All Hollows Eve, being the night before all saint’s day (November 1st) which we know as Halloween is coming this week and most of our Northwoods small towns have parties or some kind of activities for the kids and a little something for adults too. For the little ones, there will be haunted houses, haunted ice shanties, trick or treats and movies being shown at library’s, trunk or treat (DECORATE YOUR TRUNK OR BED OF YOUR TRUCK) and give out candy, community centers and lion clubs will participate with passing out treats, bonfires with hotdogs, hot chocolate, games and costume contest. I will say, many adults (including Monica and myself) in the Northwoods enjoy Halloween as much if not more than the children do. There are MANY resorts, bars and supper clubs that have great parties, but if you are adventurous, there are a few haunted places and areas that have paranormal sightings or buildings that strange things happen in right here in the Northwoods.

If you believe in this stuff or not, over the years, here are a few places I have heard of. The first one that comes to mind is Headwaters restaurant & tavern in Boulder Junction, where a lady in a red dress is seen in the basement and the area around Stevenson Creek is another area near Boulder that is said to be haunted. There’s a coffee shop on silver street in Hurley that has had ghostly sightings. It has been reported that the cemetery in Mercer is haunted by a woman. The Thirsty Whale in Minocqua is supposedly haunted by the original owner and a ghost has been seen in Tula’s Café also in Minocqua. The Nola cemetery in Park Falls is said to be haunted by the ghost of a girl “NOLA” the first person buried there. In Manitowish waters, the man accidentally shot and killed by the FBI in 1934 the night of Dillinger’s escape from Little Bohemia, has been seen many times. Also, in Manitowish waters there has been stories about the ghost of an Ice fisherman. There have been reports about cleaning people getting attacked by ghost at Lake of the Torches casino in Lac Du Flambeau.

I think the most talked about haunted place in the Northwoods is on the shores of West Bay Lake in Land O Lakes and this is where the Summerwind Mansion was once located. The house burnt down in 1988 after a lightning strike, but even today, people still come and walk around hoping for a ghostly encounter. The story goes that Robert Lamont (owner) shot at a ghost and the family was so frightened by the hauntings, they abandoned the mansion. Then new owners, Arnold Hinshaw and his wife Ginger could not keep people working on the house, because of them being scared by the unknown. The Hinshaw’s experienced so many paranormal activities that he had a nervous breakdown, and she attempted suicide. But then there were a couple residents that never seen nor heard anything ghostly.

IF YOU DARE TO HEAD TO THE NORTHWOODS THIS COMING WEEK, BEWARE OF THE UNDEAD WALKING AROUND THESE SMALL TOWNS. AND DONT LET THOSE CUTE LITTLE WITCHES, GOBLINS, ZOMBIES AND MOSTLY THE ANIMALS OR SUPERHERO COSTUMS TRICK YOU, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT COULD BE UNDER THOSE MASKS.