Varhola Appearance on December 13 'Paranormal View'

If you missed my appearance in the December 13 episode of the Paranormal View, you can now check it out in archiveon the Para-X radio network! Thanks to co-hosts Henry Foister, Kat Klockow, and Geoffrey Gould for running such a terrific and enjoyable show (and posting a useful synopsis of it). Among other things, we discussed my Ghosthunting San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country, next title in the America's Haunted Road Trip series of travel guides, and places I visited and investigated while working on it. 

Comments are welcome! 

Varhola Appearance on 'Pairanormal'

Very much enjoyed my appearance on the Pairanormal show when it returned to the air on Friday, September 26 on TMV Cafe! Had a great time when I was a guest on the show a couple of years ago and think everyone will enjoy my discussion with E.W. Bradfute and his co-host as we explored haunted places throughout the Lone Star State. You can check it our in archive now! 

Faust Hotel (New Braunfels)

"In the western literary and occult traditions the name 'Faust' has an ominous connotation, and many people assume that the historic hotel in New Braunfels bearing this moniker received it as a tribute to the paranormal activity associated with the site. It is, however, named for its founder, flesh-and-blood local businessman Walter Faust Sr., rather than a figure out of German legend. 

Over the past few decades, the Faust Hotel has increasingly gained a widespread reputation for being haunted and has attracted the attention of various paranormal investigative groups. I have visited the hotel a number of times since 2009 and, among other things, have spent the night at it and conducted investigations on or around Halloween twice and appeared as a guest on the PSI-FI Radio show from it. It has, in fact, become one of my favorite sites in the Greater San Antonio area, not just for the strange things associated with it but also for its colorful history." 

Those are the opening words of my chapter on the haunted Faust Hotel for Ghosthunting San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country! I have investigated it a number of times and even appeared on the Psi-Fi Para Radio show from it and it is one of my favorite sites in the area. Above right is the lobby of the Faust Hotel as it appears today, below left is a historic image of the hotel as it appeared shortly after it opened in October 1929, and below right is developer Walter Faust Sr. 

 

Beyond Texas: The Rocks Ghost Tour (Sydney, Australia)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA -- Had the opportunity to explore some of the oldest haunted sites in this port city with the Rocks Ghost Tour the evening of Friday, Oct. 11! Between expert guide Lachlan McWilliam, the horrifying stories of the community's early years, and the genuinely haunted nature of many of the sites it was an exciting and enjoyable night and a great way to kick off the Halloween season. Following is a taste of what we experienced, which I will discuss in greater detail in my next appearance on the Psi-Fi Radio Network and in a more detailed report to come. 

Above, tour guide McWilliam on Observatory Hill, possibly the most haunted spot in Sydney. Yes, that is a convergence of orbs! My images up until and after this point were completely clear with just one exception and it was only here, at the site of an old fort and a place used for hangings, that we detected anomalies of this sort. 

 

Above left, tour goers peer into a basement formerly used by an undertaker; center, the creepy and cluttered basement of the Hero of Waterloo, the oldest pub in Sydney (and where we had a few glasses of Guinness at the end of the tour); right, a glimpse into a home with a well into which bodies from animal fights were thrown. 

Above left, McWilliam near a home where a cuckolded husband killed his slatternly wife and where her spirit has been seen walking -- and where we picked up a faint orb, in the upper right corner of the image; right, an apartment building built on stilts to preserve an archaeology site where thousands or artifacts and numerous sets of bones have been found. 

Ghosts aside, one of the things that impressed me most about the Rocks Ghost Tour was the number of sites it had access to, which far exceeded anything I have experienced on a similar activity in the United States. So, all things considered, when you are in Sydney there are not too many better ways to spend an evening in a fascinating historic quarter of the city -- all the more so if you have the opportunity to do so this most haunted time of the year! 

Varhola Appearance on 'The Paranormal View'

If you missed my appearance on the Paranormal View when it aired live Saturday, you can still check it out in archive! Among other things we discussed my books on Virginia, Maryland, and Texas, my upcoming adventures in Hawaii and French Polynesia, and more. I had a great time on this show and know you will love it! 

Comicpalooza 2013 'Paranormal Track' Events

Following are the "Paranormal Track" events I am organizing for the Comicpalooza fan convention, being held May 24-26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston!

FRIDAY
Cryptozoology 101
Join world-renowned Cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard for an examination of "X creatures" in Texas and around the world, from Bigfoot and Chupacabras, to Yetis and the Loch Ness Monster, and many more. Time: Friday 3 p.m. (1 hour)



Ghosthunting 101: Introduction to Ghosthunting
Join author Michael Varhola, editor of the “America’s Haunted Road Trip” series of travel guides, and a panel of experts for an interactive introduction to the subject of ghosthunting that will examine the basics of this popular phenomena and answer questions from attendees. Time: Friday 4 p.m. (2 hours)



Haunted Pub Crawl
Hear about spirits while imbibing spirits in some of the most haunted and historic watering holes in Houston! Time: Friday 7:30 p.m. (3.5 hours)



SATURDAY
Ghosthunting 102: Equipment
Experts from the local Pasadena Paranormal Research Team and other investigative groups will conduct this hands-on workshop that introduces attendees to the various sorts of equipment used by ghosthunters, including cameras, recorders, EMF meters, digital thermometers, laser grids, and night-vision devices. Time: Saturday 3 p.m. (1 hour)



Ghosthunting Texas
Join experts from the local Dawn Paranormal investigative group and other organizations for this seminar on some of the most interesting haunted sites in the Lone Star State — to include ones in and around Houston and the things that some of the participants have experienced at them! Time: Saturday 4 p.m. (1 hour)



SUNDAY
Ghosthunting 103: Investigative Techniques
There are almost as many ways of ghosthunting as there are ghosthunters! In this panel discussion paranormal researcher Michael Varhola and members of the Pasadena Paranormal Research Team, Dawn Paranormal, and other groups looks at everything from “naturalistic” means of ghosthunting, to ones heavily dependent on equipment, to those based on psychic ability. Time: Sunday 2 p.m. (1 hour)



Ghosthunting San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country
Join author Michael Varhola for an exploration of some of the most fascinating haunted sites in San Antonio, Austin, and the Texas Hill Country and get a sneak preview of some of the things that will be appearing in his book on the subject. Time: Sunday 5 p.m. (1 hour)

March 'Michael Varhola Show' on Psi-Fi Radio

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the monthly "Michael Varhola Show" on Psi-fi Talk-Radio! If you missed it live then you can still check it out in archive.

As usual, we covered a lot of ground on this best and quickest two hours of the month. Among other things, we discussed sites I have been investigating for Ghosthunting San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country, my latest book project for the America's Haunted Road Trip series of travel guides, to include my recent foray onto the Devil's Backbone, a local haunted highway. We then went on to observe an Easter theme by talking about Bunnyman Bridge, a truly terrifying site in Fairfax County, Virginia, that has a bloody legend associated with it and which I wrote about in my Ghosthunting Virginia; to talk about animal ghosts and what their characteristics might be; and some updates on the "Paranormal Track" programming I am organizing for the Comicpalooza fan convention, being held May 24-26 in Houston, to include booking cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard to run a seminar on "X Creatures" in Texas and beyond.

And thanks to host Donna Stewart for playing Johnny Cash's classic "Ghostriders in the Sky" during the break! That song always gives me a chill and is a great theme song for anyone ghosthunting in Texas or the Southwest.

February 'Michael Varhola Show' on Psi-Fi Radio

Had a great show with Donna Stewart and Kristal Preston during my monthly spot on Psi-fi Talk-Radio! We always cover a lot of ground on this show and it is frequently the best and quickest two hours of the month. Among other things, we discussed my new Ghosthunting San Antonio, Austin, and Texas Hill Country book project and the kickoff of my research for it, Donna's Ghosthunting Oregon, and the upcoming Comicpalooza fan convention, being held May 24-26 in Houston, and for which I will be running a full track of paranormal seminars and events. We were also pleased to have Comicpalooza founder John Simons join us and talk about some of the other great things he has got planned for the convention this year! Anyone interested in listening to the show can check it out in archive.