"You Gotta Do this", is a compilation of the weekly radio Program, hosted by Barry Barbe on KJZA – 90.1. Each week, we go on a different High Country adventure, as we explore our little corner of the world, and the people and businesses that make it all happen."

Prescott isn’t just Everybody’s Hometown, for some folks it’s the town they never departed. Just ask Maddy Groves as she takes you on an historical and educational tour of "Haunted Prescott".

For the past year, Maddy takes groups on a hauntingly good tour of Downtown Prescott. Whether it’s the Hotel Vendome, Jersey Lilly’s or the spirit of a young girl who inhabits a local drinking establishment, Maddy is the person in the know. And Halloween is her time of year!

Whether tourists, a Girls Night Out or folks trying something new, Haunted Prescott Tours are a uniquely Prescott way to spend an evening. Shrouded in history and the evening sky, folks gather under the full moon at the gazebo on courthouse square to begin their tour with tales of the other side.

Maddy takes you through back alleys, secret passages and storied establishments; reminiscing about the stories you’ve heard, and pulling out a few new ones. Whether a believer, or just curious, you cannot ignore Maddy’s infectious enthusiasm for those that have passed, and those that may linger on.

Ever wonder about the story of Abby and Noble from the Hotel Vendome? "Abby moved to Prescott after being stricken with tuberculosis" starts Maddy. "After abandoned by her lover, she locked herself in room 16 at the hotel with her loyal companion Noble. Dismayed and distraught, Abby starves herself and her cat to death." To this day, guests claim to feel and see Abby, or her hungry feline Noble at the Hotel. Now, I myself, never knew this story. I had always heard something about a cat at the hotel, but I have to admit the new full story is a bit sad.

How about the mysterious doctor that has been said to lay his hands on some hotel guests? Purported to exist by a visiting psychic, some hotel guests have claimed healing from the visiting vision. As for the details, you gotta do this, and take the tour.

"Unexplained floating orbs which are said to represent 'spirits' have shown up in tour photographs, without cause or explanation," adds Maddy.

When asked about some of the unusual events during a tour, Maddy immediately goes into the tale of the 13 year olds’ 13th birthday party with her teenage friends. "As we started the tour, we noticed an owl in a tree above us. Later during the tour he screeched at us."

"Then, as the tour continued, he followed us. The Owl, perching on a post, or gazing down from a tree limb. At one point he swept down and kinda checked us out - then he went on his way. It was all very Harry Potteresque for the young girls." Maddy also give insight into the dual interpretation of an Owl in the Southwest. Some feel the Owl to be an evil spirit, while others take it as a good sign that one has perched in your view. Again, you gotta do this and take the tour.

History aside, the Southwest is dedicated to their strong allegiance to relatives and those that have passed. Native American and Spanish are steeped in their culture and those that have passed. La Dia de Muertos is the Mexican celebration of the dead that takes place after Halloween. Ceremonies, parties and festivals celebrating the deceased are a time to honor and revere those who have left.

"The Southwest is full of tales of Spirits that were forced to leave too early. Most are tales of despair, lost loves, or those who have simply left too early and unexpectedly. Perhaps they still have something to finish, and so they linger on.

Much like the Southern cities of Savannah and Charleston, many spiritual traditions were brought to the region through traditional practices from foreign places. Travelers and new inhabitants who arrived in places like New Orleans carried these traditions and beliefs into the expanding Southwest.

The Celtics claimed the time around Halloween, or Samhain to be the period during which the veil between the worlds was at its thinnest. Thus, the Halloween season is the best time to communicate with those on the other side.

And don’t forget the "oh so proper" Victorian Society. Remember Houdini? Séances, fortune telling and parlor parties where guests reached out to the other side were well practiced at all levels of society.

Ever get chills up your spine walking down Whiskey Row? Feel a brush from nowhere along your arm while dining at the Hassayampa? Ask Maddy, and she’ll tell you who you might be meeting. Better yet, join her on a tour of "Haunted Prescott" and get the full story on how the "other side" lives.

Get into the "Spirit" of Halloween, give Maddy a call, and take Haunted Tour of Prescott.
– You Gotta Do This!

For More Info: http://www.facebook.com/haunted.prescott
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Tickets, Info and Schedules are available at the Laughing Buddha Coffee Bar, 142 N. Montezuma