October 13, 2003 -- There's nothing like the thrill of a good deal. Previously in this space, we've reported on overnight stays in Massachusett's haunted B&Bs, ghost- and vampire-themed packages to London and Bucharest and a hop to Hawaii on Halloween.
Today we've gathered additional ghoulish getaways -- including even more haunted lodgings in the Northeast plus the Midwest, creepy costumed cavalcades across Florida, and a three-day jaunt to N'Awlins -- all spine-tinglingly affordable.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Ghosts and goblins like old places, so most of our choices are in the eastern half of the US, four in New England alone. Try "The Spook Package" at the famed Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club on Cape Cod. For $295, you get lodging for two nights, all the Halloween festivities and one buffet dinner for a family of four. That's based on availability for the nights of October 31 and November 1, 2003. Price does not include tax, service charge and administrative fees. There's a Haunted Mansion at the property, and on the 31st, you get to visit it, a dinner designed in the Devil's Kitchen, a journey to the private beach along the Road of Doom, scary stores (with s'mores and cocoa) around a Beach fire, and on Saturday, a Magic Show and a Hunt for Spooky the Cat. Contact them at 800/343-6074 or www.oceanedge.com.
Also on Cape Cod is the Beechwood Inn, Barnstable, where a "Mischievous Lady" frequents the place, even talking to innkeepers and certain guests. Rates $160 to $180, though off-season rates begin at $100 to $130. Info at 800/609-6618; their website for general information is www.beechwoodinn.com.
Connecticut
At Captain Grant's Inn in Poquetanuck you can tour the nearby St. James Cemetery, with refreshments and ghost stories. If you stay in the Adelaide Room, you may see the resident ghost and her two children. Rates $109 to $149, contact 800/982-1772, www.captaingrants.com.
Vermont
Over in Williston, the Catamount B&B was home to the state's first governor, and allegedly to a host of spirits to this day. You can visit their Haunted Forest, lit by 400 pumpkins ($11). A two-night stay for two persons costs $150 to $210, including breakfasts. Available October 22 to 25, 2003. Call 888/680-1011 for information or visit their website at www.catamountoutdoor.com.
Pennsylvania
There's a baker's dozen of haunted sites in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, according to the area's Vacation Bureau. These include a lovers' leap and a Bigfoot-like creature in the Delaware Water Gap, two places at East Stroudsburg University, and at least five inns in the vicinity. At the Skytop Lodge, the ghosts of a couple who loved the place so much in life that they ordered their ashes scattered over the 15th tee, just one example. Contact the Poconos Mountains Visitors Bureau at www.800poconos.com (click on Travel Media, then Press Releases), or by e-mail to pocomts@poconos.org, or at 800/POCONOS.
Ohio
Over in Ohio, check out the Punderson Manor Resort in Punderson State Park, where there is wealth of stories persist, including the sighting of a hanged lumberjack in the lounge. Contact the lodge at 800/AT-A-PARK. General information is available at www.pundersonmanorresort.com.
Indiana
At The Old Bridge Inn in Jeffersonville on the Ohio River guests get free tickets to the largest haunted factory in America (nearby), and spend two nights in the Garden Room for $180. There were only a couple of rooms left at press time. Info at 866/284-3580. General information about the inn is at www.oldbridgeinn.com.
Florida
Down in Florida, parades and festivals fill the streets of dozens of town, all of which can be sampled beforehand at www.flausa.com (just type "Halloween" into the search engine for a full listing). At press time, there were 34 events happening across the state.
Be sure to look into Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, which is holding Halloween Horror Nights 13 on most days in October. The parkwide events features multiple haunted houses and more. Go to www.halloweenhorrornights.com.
Louisiana
For a quicky getaway to costume-happy New Orleans, contact Eleisurelink about their three-day air/hotel package to the Big Easy from October 30 to November 2. Prices start from just $349 before taxes for flights out of Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and New York; $399 out of Boston; and $474 out of Los Angeles. Other gateways are available at varying prices. That lowest-priced package puts you up in a Howard Johnson and includes a continental breakfast each morning. Hotel upgrades at additional costs are available. For complete details, call them at 888/801-8808 or go online to .
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