling city. The park is a beautiful green space, with expansive lawns, jogging trails, and a dramatic neoclassical pavilion. Just east of the park, Denver Botanic Gardens features themed areas and an amphitheater for popular summer concerts. It’s safe to assume that most visitors don’t realize that they’re walking, sitting, or jogging on the grave of one of the many who had been buried there in the 19th century.
While the park was founded in 1907, it’s history dates back even further. In 1858, General William Larimer seized the claim of the St. Charles Town Company, despite the fact that the land actually belonged to the Arapaho Indians, and established his own town. This town later became Denver. In November 1858, Larimer set aside 320 acres of land for a cemetery. He named it Mount Prospect Cemetery, and designated several large plots on the crest of the hill for the exclusive use of the city’s wealthy and most influential citizens. The outside edges of the cemetery were reserved for criminals and the poor, with the central area saved for the middle class.
The Los Coches Adobe sits along the side of Highway 101 in a mostly rural part of Soledad, California. Soledad was originally settled by small tribes of Native Americans. When the European explorers came, they built a mission, the Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, and lives were changed dramatically.
The Allen House, in Monticello, Arkansas was planned by local businessman, Joe Lee Allen, to be the most impressive house the town had ever seen. Built in 1906, by renowned architect Sylvester Hotchkiss and builder Josia Barkley White, it was outstanding. A combination of Queen Anne, Gothic, and Neo-classical styles. The home occupied 8,000 square feet with a full attic and three stories, complete with a wrought iron fence. It was more of a mansion than a house, and remains one of the most beautiful houses in all of Arkansas.
Maricopa County Arizona is home to the town of Wickenburg, the Vulture Mine, and all the ghosts that live therien.
The Vulture Mine was the most productive gold mine in Arizona history, and ran from 1863 to 1942, producing 340,000 ounces of gold and 250,000 ounces of silver during its life. People flocked to the area after learning of the mines striking gold, and at its peak, the town was home to about 5,000 residents. They were all looking to strike gold and make it rich during the great American Gold Rush.
What was originally designed to be a care center for tuberculosis patients, became one of the most haunted places in America. Welcome to Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
