The beans actually *do* have a ghost of a chance to thank BATW Ambassadors Mitchel & Tami Whitington for letting them sneak around their historic home!

From your Beanmaster: My special thanks to Ambassadors Mitchel and Tami for joining the bean fun. Here's the frijole's adventures, in their own words... For a blend of East Texas charm and a healthy dose of history, there's no place like the old riverport city of Jefferson, Texas. During the 1800s, it was the endpoint of a trade route that started down in New Orleans - huge steamships would make their way up the Mississippi River, then on the Red River, across Caddo Lake, and would come to Jefferson on the Big Cypress Bayou. They would unload freight and passengers, reload, and then turn around to start the journey back. Now the city is a delightful little community, filled with B&Bs, museums, antique shops, and tours.

During their day in Jefferson, the beans took in all the sights - walking the old, brick streets, traveling in a horse-drawn carriage through town, shopping at the antique stores of the historic district, taking a boat trip down the river, and just kicking back to enjoy the shade of a gazebo in a downtown park.

When the sun started to set, however, it was time for the beans to visit one of the town's most mysterious locations: an 1861 house known as The Grove. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Stilley-Young home, and has been owned by several significant figures in Jefferson's past. It also has a reputation for being one of the most haunted places in the state of Texas, with ghost stories that go back well over 100 years.

First of all, a tour of The Grove was in order for the beans. They weaved their way though the house, ending up in the kitchen, which was built as a detached structure from the home back in 1861. An addition was built in 1870 that joined the kitchen to the rest of the house. Ghost stories abound in this room - in fact, the former owner of The Grove walked into the kitchen to see a ghostly family standing in one corner, smiling at him. While the current owners haven't seen that, objects have moved around in the kitchen on their own. Things were quiet when the beans visited, although they did have a chance to pay a visit to several cans of their cousins in the pantry.

Although the house is one of the city's historic tour homes, overnight guests aren't usually allowed - but an exception was made for the beans. Their next adventure was getting to spend some time in The Grove's garden, the place where a spectral man in a black suit is seen strolling along through the beds of lilies. The beans enjoyed the solitude of the night from the garden bench, until it began to get a little chili (okay, okay, sorry about that).

To bed down for the evening, the beans were allowed to stay in the front parlor. It is the most active place in the house when it comes to the supernatural events, which regularly occur at The Grove. A female presence is very strong in this part of the house, especially in the corner by the mirror. A psychic once said that she is a woman who once lived here, but after her death, she still returns to the parlor to keep the house like she wants it. Did the beans encounter the ghostly woman in the course of their evening's stay? Only they know for sure, and they're remaining strangely silent on the subject.

The next morning, it was time for the beans to move on, although there were still many things to see and do in Jefferson, Texas. Another trip, another time. For now, though, perhaps a ride by rail to the byways of East Texas. Visit The Grove online for more information on the house and historic Jefferson, Texas!