THE LODGE

And so it was that later, as the miller told his tale, that her face, at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale --Procul Harem

The Lodge, Cloudcroft, New Mexico

explored & photographed by: Shady

(the full story of Rebecca and Cloudcroft's haunted Lodge: click here)

above, l-to-r: The Lodge stands atop a high, wooded peak of the lush Sacramento Mountains... an effigy of "Rebecca" carved into a tree overlooking the Lodge... the Tower... a lacy-curtained window on the paranormally active third floor

I luuuuuuuuv this place. Anytime I visit, I spend a great deal of time wandering around the place alone... hoping to run into the ghostly Rebecca... no such luck yet, though *sigh* One summer day my grandparents were going to take a "Sunday drive" out to Cloudcroft and invited me to come along. I jumped at the offer to get lost with the G-parents! And they were very very cool about hangin' out while I roamed the Lodge, taking these pics and looking for ghosts and stuff...

I didn't see her this time, but I've heard that many other people have. In fact, at the Lodge they have a big book of "Rebecca encounters" that they keep behind the front desk chronicling all the experiences people have had (and if ya ask nicely, they'll let you look at it!) To this day, the spirit of the beautiful, flame-haired young woman thought to haunt this place seems to hold a hypnotic fascination for many people, as is evident in the collection of artwork she has inspired... including paintings, photographs, sculptures, dolls, stained glass, and even a quilted wall tapestry.... most of which were created by local artists.

The day we were there, the shopkeeper told us that Rebecca had been very mischievous and active just a few hours earlier- the toilets in the ladies room were flushing repeatedly, even though there was no one around. The lobby is incredible- there are big leather couches, a gigantic wrought-iron chandelier, a vast stone fireplace, lots of ornate antiques everywhere, and a large tapestry of Rebecca watching over it all.

above, l-to-r: the second floor of the Lodge... I had a strange feeling about this chair so I took a pic of it (note the misty bluish orb-like thingy in the chair- was Rebecca sitting there?)... the dark, shadowy hallway that leads to Room 101... Room 101... looking down into the lobby we can see my grandparents patiently waiting in the lobby as I roam around looking for ghosts- aren't they the greatest? *grin*

I wandered around, hoping to see something spooky. Room 101 (aka the Governor's Suite) has been said to have a lot of paranormal energy- the staff often receives mysterious phone calls from this room, and the light in the ceiling fan just outside it's door supposedly turns on and off at will- so I checked it out. I didn't see or hear anything... until I had walked down the hall and turned the corner to the second story landing- just then I heard the distinct sound of a door just behind me being opened and closed. I spun around and looked to see what the source was, but didn't see a thing. I just looked down the hallway and shrugged... total Shaggy/Scooby-Doo moment..?! RRRELLLPPPP!!!

above, l-to-r: the locked door that leads up into the Tower... the Tower stairs (a photo of Judy Garland hangs at the landing)... ornate Victorian furnishings  found inside the Tower rooms... the first level of the Tower... the second level

The awesomely friendly bartender- Nosi- always gives me the key to the Tower so I can go up and check it out when I am there. And there are always cold spots and the weird feeling of being watched in the Tower. The view from up there is breathtaking. Nearly 100 years worth of names are carved into the Tower's walls and even it's furniture...

above, l-to-r: the second level of the Tower... the breathtaking panoramic view from inside the Tower (the white area in the left distance beyond the mountains is actually the amazing White Sands)... you can still see where Judy Garland and Clark Gable carved their names into the Tower wall... a shot looking up into the inside of the Tower dome.

At the top level of the Tower, I found Judy Garland and Clark Gable's names scrawled into the wall, protected by a frame. A plaque beneath it read, "The names within the frame were carved into the wall by Judy Garland and Clark Gable, guests at the Lodge in the early 1940's"

above, l-to-r: stairs leading to the basement levels of the Lodge... the door leading into the Red Dog Saloon (located in the basement level), which is said to be one of Rebecca's favorite hangouts...  inside the Red Dog... back upstairs on the main level, a shot of the lobby- on the left is the bar, on the right, Rebecca's Restaurant

Finally, I went down, down, down to the basement level... I wanted to see the "Red Dog Saloon" because it's supposed to be one of Rebecca's favorite haunts. It was closed, so it was very dark, spooky and empty. I again felt a very frigid cold air spot just at the doorway of the saloon. Was Rebecca following me around on my tour of the Lodge..? Hmmm.

Even though I didn't see Rebecca, it really was a wonderful afternoon. Like I said, I love this place. I have even found myself becoming somewhat... errr... obsessed with the idea of Rebecca and the Lodge. I am kinda inspired to try and do some further research on it even, so stay tuned, because you will be seeing more on this subject in the future...

Check out my Rebecca illustration and the background story of the Lodge

Visit the Lodge's website... tell 'em Rebecca (and Shady!) sent ya! *grin*

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