2004 California Ghost Hunters Conference

The vision for the conference for 2004 was for an intimate conference setting.  We were fortunate to have been working with The Tuscan Inn which is situated just off Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California.  The rooms were exquisite, the venue was warm and inviting and it is this hotel that set the tone for the conference itself.

Although the itinerary was somewhat jumbled due to our bonus attraction being first, it did not influence the outcome of the conference at all.  The conference went off without any major glitches.  All the guest speakers were excellent and presented themselves and their lectures with an air of exuberance and enthusiasm.  The attendees were ready for a weekend of fun and excitement.  I could not have been more proud and pleased.

THE HAUNTED U.S.S. HORNET:

The bonus attraction was the first stop for our conference goers.  Normally the bonus attraction is afterward but due to scheduling problems, this seemed the best alternative.  We had to wait for all to arrive and we taken aboard the ship....pillow, blanket, sleeping bag, clothes and all.   This was a real hard-core outing.

Afterward, we were met by Joe Martinez, who supervises the helicopter and plane restorations, Keith LaDue, the overnight program manager and Winter LaDue, Keith's wife and trusty side kick.  We were seated and given an orientation regarding safety on board the ship.  We were told the rules of being on the ship and how the ship currently functions.  We were then led down to the berthing areas to stow our gear (that's sea man talk for putting our stuff away - learned a new language on the ship!!).  Once we picked our bed and put out things away, we were led back up top to the main level to ask for volunteers for dinner crew.  One thing we did learn from Chief Sass was the term NAVY and what it stood for.  We learned it stood for Never Again Volunteer Yourself.  Amazing what ship lingo you can learn!!

When first boarding the ship, you get this extreme view from way above the water.

One of the most important things we learned aboard the ship is about safety.  One of our guides was Joe Martinez, very knowledgeable, really fun.

Following the slogan just taught us, some crewmembers never listen - NAVY - Never Again Volunteer Yourself

We were led down below to the Mess Hall where we were served an extremely delicious meal by our (NAVY) volunteers.  We were allowed to sit down and talk and eat but were reminded that we needed to keep the Hornet clean and clean up after ourselves.   As the night wore on, we began to roam freely in the areas we were allowed to go until we were ready to be taken on a tour by our "leaders" to the hot spots on the ship.

Following dinner, we were allowed to move about on the ship awaiting our guided tour to the hot spots where sightings occurred.  We began to watch as the large bay doors were closed, locking us in for the night.

Joe Martinez was a great guide, had many stories and always made sure to keep us safe.  Here he is with camera in hand, with Ghost Trackers members Chrystie and Andrew.

One of the hot spots of the ship was the brig.  Here are two pictures taken of the same room at slightly different angles due to light reflection seen when taken.  Note the possible orb to the left of center.

Same brig room, different angle, taken only seconds following the previous picture.  Note the possible orb has moved but is still just to the left of center, just below the line dividing the room.

This possible orb was caught just beginning to form a tail.

One thing we learned about the men that lived aboard the ship...they never lost their sense of humor.  Here are vats (filled with ???) they lovingly call "gin", "beer", and those you can't see are "wine", "whisky".

Joe was standing above me on a platform.  So, Fearless Leader found an ideal place to take a picture of most of the group.  Say "cheese" everyone!!

Of course, we never forget we are in San Francisco...the most beautiful, romantic city in all of California ~ !!

And another gorgeous view - any wonder why we live here??

The night was filled with stories of hauntings, places to see as we roamed about, people to get scared with, excitement of the events that could possibly take place and then in the morning....stories of those things that did take place!!!

ON FRIDAY, AFTER THE HORNET....

Friday was a day to rest.  For some, to check into their hotels.  For others, to roam about the ship some more and to see what they did not see during the evening.  Others decided to sightsee, not having been to San Francisco at all or at least not for many years.   Needless to say, all needed a shower, a nap and something to eat.

Friday night gave way to our annual wine reception complete with appetizers, good talk, interesting people and always the possibility to meet our guest speakers and be one with them for that time.  The hotel was a beautiful place and made our wine reception area look and feel very warm and inviting.

SATURDAY, CONFERENCE DAY.....

Dennis William Hauck spoke of many of his Northern California experiences.  Here he is signing a book for an attendee.  What a wonderfully kind, knowledgeable and interesting man he was.

Our attendees were able to peruse the many tables that held books, t-shirts, ghost spray, videos, equipment and even the possibility of subscribing to Ghost! Magazine!!!

Here you see Central California Paranormal Investigator team Mark and Jackie Meador and Mark Bocuzzi from Bay Area Paranormal.   By the way,  to Mark and Jackie THANK YOU for all the kind, generous help you gave to Fearless Leader!!

Here are members of the AGHOST group from Seattle, Washington.  Always the best people to have on board when throwing a conference.

Here is a view of the conference room made available to us and the gentleman in the red shirt is of course, none other than Ghost Trackers' Forensic Photographer, Jim Carter.  He obviously seems stunned again by learning something new....or he is scratching his head because Fearless Leader has made another obnoxious request!!!

This is the very entertaining, intelligent Loyd Auerbach. For those of you who have never heard him speak before, you are truly missing something special!!  This man has all the latest high-tech presentation equipment and puts on a lecture that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!

Here you see the dynamic Laurie Jacobson, Dennis William Hauck and of course, Troy Taylor.  We are very pleased and very proud to have had all of our guest speakers join us this year.  Without them, our conference would not have been the outstanding success it was!!

Following the conference was the San Francisco Vampire Tour which was a two hour tour that covered the history and hidden vampire areas surrounding the city of San Francisco.  Many thanks to Mina Harker for her graciousness and great tour!!

SUNDAY, THE DAY OF REST AND RETURN TO CIVILIZATION.....

Although this is a simple rundown of this years' conference, it does not match the actual joining of the forces that took place between the guest speakers and the attendees.  The energy felt in the room when everyone was together was perfect. 

There was such enthusiasm and excitement in them, everyone taking part in discussions, everyone meeting others for the first time and sharing stories, made everything just wonderful!! 

I could not have asked for any better project than to put this together and for this I humbly say THANK YOU!!  Thank you for joining us this year, thank you to our gracious guest speakers who took time out of their busy schedules to be with us, many thanks to Chris Rod, Editor of Ghost! Magazine for his great write-up and thank you to Ghost Trackers' members and CCPI members for assisting me with every little detail!! 

Until next time....Three ghosts walk into a bar.........!!!

~  Fearless Leader

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