I came to Washington for misty coastlines and mountain panoramas, yet I stayed for the stories that rattled my suitcase at 3 a.m. If your idea of a souvenir involves goosebumps and a squeaky floorboard chorus, you are in the right state.
I have tracked the whispers, poked at the legends, and slept with one eye open across some of the Evergreen State’s most haunted stays. Pack curiosity, leave skepticism at the door, and follow me into rooms where the past never checked out.
1. Manresa Castle Hotel
Stepping into Manresa Castle in Port Townsend feels like wandering onto a moody film set where the extras are all from another century. I checked in with confidence and an EMF app, then promptly heard a soft knock that came from neither hallway nor dream. Rooms 306 and 302 have reputations that precede them, with tales of a heartbroken nun and a distraught soldier whose stories cling like coastal fog.
Curiosity nudged me up the grand staircase, where portraits seemed to assess my life choices. The creak of timber sounded almost conversational, as if the building preferred whispers to welcome mats. Late at night, the air turned cool enough to raise an eyebrow and a few neck hairs. A distant clink, a skitter of steps, and the wallpaper’s patterns began to look suspiciously like eyes…