Every October we ferry across to Pea Patch Island and step into the echo of another time. Fort Delaware State Park is more than a backdrop for a tour. It is a place where history breathes, where footsteps on brick and the hush of the river carry stories forward. This year’s Paranormal Adventure Tour season reminded us why we return again and again. Our guests were phenomenal, curious, thoughtful, and fully present. Their questions prompted us to listen more closely and share more. We are grateful to every person who made the trip and helped support this annual fundraiser for the park.
History first, then the paranormal
Our fearless leader, Gina Dunham, says it at every check-in in the pavilion, and it guides everything we do on the island. The history is what ultimately leads to the paranormal. You cannot have the paranormal any other way. The fort’s past provides the context, the why and how behind strange sounds, odd readings, or voices captured on recorders. When we honor that past, we also honor the people who lived it.
Seventeen Octobers of collaboration
The tours began with a small idea and a handful of determined people. In 2025, we marked our 17th year. Over that time, we have worked alongside many gifted historical interpreters. They bring a wealth of knowledge, timelines, and information about the daily life of soldiers and civilians into focus. Their care for the site deepens our work. When interpreters set the stage accurately, it becomes easier to notice when something does not fit the present moment, and that can be the nudge that tells us to pay attention. So, thank you to the Fort Delaware State Park staff; we hope you value this partnership as much as we do.
A conversation that continued on air
This week, I had the honor of chatting Nancy Johnson and Joe Alan of the 93.7 WSTW Wakeup Crew. They asked about DSGI, where people can learn more, and what keeps us going. I shared our website and social channels, and we talked about investigations and the evidence we have collected. Many of those experiences are already here in Christy’s Chronicles, and I love being able to point listeners to the stories that grew out of nights in the field. Nancy and Joe let me know that they will be cutting our chat into sound bytes that will air next week on 93.7 WSTW during their morning show. Come back here and comment if you end up hearing from your truly on-air.
Reflecting, what the paranormal means to me
This season was cut a little short for me, personally, due to my body rebelling against me and thus my falling ill. It has given me time to pause and reflect. What does paranormal mean to me? Why should I stay involved if it can be so exhausting? We all know that the paranormal hangovers are real!
For me, the paranormal isn’t about seeking scares. It is about connection, compassion, and giving a voice to the silenced. I mean, ultimately, the living are often far more terrifying than the dead. People ask how I can walk into dark spaces charged with the past, and my answer is simple. The living can do much worse.
I also do not understand why so many dismiss the idea of the paranormal. To me, it is plain physics. Energy does not die or disappear. It changes form. When a person’s body dies, where does all that energy go? Emotions are energy. Joy, grief, rage, love. We live with that current every day. When we pass, that energy goes somewhere. Some of us may still feel it. Maybe that energy finds ways to reach out, to share, to connect, to remind us that stories do not end when a heartbeat does. That possibility is what keeps me curious and careful as an investigator.
Next up on November 15: Paranormal 101 at Bellevue Hall Mansion
Our season at Fort Delaware may be winding down, but the learning continues. On Saturday, November 15, we will be at Bellevue Hall Mansion in Bellevue State Park for Paranormal 101. It is a hands-on session designed for the public that sold out the very same weekend the tickets went on sale. If you are curious about the lore and history in our own backyards, this is a great place to start learning. Whether you attend our event or visit for another event, we know that you’ll have a great time!
Thank you, and how to stay connected
To everyone who joined us on Pea Patch Island this October, thank you for supporting the park and for trusting us with your time. If you want to catch up on investigations, read through past entries in Christy’s Chronicles.
History is the foundation. The paranormal is the echo. When we listen with care, the past answers.
