The Brookdale Lodge in the Santa Cruz Mountains is both a large resort hotel and a local haunted house. In this episode, Matt shares the local lore, talks with two people who had eerie encounters at the Brookdale Lodge, and shares his own experiences there.
Tag Archives: scary story
63. Summer Camp Stories With Dawn Burley
Ghost stories are often associated with campfires, and common perception is that Scout camps are a prime place to learn ghost stories. But the logistics of camp, and of the counselor’s need to keep control over campers, makes that situation a bit more complicated. In this episode, Matt is joined by his old friend, and former Girl Scout camp counselor, Dawn Burley to talk about ghost stories in the Girl Scout camp experience.
62. Ghosts of NYU (With Dr. Michele Hanks)
Colleges and universities attract spooky stories like nobody’s business. The sharing of creepy tales and urban legends is a common part of student life on many campuses. But New York University is somewhat unusual in that it seems to obtain its creepy folklore as part of real estate transactions. In this episode, NYU faculty member Dr. Michele Hanks speaks with Matt about the stories associated with the historic campus.
61. Robert Johnson, Reconsidered
In this episode, Matt revisits the story of Robert Johnson and his supposed deal with the Devil at the crossroads. Along the way, we discuss the history of Blues music, Jim Crow-era racism, and how the culture of the 1980s led to the story of the bluesman who sold his soul becoming permanently affixed to Johnson.
60. Bloody Mary
You have likely heard, especially if you have ever been a pre-teen girl, that if you stand in front of a mirror in a dark room and perform a specific ritual, you will summon a ghost, or demon, or witch or some other such being. It’s dangerous, thrilling, and, for many, a rite of passage. In this episode, Matt discusses one of the most widespread ghost stories on earth – Bloody Mary.
59. The Bandage Man of Cannon Beach
The Cannon Beach and Seaside areas of Oregon’s coast are home to an unusual spirit – the Bandage Man. Part ghost, part mummy, part reanimated corpse, this creature is the central character of a local urban legend and serves as something of a local mascot. Join Matt for a discussion of this weirdly delightful story.
58. Gnomes and Ghosts
No, Matt is not going to turn this into a podcast on gnomes and other fairy folk…but there are more connections between fairies, gnomes, and ghosts than one might think. In this episode, Matt talks about a scary gnome that might be a demon, as well as a man who died and came back as a ghost that appears to resemble a gnome or brownie.
57. Mission La Purisima Concepcion, California
The ghost stories about the La Purisima Mission, what they include and what they surprisingly don’t, tell us a lot about how Californians think about their state’s past.
56. The Ghosthroplogy Family Stories
In this special episode, Matt talks with his Good Lady Wife / Producer and their Daughter about the spooky and not-so-spooky happenings in their home… and beyond!
55. The Shanghai Tunnels, Portland, Oregon
In this episode: how commerce, tall tales, and xenophobia collide with notions of innocence and victimization to create the folklore of Portland’s Haunted Shanghai Tunnels.