By Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Not everyone has kids that need to stick close to home for trick or treating. If you fall into the camp of people who’d rather head to the hills than man your door with candy, consider a Halloween-themed getaway. BnBFinder tipped me off to some haunted bed & breakfast inns perfect for a ghoulish Halloween escape. They have listings of several haunted inns on the West Coast and I’ve plucked a few haunted California hotels that still have availability during Halloween weekend, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, presented below with a description of the hotels’ ghosts and their activity provided by BnBFinder’s Alice Suh.
1859 Historic National Hotel and Restaurant in Jamestown, CA
“Flo, the friendly ghost generally stays upstairs in the hotel and favors rooms in front of the building, although she does float through the dining room and through the walls occasionally. Flo’s presence is always present so each room is stocked with a notebook for guests to leave comments and share their experiences. There have been numerous accounts of doors slamming, lights turning on and off, dumping of clothes from suitcases, a sobbing woman late at night and even housekeepers have claimed to feel a draft of cold air upon entering a room even with a heater on. So, who is Flo? A romantic at heart, she was supposed to marry the love of her life when her fiance was murdered unexpectedly. Flo was found dead inside her hotel room a couple weeks later.”
Availability: When I checked the website, there was availability Oct. 30-Nov. 1 with rooms at $140 per night, pre tax. The website lists descriptions of the hotel rooms.
Weaverville Hotel in Weaverville, CA
“Weaverville is an old gold rush town and known for many ghost sightings. Innkeeper Jeanne Muir at Weaverville Hotel may be immune to ghosts, but many incoming guests have supposedly felt presence from several ghosts. One young ghost that makes herself visible to guests is Mary, a 15-year-old granddaughter of former Irish owners from the late 1800s. She died from typhoid while visiting her grandparents, but never really left. One couple in the honeymoon suite said they heard footsteps and saw an apparition of Mary in a white nightgown.”
Availability: When I called, there was availability Oct. 30-Nov. 1 with rates from $126 to $205 per night. Inquire about AAA and senior discounts.
Note: Bridget Carson, the director of the local historical society museum, offers a free tour of the graveyard Oct. 31. Meet at the bandstand at Main Street and Court Street at 1 p.m. Hear stories about the lives and deaths of the cemetery residents, many of whom were pioneers during the Gold Rush. The tour of Catholic Cemetery of St. Patrick’s Church takes about an hour.
Strawberry Creek Inn Bed & Breakfast in Idyllwild, CA
“Guests have told innkeepers that in the upstairs room of the main house they have felt a strange presence. A local clairvoyant has felt the presence of six spirits in the house, one of them a housewife who wanted to make sure the house stays in the condition it should be in. It’s unclear who these spirits are, it could be former owner LaRue C. Thomas, formerly once the largest Cadillac dealer in L.A. These spirits don’t make themselves known to the innkeepers but only to guests. The innkeeper said there have been several occasions when guests check in and ask why their room is cold, only to return to the room with the innkeeper to find the room warm. According to the clairvoyant, that is a spirit communicating his/her presence.”
Availability: When I checked the website there was plenty of availability Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 with rooms starting at $119 per night.
Groveland Hotel at Yosemite National Park
“The ghost of an old gold miner named Lyle frequently and playfully haunts this historic gold-rush inn. This gentlemanly spirit occupied Room 15 for many years until his death in 1927, but Lyle seems to have remained in the pristine comfort of ‘his’ room. Of the 17 stately rooms in this inn, the resident ghost typically plays tricks on the staff and guests in or near Room 15. Rumored to have been fastidiously hygienic and an eccentric recluse, Lyle is not particularly fond of finding clutter or women’s cosmetics on his dresser. If he finds them there, he typically moves them to a nearby sink or knocks them down on the floor. His other mysterious antics include switching lights on and off as well as turning on the shower when no one is looking.”
Availability: When I checked the website there was plenty of availability Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 with rooms starting at $145 per night.
No comments:
Post a Comment