January 20, 2001

This investigation was conducted on January 20, 2001 and posted on February 12, 2001.

Purpose

To determine the location of the Hornet, MO Spook Light, and observe its behavior as a preliminary to further investigation.

Equipment

Binoculars, Megapixel digicam, Jeep Cherokee Laredo 4x4

Procedure

I just went Saturday night to see the spook light for the second time in my life. My wife saw it before anyone else arrived. I was, um, busy outside the car, as we had a long drive, and alot of caffeinated beverages on the way there. When I got back in the Jeep to keep a lookout, my wife told me what she saw.

Shortly thereafter, some other cars arrived. The other cars went further up the road than we were. I believe I may have seen it dancing around their car, but it could have been them messing around. They did seem to be acting funny when it was there. They turned their auxilliary lights on and kept tapping the breaks rapidly. Through my binoculars, I saw a bright glowing ball that was kind of white, but had a blue/green tint to it. It seemed to move erratically around their cars, and then exited

stage right. The people there promptly left. They did not even slow down or stop to talk to us.

We were not there long as we took most of our alotted time just trying to find it on some bad directions from Missouri Conservationist Magazine. We will be returning often to investigate further, and to attempt to photograph it.

Conclusion

Location of the Spook Light was determined. Unexplained anomalies were observed by both observers present.

1 eyewitness account of an encounter in the late 1960's was obtained.

Further investigation is warranted.

Directions to the Light

Some of these might be out of original chronological order. I thought it would make more sense to post the directions first. This was originally posted on my site, joplinspooklight.homestead.com on February 12, 2001:

Tips on viewing, and directions to the Spook Light in Southwest Missouri

The following equipment is a must:

Binoculars - You may not get a good glimpse if the light is not active the night you visit. You may also be fooled into thinking other lights are it.

Beverages - Bring your favorite soft drinks. Caffeinated ones if necessary. DO NOT bring acloholic beverages. Not only should you not be drinking and driving, but you also will be more prone to hallucination, and decreased perception. In addition, many people arrive there drunk and ruin the show for others, and litter. Do not be one of these party poopers.

Snacks - You might get hungry.

Flashlight - Note: use sparingly. You may want to get out of your car and walk around.

The following equipment is recommended:

Sport Utility Vehicle - You will be on some rough roads, and you may get lost. These come in handy.

Infrared Viewer - You may observe something that cannot ordinarily be seen.

A Friend - Believe me you don't want to go there alone.

A Camera - So you can prove to your friends that you will do anything.

When going to see the Spook Light, keep the following tips in mind:

1. You are not on vacant land. People live out there. Be respectful of others. Don't litter. Don't make loud noises. Don't trespass on their land.

2. Do not drink alcohol, or smoke while there. This will lessen your chance of seeing anything, and it may ruin others' fun.

3. Do not use any lights unless necessary. You may not see it when it shows up, and you can also cause yourself to see those spots after staring at light.

4. If you see it, don't panic. It has never hurt anyone, but panicking can. Do not try to shine lights at it, this will not "protect" you, but it may make the Spook Light disappear.

5. When arriving, you should drive approximately 1/2 block up the road. There are dogs that will bark at you all night long if you don't. Do not drive past the first valley, you will gain no advantage in this, and you may ruin the show for others.

6. Do not go chasing around in your car to find it.

Here is how to get there:

From I44, take the State Highway 43 South exit. After a few miles, you will reach a road called Iris. Watch carefully as you will be driving 55 mph. Turn right on Iris. Follow Iris until it ends at Stateline Road. Turn right on Stateline. You will pass E 60. The next road is E 50. This is Spooklight Road. Most recent sightings are here. If you pass E 50 you can stop at E 40. This used to be Spook Light Road. Both have been good for viewing.

Good luck!

My Spook Light Blogs

I used to have a website on Homestead.com where I posted blogs of my visits to the Hornet Spook Light near Joplin, Missouri. That ended when I got busier with work, school, and life in general and Homestead.com greedily started charging for their basic services. I saved the blogs, however, and I will be posting them here soon, and who knows, maybe I'll return to the Spook Light soon and post new entries.