Two Tours, Two Time Slots, Two Different Lighting Experiences

As a tour guide at the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington, I am lucky enough to give guests an immersive and engaging experience during a 90-minute walking tour in the Downtown Wilmington area, where walkers hear various bits of local history and folklore, presented to them with bone-chilling narration. The tour operates at two different times -- 6:30 and 8:30 respectively.

Obviously, at both of those times, the sun hangs in different places within the sky -- with the 6:30 tour still offering loads of daylight, whereas the 8:30 tour, especially during the summer season, begins at dusk.  While most guests tend to enjoy the daylight, I can't help but feel as though it greatly cheapens the experience.

With the sun high within the sky, every nook, corner and cranny of the architecture and buildings of downtown Wilmington are fully illuminated -- allowing guests to take in the details.  However, at night, with no light source aside from the street lamps, my hand held lantern, and...if we're lucky...a bright moon within the sky... shadows seem to loom, ominously. Darkness licks at the heels of the guests, and the presence of long, far-reaching shadows only add to the guests sense of mystery and, if I'm particularly lucky, fear.

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