1. ChaosHaunted &Historical Tours
October 2009 Happy Halloween
Volume 1, Issue 1
from your friends at
Chaos Haunted &
Historical Tours !
Inside this Issue This is our first newsletter. It’s been a
long time coming but there is a lot of
exciting news about the ghost tours this
1
Introduction and new
year.
website information
Firstly, we have a new website. The site
1
New Tours! is at the same address
(www.chaostrips.com).
It’s been completely overhauled. It has
2
Videos, Facebook &
Twitter , Testimonials
much more in content and breaks down
the available tours nicely with a New Tour Packages!
calendar. Unfortunately settling in
We have some NEW tour packages
2
Ghost Stories!, Upcoming hasn’t been easy and my domain
talks. worth checking out too! YEA! The
hosting provider hasn’t been doing a
Dark Shores tour was added in 2006 and
very good job so if that website doesn’t
visits the Northern area of Porter
3
Ghost Classes, Chicago come up, put in
County and along the Dunes area. One
Conference, Halloween www.chaostours.web.com. Meanwhile
of the key places of that tour is a trip to
Party, Channel 56 I’ll be working diligently to get that
the last known residence of Diana of the
problem fixed and switch over to
3
A Haunting in Hobart Dunes (Alice Mable Grey). Last year
another domain hosting provider.
we began running some “Midnight
Tours” so our guests who wanted more
The website has a survey, some ghost
of the ghost hunting experience, would
5
Upcoming Events tour pictures, ghostly pictures of
have ample opportunity to investigate
haunted locations that we visit, some of
some haunted locations with us. Right
our favorite EVP (Electronic Voice
now we offer Midnight Specials of both
Phenomena), and much more. I’ll be
5
ORBS! the Kaske home in Munster and the Old
adding more pictures and EVP to check
Jail Museum in Valparaiso. Both are
out over the next week. I plan to
extremely active haunted locations. We
change the EVP about once a week
6
Questions and Answers, limit the group sizes to the locations as
during the tour season so you’ll be able
Ghost Jokes well. Other overnight and Midnight tour
to hear some different recordings over
locations are in the works yet this year.
the next couple months. EVP is the
Some of these may be brand new
recording we get at haunted places with
Chaos Haunted & Historical Tours locations worth checking out that we
the ghostly voices caught on recording.
PO Box 1831, Highland, IN 46322 don’t normally visit on our tours!
My goal is to provide some that are
Phone: 219-714-3761 clear and easy to hear but a few may
www.chaostrips.com The Haunted Pub Crawls have also
require you to turn up the volume. I hear
taken off since their introduction. Many
Happy Halloween! turning down the lights adds to the
effect and makes it easier to hear too.
guests enjoy the opportunity to sip their
favorite beverages at 4 haunted bars
I’m not sure about that but it certainly
By Mike McDowell with great ghost stories behind them.
makes them spookier.
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2. OCTOBER 2009
We travel between the locations by bus Stories 2 and 3 available on the website. experience. The meter returned to the
and hear other ghost stories along the Ghost Stories 2 is available now. The pleasant green color as the figure
way. I imagine that the ghosts find our investigations run very much like you vanished from sight. The poor
antics as amusing as we find theirs as see on the regular TV ghost shows gentleman was pretty shaken up after
we visit these fine drinking investigation EXCEPT that we actually his ordeal. He shared his experience
establishments. I wrote briefly about come up with some decent evidence on with me on recording and I hope to have
one of them in this past months our investigations. The videos detail that up on the website shortly. I won’t
Panorama Now magazine. That is haunted places all around the state of forget his words to me as he returned to
Drena’s Bar and Grill of Hobart. Indiana. Don’t miss them! the bus. He said “That’s the last time I
ever go out in a cemetery at night!” We
Brand new for this year is our La Porte Of course Dead Whisper and Mystic just never know when it’s going to
County Tours as we visit such haunted Indiana are still available for purchase happen on these tours. Sometimes it’s
spots as the 10th and I street hauntings, too. those cold and rainy nights that seem to
the haunting that have resulted due to bring the ghosts out of hiding.
the serial murders that happened 100
years ago by the notorious killer Bell
Gunness, spooky theaters, and many Facebook and
other eerie locations. The spookiest
places that I can find will be included Twitter
into this tour.
Chaos Haunted & Historical Tours has
For those that want to help support the made the leap to Facebook and Twitter
local Animal Shelter of Porter County, so that our fans can keep up with our
Chaos Haunted & Historical Tours is news on those websites. I myself have
doing 2 benefit tours for them where been drawn into this great tool to
ALL proceeds go to benefit the local connect with people over this past year
shelters. Those tours are October 16th and have become a big fan of Facebook.
and November 7th. They are the Porter Look us up today!
County route with a bit of a twist for
flavor. More details and information on
this tour can be found on the website. Testimonials
We are plugging in testimonials to the
Chaos Tours website so if you would
like to send us your testimonial or
review of our tours, you can email it to
me or post it to our guestbook on the Upcoming Talks
website.
I’ll be doing a few talks this Halloween
Ghost Stories! as I often do. One of my scheduled talks
is at the Kanakee Valley Historical
Society on October 13th. On the 22nd of
“It was a dark, cold and rainy October, I’ll be speaking at the Munster
October night when …” Historical Society. I’m speaking on the
21st of October at an assisted living
How many ghost stories have you heard home at 2 PM.
that start with “it was a dark, cold and
rainy October night when …..”. It was The Munster Historical Society talk is
New Video! just such a ghost tour last year that we
had one of our cool tour experiences.
open to the public and is at the Kaske
Home in Munster on Ridge road and
One of our guests came face to face Columbia. Feel free to come on out! I
I’m in the process of completing “Ghost think the other talks are open to the
with “something” or “someone” , in a
Stories 3” a video by Vizmo films and public as well and those details will be
local cemetery, that appeared to be a
awesome producer Dan Hall. The video on the website very soon.
ghostly manifestation. The guest was
will feature Drena’s Bar and Grill of
using one of our EMF meters at the time
Hobart as one of the investigations!
and it had “spiked” to and angry red
Don’t miss it! I’ll have copies of Ghost
color, at maximum, when he had his
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3. OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
There may be other talks added and
we’ll have those on the website and
send out notices via email as well.
Purdue University
Ghost Hunting
classes!
This is my second year of teaching
paranormal studies at Purdue University
Valparaiso. The Ghosts and Ghost
Tracking class still has a few openings
left I believe. It’s a 3 week course on
The Indiana Ghost
paranormal investigations. We meet
Wednesdays October 7th, 14th and 21st
Trackers
with our last class to visit a haunted
location to research it’s paranormal
Halloween party!
activity.
The Indiana Ghost Trackers Halloween
Party is happening this year on October
In November I’m teaching an EVP or
24th at the Haunted Halls of Justice
Electronic Voice Phenomena studies
(next to the Old Jail) in downtown
course. Last year we had some success a
Crown Point Indiana. 8PM – 1 AM.
capturing EVP at an immigrant train
The Chicago Ghost Conference is This is the 8th Annual Halloween party
accident location from 100 years ago.
happening this coming weekend. For for the Indiana Ghost Trackers. It’s $15
more information go to: per person with tons of great prizes for
More information is available from the
http://www.chicagohauntings.com/conf best costumes, a DJ, lots of giveaways,
website or at www.pnc.edu
erence.html EVPs, snacks and so much more. I hope
to see you there!
This is co-hosted with Ursula Bielski,
The Chicago myself and the Indiana Ghost Trackers.
Ghost Conference! There are awesome speakers coming to
this and cool events on both Friday and Channel 56
Saturday. Joshua Warren, Jeff Belanger,
Lorraine Warren, Fredrick Stonehouse Appearance in
and many more awesome and
entertaining speakers will be there. October!
Svengoolie, the Chicago movie horror
host will be appearing as well! This is Watch for us on Lakeshore Public
conference is certainly not to be missed! Television in October (channel 56). A
new ghost program was filmed by Paul
If you are a paranormal enthusiast, you Nelson featuring myself and the Indiana
will definitely want to attend this event! Ghost Trackers.
A Haunting in
Hobart
This was an article that I wrote for
Panorama Magazine for the September
issue.
Ahhh, it’s that time of year again. Fall.
With fall of course comes that fun and
spooky holiday known as Halloween.
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4. OCTOBER 2009
It’s of course the time of year more dinner, drinks or live entertainment. It man, with a beard, who was dressed in
people begin to think about Ghosts and wasn’t uncommon for visitors to black farmers type clothing dating to the
Ghost Stories. Some people like myself Drenas’ to feel someone standing early 1900’s. The ghostly apparition
have taken an interest in ghosts a step behind them or feel someone tap them vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
further. on the shoulder or neck, only to turn and
find no one there. The best way to One of the most interesting occurrences
I’m a paranormal investigator. I also run describe this feeling is the uncanny though took place in the summer of
the Indiana Ghost Trackers (a group of sense of feeling someone standing very 2008. A deliveryman had come and put
paranormal investigators) and Chaos close to you, close enough to invade away some items in the back storage
Haunted & Historical Tours. your personal space followed by a faint room off of the kitchen. After he left,
I personally have visited and “touch”. Definitely enough to make Gail found 2 expensive heating lamps
investigated countless haunted locations anyone jump should this happen to him lying broken on the floor. They had
across the country and right here in our or her. been securely stowed on a top shelf in
Hoosier state over the 12 years that I’ve the room. Gail immediately assumed
been ghost hunting. Being that I was There was also the sense of being that the deliveryman had broken the
born and raised here in the region, some watched, as if eyes were peering at them heat lamps and didn’t bother to tell
of my favorite haunted locations are from across the room. If course people anyone. No one else had been in or out
none other than right here in Northwest feeling as if they were being watched, of the storage room before or after he
Indiana. I’m going to take a moment to turned to find nothing there and had left so it was a logical assumption
tell you of one such spooky haunt of our summed up the feeling as their own to make.
region. imaginations or their minds playing
tricks on them. Gail made an angry phone call to the
Last year my friend Tom Lounges of company the deliveryman worked at.
XRock told me about a “new” haunted Workers were not immune to coming in Her daughter, Alexe, interrupted her
location that sounded like it might be a contact with a ghostly presence at during the phone call. She said “Mom,
good place to visit. Apparently a Drena’s. Sue, a chef working in the stop!” “He didn’t do it, you need to see
surveillance video captured some kitchen, had the distinct feeling of this!”. Gail turned to where her daughter
interesting ghostly phenomena. someone grabbing her right thigh on had been reviewing the motion activated
one occasion. Sue continues to see him surveillance video’s and watched as the
Obviously I was immediately intrigued. all the time out of the corner of her heavy and secured heat lamp was
Not only was it a chance for the Indiana while working in the kitchen. wrenched off the shelf by an unseen
Ghost Trackers could do an The Bar has mirrors that reflect the force and dropped to the floor with no
investigation in hopes of capturing some stage at Drena’s where the live one in the room. Gail simply said to the
ghostly evidence, but I also knew that performances take place. One night company “I’m sorry, I made a mistake”
this might also turn out to be a great after closing, Gail and her soundman and ended the phone call.
location to add to the Chaos Tours Stretch, were sitting up at the bar and
Haunted Pub Crawls. both became transfixed at something in Further review of the video showed,
the mirror. They both witnessed a black without a shadow of a doubt, that no
I gave the owner Gail (known as Drena shadowy figure run across the stage one was there to pull the heavy and
to many of her friends) a call and found near the microphone stand. Although secure lamp off of that top shelf. The
her very open to sharing her experiences the mic stand didn’t fall, it did start deliveryman had come and gone
at Drena’s Bar and Grill of Hobart. shaking. They quickly turned around without incident and was clearly seen
The building itself wasn’t very old. In only to find no one nearby. on the video going about his business. It
fact it was only built in 1995. It was was about 5 minutes after he had left
built on the foundation of an old It’s a common occurrence for workers that the lamp had come crashing down.
farmhouse though which dated back to to hear chairs being dragged across the He hadn’t bumped anything or jarred
1903. floor when no one is in the dining room anything during his visit.
area. The dart machines have even come
Gail had only recently taken it over and on by themselves while unplugged. On The shelf was a very solidly built shelf
started up operations at Drena’s when one occasion a glass lifted up off the and there seemed to be no explanation
some unusual activity started taking bar, while customers and workers for what had just taken place. Another
place. watched. The glass then smashed itself interesting fact is that when the lamps
on the floor as if thrown by someone in were pulled down, the second lamp to
Customers began noticing strange anger. fall levitated in the air after the first had
things happening. Sometimes people fallen and then fell to the floor.
would feel something lightly touching Stretch saw a ghostly figure one night.
them as they sat at their tables enjoying What he saw appeared to be an older
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. October’s Events OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
(all tours listed below are 7PM – 11PM As we know, lamps falling off of “Orbs”. Orbs are these balls of light
unless noted)
shelving don’t normally levitate. If Gail captured by photograph or video.
wasn’t convinced that her building was Sometimes these are captured at places
2nd & 3rd - Chicago ghost Conference
haunted before, she surely believed it at thought to be haunted. Sometimes the
this point. Gail also realized that the orbs are solid, sometimes faint. They
9th (Friday) - Lake County Tour storage room was located directly over are often white in color but can
the foundation of the old farmhouse. sometimes be other colors too. It’s a lot
9th/10th (Friday) - Midnight There are many more stories to tell of of fun for people to see if they can
Special 11:59PM - 4 AM, Location Old Drena’s in Hobart and the initial capture pictures of orbs at haunted
Valpo Jail
investigation of the Indiana Ghost places. The question arises though “Are
Trackers, but I’ll save those for another these orbs an actual ghost?”
10th (Saturday) - Porter County Tour time.
13th – Kakakee Valley Historical Society Drena’s is definitely a place of warm
talk 7 PM hospitality, great food and wonderful
entertainment. It leaves us wondering
15th (Thursday) - Lake County Tour who is visiting Drena - Gail, her staff
and the customers and what exactly
16th (Friday) - Dark Shores Tour their purpose might be.
17th (Saturday) - Haunted Pub Crawl Hopefully we’ll see you this season at
the Chaos Haunted & Historical Tours.
My first trip to Gypsies Cemetery.
17th/18th (Saturday) - Midnight Special If not, please have a wonderful and safe
11:59PM - 4 AM, Location Old Valpo Jail Halloween.
The problem starts with flash
photography or bright lights that stream
22nd – Munster Historical Society Talk 7 PM Visit us online at www.chaostrips.com
into a room or place. Dust, moisture and
and www.indianaghosts.org
air particles of any kind can create a
22nd (Thursday) - Porter County Tour bounce back of light effect creating an
Check the video out at:
orb when we take that picture or video.
23rd (Friday) - Lake County Tour http://www.youtube.com/user/drenasbar
You can try this at home with a tissue
andgrill
paper. Turn off the lights, crinkle that
23rd (Friday) - Haunted Pub Crawl Tour tissue in the air above your camera and
whalla! You’ve got yourself an orb!
23rd (Friday) - Dark Shores Tour You can spray some water into the air
for a similar effect. Well that certainly
24th - Come Celebtate Halloween with the isn’t a ghost now is it?
Indiana Ghost Trackers at the Haunted Halls
of Justice, 8th Annual Halloween bash! We don’t normally see these “dust
Only $10 per person, DJ, Prizes, snacks, bunnies” or fine mists floating through
contests, and much more! the air but they are there! That’s the
problem with ghost hunting and looking
27th - Lake County Tour
ORBS!!! for orbs. It’s very nearly impossible to
prove that an orb is a representation in
28th - Porter County Tour It’s that time of the year is here again! any way of a ghost because there are air
The pumpkins are at the fruit stands and particles that float around us all the time
the nights are getting a little cooler that will look the same, or very similar
29th – Lake County Tour, Haunted Pub
Crawl Tour & LaPorte Tour all run. again. Fall. And with fall comes one of on camera to what people would say is a
the nations leading holidays, classic “ghost orb”. The closer it is to
Halloween. With Halloween, ghost and the lenses, the bigger and more solid it
30th - (Friday, Devils Night!) Dark Shores
Tours, Porter County and Lake County all hauntings seems to grab the attention of is.
run. many people, especially with the many
new ghost hunting television shows on
Continued on page 6
the air.
One of the topics of conversations that I
hear most from people, during my ghost
tours or at IGT meetings, are that on
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6. OCTOBER 2009
skeptical. If you catch them on the tours
Continued from Page 5
(and I hope that you do) there’s always
the chance that they are!
30th/31st Midnight Special - location TBA
The Ghost Jokes
Happy Halloween!
31st - Halloween DAYTIME trip TBA!
(more details to come!) for October
Mike McDowell is the President/CEO
of the Indiana Ghost Trackers and also
November Q: Where do ghosts go on
the owner of Chaos Haunted &
vacation?
Historical Tours. You can find out more
online atEerie canal, Lake Eerie and at
A: The www.indianaghosts.org !
I 1st (Sunday, All Saintsthis picture but it
don’t remember who got Day) Porter or Mali-Boo
shows a niceLake county both run this
County & solid orb. www.chaostrips.com. He can be
night 7 -11 PM emailed at nwighosttours@gmail.com
Can a ghost be an orb? Why certainly it
could. -I (Friday) LaPorte and Porter
6th have visited hundreds and Q. What's a ghosts favorite ride at
hundreds of haunted placesnighton just a
County both run this and the carnival?
few occasions I have witnessed the A: The roller ghoster.
Questions and Answers
spectacular. I’ve seen “orbs” moving on
7th - (Saturday) Lake County &
their own violation with the naked eye.
haunted Pub Crawl both run this night 7 Send me your favorite!
Q:Can I send you my picture?
The stories are -too long and there isn’t
11 PM
room for them here, but I have A: Please do! Ghost pictures and
witnessed this incredible experience people pictures from tours are all
FRIDAY THE 13th !!! - Porter County
first hand. Does my experience provide very cool. Yes you can send me your
Tour, Haunted Pub Crawl and Lake
evidence that an orb is a ghost? No, but orb pictures. I’ll be happy to look at
County Tour all run this night 7 - 11 them! Pictures may end up on the
it does seem probable that what I
PM website though unless you tell me
experienced was supernatural in nature.
otherwise.
A nice picture by Carol Farkas from a
Friday thethat if energy exists Special
Assuming 13th - Midnight after couple years back.
Q: Will you post EVPs from your
death and that energyTBA moved on
location hasn’t tours online?
to the hereafter, what would the easiest
Questions and Answers
form for that “energy” to take? A A: I’ll do my best to post any EVP
For more information on these
triangle? A square? A trapezoid? recordings we capture during the
Q: I have a house that is haunted.
Probablyand much more could the
tours not! But a circle visit be a midnight tours on the website for
Would you come out to take a look
website: www.chaostrips.com
reasonable form of the energy that may everyone to hear. You can then
and do you charge anything?
download these EVPS to save for
be left behind. So if orbs can be some
your own personal files. They will
sort ofOr call: representation, how can
ghostly 219-714-3761
only Ibe available for ato line or so
A: would be happy week up an
we tell our own orb photos from investigation. It will most likely be
though so get them while they are up
there! Right now there are 6 Trackers.
something that might just be a ghost? through the Indiana Ghost EVP on
That’s a good question and many ghost the website from our for this service.
There is no charge last Kaske
home Midnight special. Check call
hunters have their own answers for what If you would just like a social them
they BELIEVE is a true “ghost orb”. out! These werebeer, that’s fine too.
over coffee or analyzed on the site
There is still no way to prove it though. and the team that was there with me
stayed and tours are full?
Q: Which helped me listen to the
So my answer to those inquiring minds, recordings for the EVP.
A: I’ll try to post this information
who email me their ghost orbs this
Q:Where do tours pickup from? are
online as they fill up. Most tours
Hallowen, is; “Perhaps”. There is not still wide open but the calls are
A: Lake County – East side ofand get
proof that the orb between aunt Mildred starting to come in so hurry the
and aunt Bonnie is your uncle Ed, but Crownreservations in!
your Point OLD courthouse in the
maybe it is. We can’t prove that it is square. (1 Court St)
(continued from page 5) Porter County– 153 Franklin Street,
from an “orb picture” but if you believe the Valparaiso Historical Museum
that uncle Ed stopped by to say hello, Dark Shores – In Chesterton at the
brand new visitors Center on route
who am I to say that you’re mistaken?
49. It’s just north of Indian Boundary
 Road and 80/94.
Pub Crawls – Franklin House in
-- So orbs can be ghosts but as a downtown Valparaiso. 68 S.
paranormal investigator, I must be Campbell St. (Unless noted
otherwise).
Midnight Tours – Depends on
6 location. Check the website
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LaPorte- TBA Should have that
ironed out this week.
Private tours can pickup from a
specified location.

7. OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
Well, that’s about it for this
newsletter. I’ll see you at the tours
of via email with the next one!
Please let me know if you do not
wish to be a part of this email list
and I will remove you from future
mailings. Thanks!
Mike McDowell
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