NW Backroads

Fall is a great time to visit Run of the River Inn and Refuge, one of Washington's most unique sanctuaries.

Northwest Backroads

Patti Bosket, a decorator with a flair for the natural, is inspired by what surrounds her and she transforms the inn into a cornucopia of holiday cheer.

One reason is the autumn colors when vine maples, aspen, larch and cottonwoods captivate visitors and put on an amazing show.

The second reason is the inn itself. Run of the River is an elegant inn perched on the banks of the Icicle River near the Bavarian town of Leavenworth.

Each year, innkeepers Monty and Karen Turner not only transform the inn to connect with nature to rejuvenate their guests' minds, bodies and souls, they also turn the inn into a cornucopia of spectacular displays, like the nearly 5,000 decked-out pumpkins signifying the start of fall and the Halloween season.

Fall is indeed a special time at this exquisite bed-and-breakfast.

If all that holiday cheer isn't enough, then wait till you see the rooms – beautifully appointed and spacious, all with Jacuzzi tubs and fireplaces that will melt your stress away.

But don't get too comfy, you won't want to miss what's happening right outside your door. There's lots of hiking and biking, wildlife and birdlife, and relaxing.

Spirits of Diablo

The North Cascades are home to many amazing stories. In the small town of Newhalem, early settlers said the winds howled through the canyon like the wails of the devil. It's there we learned of a few tales from the crypt.

The North Cascades mountain range is home to some of the most awe-inspiring and rugged scenery in the world.

Northwest Backroads

The Upper Skagit Indians believed this steep, narrow canyon to be the entry way into the spirit world.

Cutting through the heart of this wild land is the Skagit River. Long before settlers arrived, highways were built and tourists came to the area.

The Upper Skagit Indians believed this steep narrow canyon to be the entryway into the spirit world. They refused to pass beyond this narrow canyon.

Miners who came in search of gold in the late 1800s called this place "diablo" – Spanish for "devil."

Looming high above Diablo Lake are the foreboding mountain ranges Devils Dome, Forbidden Peak, Mount Terror, Damnation Peak, Mount Fury, Desolation Peak, Hell's Basin and the Chopping Block.

Why do these mountain peaks carry such menacing names? Are there evil spirits there? Something that caused natives and miners to fear the presence of diablo?

In the early 1900s, J.D. Ross came to this area to build a series of three dams on the Skagit to create electricity for a thriving city – Seattle.

From 1918 to 1949, hundreds of men sweat blood to build the dams on the Skagit, and many gave their lives falling from the dams and into the river or the freshly poured concrete below.

While the bodies of these fallen workers were usually retrieved from the hardening cement, many believe their spirits remained entombed.

Silver coins were tossed into the cement to honor the souls of the departed.

When the three dams were finished, three lakes were born – Gorge Lake was filled first, and the last to be filled, Ross Lake, was named for its creator.

In the middle: Diablo Lake, known for an eerie green color that seems to glow from its depths.

Did J.D. Ross name Diablo because he believed the spooky tales once told by the natives?

Northwest Backroads

What causes the water in Diablo Lake to be such a strange green color?

Did he feel the presence of lost souls trapped in the narrow canyon of Diablo?

Even to this day workers who spent long hours deep within the cavernous isolation of these dams tell stories of hearing footsteps and voices behind them in the tunnels.

J.D. Ross himself, along with his wife Ruby, are entombed within the mountains of Diablo and many believe his spirit also dwells in this canyon, keeping watch over the project that consumed his life.

So what really lurks beneath Diablo? What causes the water to be such a strange green color? Do the spirits of early Indians, miners, dam builders and J.D. Ross himself float through this canyon unable to pass through to the gate to the spirit world buried deep beneath Diablo dam?

While this region will always be known for its spectacular beauty, maybe there is more there – something that's always been and will always be hiding in the tunnels of these dams, lurking in the shadows of these peaks, looking out at us from deep beneath the green eyes of Diablo.

J. D. Ross was considered the father of Seattle City Light. His vision of harnessing the hydro-electric potential of the Skagit River led him to this area, where he built beautiful gardens now known as Ladder Creek Falls.

Thornewood Castle

In Lakewood, Wash. there's a turn-of-the-century three-story mansion, home to amazing stories of the afterlife left behind by those who lived and worked there.

Those stories and the historical mansion itself will leave you to ponder the question: Is there really a place where spirits get lost between life and death?

There's a magical time of day called "evening tide." It's when this Gothic mansion springs to life.

Northwest Backroads

Chester Thorne can still be seen playing the piano.

Spirits lost in that place between life and death call Thornewood Castle home.

One of those lingering spirits is the castle's namesake, Chester Thorne. He's been seen playing the piano and walking the halls mischievously.

In an upstairs a bedroom, guests have had spine-chilling sightings of Anna Thorn.

People have seen brides dressing, a lady sitting in the window seat or out in the garden or looking out from a window.

In a bathroom downstairs there was a little closet that was used to store weapons and it was also used during prohibition to store alcohol. One day there was a man accidentally shot supposedly in there. The ghost there is believed to be that of retired Army General Cadwallader Corse, a prominent figure in the Tacoma area in the early 1900's.

Thornewood Castle, hauntings aside, is a unique bed-and-breakfast offering six rooms to the public.

Nestled on 4 acres at American Lake and dotted with old-growth fir trees, Thornewood Castle was built in 1908 by Chester A. Thorne.

This 27,000-square-foot manor is of the Gothic Tudor style and is the only one of its kind on the West Coast.

Built as a single-family residence, it is now a gracious three-story country inn that has been lovingly restored.

The mansion has 54 rooms, 22 baths and more than 27,000 square feet of living space.

There’s amazing history everywhere you look – from the antiques and artwork to the old oak paneling and stained glass.

Even though this nearly century-old mansion has a few extra inhabitants, staying there can be an experience of a lifetime.

Thornewood served as the fictional setting for Stephen King's Rose Red.

Banff Springs Hotel

Let's head north of the border to a luxurious, century-old castle – a place many believe is haunted. Guests and employees alike have an abundance of spooky stories to tell.

Does the ghost of a former bellman still haunt the halls of the Banff Springs Hotel?

Does a bride who died on her wedding day dance from beyond the grave?

Two Northwest ghost hunters revealed mysterious photographs captured during their investigation.

The Banff Springs Hotel is a 109-year-old castle nestled in the mountains of Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Many believe the hotel is haunted. Over the years, employees and guests have reported strange occurrences – from tables moving on their own to sightings of Sam Macauley, a bellman who died in 1976.

Sam loved the hotel so much, fellow bellman David Moberg remembers Sam retiring several times, but always returning to work at the hotel. Before his death in 1976, he promised to haunt the hotel from beyond.

Northwest Backroads

Sam Macauley

Shortly after Sam's death, David says a bellman wearing an old-fashioned uniform and matching Sam's description mysteriously appeared to help two women locked out of their room.

Another guest reported seeing a bellman matching Sam's description walk right through a wall.

Another possible visitor from the afterworld is the dancing bride. In 1932, on her wedding day, a bride reportedly died when she fell down a staircase.

A year later in the middle of the night, workers reported heard mysterious music and saw the eerie image in the Rob Roy dining room of a bride dancing alone.

Recently, two Northwest paranormal investigators decided to find out if the hotel is indeed haunted.

Authors of "The Haunted Reality" and other books – Dave Oester and Sharon Gill – have captured on film what they believe to be ghostly entities.

Using special detection devices, they look for sudden changes in temperatures or electromagnetic fields that Dave says can indicate the presence of ghostly entities.

When Dave and Sharon's pictures came back from the developer, a strange shape Dave calls an ectoplasmic cloud was present. He believes it's a ghostly entity.

But that's not all. A strange ray of light showed up on two pictures. Dave and Sharon believe it may be the face of Sam Macauley.

They believe their photographs may be proof the Banff Springs is home to a bride from beyond and to a bellman who remains there in his afterlife.

Thanks for coming along, and have a happy and safe Halloween. We'll see you down the road!