Subj: [ParanormalGhostSociety] Last Night's Adventure Report.... 
Date: 9/24/2005 5:38:29 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
From: AngelOfThyNight@aol.com 
To: ParanormalBuffalo@yahoogroups.com,  Paranormalflorida@yahoogroups.com,  paranormalghostsociety@yahoogroups.com,  ParanormalGhostSocietyConnections@yahoogroups.com,  ParanormalGhostSociety@groups.msn.com 

We had quite a very adventurous night as we headed out of town to do some pretty major places. I wanted to mix up the night with a variety of things and this is our first large scale investigation in a few weeks so you bet we were in for some fun. We ended up having to pack up food for our trip cause I knew we would be out all night long investigating.
 
It was an odd night I will say that even before our adventure started. I went to Wal-Mart to get oil and ran into Rebecca who runs Slaughterhouse Productions and let us investigate in the Old Masonic Temple. I swear its a small world but its nice to see that she recognized us walking to the car. She was telling me that WB might do a television show there sounds exciting.
 
Eventually I stopped at a gas station to put oil in my car. Well sadly when I was doing that a huge fire ball ignited in my face and everything started on fire near the engine. I was trying to blow it out like crazy. Eventually I did get the fire under control and miraculously everything was okay. But having a car fire near the gas pump would have made the news if we did not react quickly. At that gas station one thing was odd their was a couple giant dead months and one flying around bigger then my fist maybe a sign who knows.
 
Later on as we were driving deep in the woods I stopped for gas I was so upset cause eventually when we almost arrived to our destination we found really cheap gas and I was cursing out my window lol.  Trust me 10 cents makes a difference for our road trips grrrrr. The older lady at the gas station reached over the counter and grabbing my arms checking out my tattoos.
 
Eventually we made it into Palatka with good timing and we stayed generally in town for our investigations as we ventured into five places called Ravine State Gardens, St. Monica Catholic Cemetery, Westview Cemetery, The Bronson Mulholland House & The Putnam Historic Museum, and finally to finish off the night the Old Bostwick School. Eventually we arrived at our first destination Ravine State Gardens.
 
Ravine State Gardens
 
Even while driving around the Ravine I was quite fascinated with the area. Most of the streets here were made of brick, the street lamps were lit by flames, and many of the houses were old southern mansions. Even the street names were written very fancy at each intersection.
 
We found an area to park then we hiked on off into Ravine State Gardens. I could see the giant Roosevelt Monument in the front entrance. We ended up going down a dark walkway along some building an a old gift shop. Eventually it came to a dead end and we jumped off a wall only to come out to a dimly lit road.
 
We had no idea where we were going as we ended up walking in this tunnel of vines and wood logs. In the middle of the tunnels were gardens and various rock fountains. It was a real comfortable setting.
 
Eventually we made it over to an old cedar log cabin used by the garden club. This structure I believe is one of the oldest near the Ravine. While checking out the outside of the cabin I heard very heavy movement. It sounds like a huge branch snapping and something moving towards us.
 
We ignored it and went on to the picnic shelter that looked like a tree house. Jason shined the spotlight down along a bank and behold we had found the ravine. It was totally amazing I cannot say how far down it went but it was very deep and very jungle like. It almost looked like we were in the Brazilian rain forest. I knew it had to be deep cause we were higher then some of the tree tops of various trees growing below.
 
I did not think much of it till we started heading over to this giant two story building and the noises became a lot closer.
 
More then likely something was checking us out like most places. Towards the side of the building we started walking down this hill and in front of these two giant stone pillars. This would lead us into a series of gardens and of course down into the Ravine.
 
The gardens were all lined with brick walkways surrounded by many different plants and in the center a stone fountain that looked very natural rather then man made. We did not explore the gardens much but we did take a stairwell down into another identical garden. Then we took another stairwell which was very steep and had a winding effect. This led us to a stone wall and of course the beginning descent into the ravine itself.
 
We started walking down a dirt trail and whatever followed us had stopped. I did however feel watched as we were hiking. Jason and I were having a blast it was just one stone stair well after another every so many feet. Each stone stairwell took us deeper and deeper to a point where no stars were even visible.
 
Eventually we found another trail called the Bamboo Springs Trail but we decided to take the other path. Some of the paths and stairwells were heavily overgrown the other obstacle we started to face was that the erosion of the trails along the ravine made it a dangerous hike. I kept thinking all it takes is one slip up and down you go into the ravine so we had to take the trails very seriously.
 
Eventually we almost made it to the bottom of the ravine and their was a giant suspension bridge we had to cross. We could have taken the stairs but that would have been no fun so we got onto the bridge. I started shaking it like crazy and watched as Jason starting holding on for dear life hahaha. But actually the bridge was very solid but with him and I shaking it I felt like I was in a Indiana Jones movie. We got that bridge rocking wooo lol.
 
We had our fun then we crossed and took a stairwell which led us to the bottom of the ravine. We finally made it to the bottom. Of course even with our spotlights we still could not see the top of the ravine so we were very deep. We stood under the suspension bridge and just looked up. You could see a dirt path here and their along the ravine but the growth was so jungle like anything could hide.
 
We started hiking in the ravine on both sides of us was steep cliffs with some plants that had leaves bigger then me. We found this was tropical tree that had a giant pink bud growing on it and nearby a giant flower petal. Their was also a creek and a crawfish that had to be at least 10 inches long. Hell the damn thing was almost the size of a lobster. I heard in the distance a weird howl or odd grunt type of sound it caught me off guard cause I was busy just relaxing looking at all the fauna.
 
The creek in the ravine twisted and turned just as the Ravine did. Where the water goes its hard to say cause it was flowing quite fast. Turning back I could see the bridge way off in the distance then mentioned to Jason how similar this looks to a Jurassic Park movie.
 
I mean imagine being in a ravine surrounded by jungle and you see the bridge swaying off in the distance. You could actually picture a T-Rex just chasing you down the ravines path roaring. I mean i do not know how to describe it other then that.
 
We came across a couple giant trees that had to be a few hundred years old but it would take a few people to stand around it for their hands to meet. The one thing we did not see however was any wildlife. I thought this was strange not to see any coons, possums, armadillos, deer etc.
 
We hiked over a bridge and almost made it to the end of the ravine. The ravine probably is only a mile or two long but it may be the deepest hole in the state of Florida. We found a different path and this was the hard part working our way back up out of the ravine.
 
We ended up hiking on some dirt trails and taking a whole different way. Eventually we ended up at an outdoor fitness area. Their was a private home nearby and I shined my light on it so we had to head back the other way. Somehow all that work of hiking out of the ravine we ended up back down to the bottom.
 
It really is easy to get lost here but we did take the Bamboo Spring Trail and sure enough found two springs back in the woods. Water was just guzzling out endlessly. So now I knew the explanation for the flowing creek.
 
We also found these weird wood steps which went in circles till we reached another trail. It seemed so endless as in order to hike out of the ravine you had to go up the many paths that ran along it. As we went higher and higher up we ended up coming out opposite of where we entered. The one thing that helped me out while hiking up the steep stairs and trails was that much of the foliage had dew on it so constantly I was being drenched with water from the leaves around me.
 
The ravine was quite mild in activity I did notice a heavy temperature drop inside the ravine probably not ghostly cause the lower you descend the cooler it is. We eventually worked out way to the Roosevelt Monument which is amazingly large.
 
I also took a photo of a painting of a mill and other things that occurred with Ravine State Gardens history. I believe the mill no longer stands if it does we could not find it. But the area has a lot of history to it.
 
We did eventually leave although I did not want to cause the place grows on you. Its real cozy and their is no impure feelings here. Its a jewel many locals do not even know about.
 
All in all I felt some energy here their was a few times I thought I heard a snarl, growl or even a voice. But who am I to say I mean the ravine is as big of a mystery as the supernatural that surround it. So we eventually made our way back to the car and headed off to St. Monica Catholic Cemetery.