...so what's the deal in Room 10?

As I have stated several times, and maliciously taunted my three internet readers with - well, two readers, since mom already knows what happened - the first hotel I stayed at on the road trip, in the first destination on my itinerary, was a notoriously haunted room in an old Victorian hotel.  Being a careless planner, there was some neglect when I initiated a haunted tour of the United States, in the simple truth that I am terrified of ghosts.  So - I brought my mommy with me, for a good start.  (Hey, sometimes you need your hand held the first walk to school, or perhaps a push your first time at the deep end of the pool!)

Please look at this old picture of the Hotel Macomber.  I said look at it!  It's old, right?  The hotel faces the Cape May boardwalk and has terrific-to-partial ocean views.  Above is a close up of our room 10 windows (along the right side of the building), often pointed out from street level on ghost tours.  I circled them in red, for your viewing pleasure, but did a pretty shoddy job of it, so you'll have to look closely.  Below are the windows from the inside!

Now kindly refer to the first picture.  You'll notice there is a window to the right of Room 10's, all in dark.  This is a small utility room (number 14) next door:

The reason I point all this out, is because I'm going to give you a little background information on the hauntings inside room 10.  Supposedly, when people stay in this room (the "hot" ghost months are up for debate, but we have heard June, August, October, and November are prime)...paranormal things happen.  Drawers pull out on their own.  Lights turn on and off.  The bathroom doorknob jiggles.  One guest reported the chain lock sliding back and forth on its own.  But most commonly, one hears the sounds of heavy furniture moving, which has given the elderly woman that haunts room 10 the nickname of "the trunk lady".

Ms. Trunk in the living went by the name of Irene Wright, according to psychic Craig McManus, who did a little digging by way of a previous owner's son (and had some paranormal experiences in the room himself).  Miss Wright loved room 10, and came to the Hotel Macomber often since around 1930, bringing a large trunk with her summer wardrobe inside.  Apparently she may still be lugging it around!

The stories surrounding the room are often contradictory - Miss Wright supposedly never married nor had children, and yet, the tale goes that the ghost is a widow who stayed in room 10 several times a year after her husband passed.  People also state that paranormal activity is more common when children are present in the room.  Miss Wright was said to have befriended the owner's child back in the day - perhaps she always wanted one of her own, and still does.  One thing is for sure, though - she loves to do laundry.  The washer/dryer in the utility closet next door is said to start up randomly in the middle of the night, causing guests to call the front desk and complain!

So, after the fudge, and dinner at the Mad Batter, and the trolley ghost tour, and combing the beach for ghosts at night, Mom and I got prepared.  We laid out more fudge for the evening, and cracked open the macaroons.  Sparing no expense, we also brought out the candy-covered nuts.  I mean, we didn't know what to expect.  Provisions were essential.

OK, I'm sorry, the above picture has nothing to do with us getting prepared, but in a sidebar... it makes me look back fondly at how disorganized I was with all my bags that first night - couldn't find ANYTHING even though I had packed like 10 hours beforehand.  I have now become such an expert in living out of bags and rental cars in the span of four weeks, it's slightly terrifying to think how well I could manage if suddenly homeless.  OK, that's insulting to the many homeless people I have seen throughout America, sorry.  Whole 'nother post.

Anyways...after setting up - and eating - the provisions, loading our Ghost Radar apps on our smart phones (what?  Yes I am serious!  What do you think, we have professional equipment?  Download it immediately though, hours of entertainment)...attempting to set up a flashlight like they do on Ghost Hunters (barely screwed in so the ghost can play with it) and failing miserably, it was time for lights out.

...and what happened?  I'll tell you what happened, we fell asleep.  And we slept *really* well...like the dead, if you will.  Did we hear anything strange or get woken up in the night?  No, as a matter of fact, we both felt like there was a kind and maternal spirit in the room that wanted us to feel safe and sound, and sleep tight.  Perhaps we came at the wrong time of year, or didn't ask the right questions before passing into slumber.

Or perhaps Miss Wright didn't want to disturb a mother; or frighten a particularly jumpy daughter (*gulp*).  Perhaps she stays about not only for her love of the room, but because the child she befriended at this hotel was enormously important to her, never having raised her own.  Perhaps that lost chance, to have a child, haunts her still.  And although she is said to be more animated in the presence of young children, I like to think Miss Wright holds the mother-child bond in high respect, and wanted to protect and nurture us that evening.  My mother and I have had many a good time together, and a good night's sleep in the town of Cape May, and this day was another fine memory to add to our collection.  Love you, ma.

~A

P.S. Or perhaps the trunk lady could give a rat's ass about children, hence the reason she had none, and was down at the Southern Mansion getting plastered with Ester.  Who knows?