Haunted Tours for Halloween Fun: West Coast Edition

by Kelly Amabile on

Want more haunted tour ideas? As promised, we’ve got some! Hop on your broomstick and fly with us to the western US, where we’ve uncovered eight more haunted tours to scare you silly this Halloween season:

Denver, CO: Morrison is a short distance from downtown Denver, but this Colorado Haunted History Tour sounds like it’s worth the trip out of town. Learn about the Hatchet Lady of Red Rocks and the Lecherous Indian Chief.

Hollywood, CA: Take a tour of the historic Hollywood Forever Cemetery with Karie Bible and visit the burial sites of famous dead celebrities.

Las Vegas, NV: We all know Sin City can be a scary place. But Haunted Vegas Tours explores the creepiest secrets of the city that never sleeps. Tours runs several nights each week, beginning at 9 pm.

Portland, OR: The Portland Haunted Tour is a 2.5 hour shuttle tour of 13 locations historically connected to secrets from the city’s chilling past.

Salt Lake City, UT: Ghost Tours of Salt Lake City and Ogden run every weekend and on Halloween, led by a professional storyteller with a skill for spooking!

San Diego, CA: Haunted San Diego urges you to call and reserve your plot (um, they mean seat) today for this tour of documented haunted locales.

San Francisco, CA: The Haunted Haight Walking Tour begins most evenings at 7 pm at a coffee shop, and ends at a haunted pub, where you never quite know what’s on tap.

Seattle, WA: Market Ghost Tours runs tours through the Pike Place Market. And don’t miss the Paranormal Pub Crawl on Halloween, complete with a Houdini seance at the end!

Not hitting either coast for Halloween this year? Then be sure to check out this list of the Top Ten Haunted Ghost Tours in America for frightful tours in in Chicago, New Orleans, Galveston and other parts of America’s haunted heartland — Happy Halloween!

Haunted Tours for Halloween Fun: East Coast Edition

by Kelly Amabile on

Want to get spooked this Halloween? If your travels find you in any of these ten East Coast cities, be sure to check out the haunted tours happening on and around Halloween.

Alexandria, VA: This Colonial Tour Group runs their original Ghost and Graveyard Tour, as well as a special enhanced Halloween version, several times throughout the autumn months.

Atlanta, GA: How about a haunted tour on two wheels? City Segway Tours runs a Ghosts and Legends Tour.

Baltimore, MD: Fells Point Ghost Tours is now called Baltimore Ghost Tours. They offer several ghost walks (including a Haunted Pubwalk) and a Haunted Harbor Cruise.

Boston, MA: Boston by Foot will run a one-time-only tour called Beacon Hill with a Boo! on Halloween night.

Charleston, SC: Bulldog Tours offers a variety of spooky walking tours, including the Haunted Jail Tour and the Dark Side of Charleston.

Pensacola, FL: The Historical Society hosts a Haunted House Walking and Trolley Tour – a “frightseeing tour”!

Philadelphia, PA: A walking Ghost Tour of Philadelphia departs daily at 7:30 pm through November.

Newport, RI: Nightly walking tours by Ghosts of Newport run through Halloween. They also run Carved in Stone, a 90-minute tour of the colonial Common Burying Ground.

New York, NY: Ghosts of New York runs an Edgar Allen Poe and his Ghostly Friends Tour each week, plus other haunted city walks.

Washington, DC: Washington Walks hosts a DC Haunted Houses Tour every Wednesday through Halloween.

Don’t miss the list of haunted tours on the West Coast.

GADLING TAKE FIVE: Week of October 6- 12

by Jamie Rhein on

Another week already? The weather shifts have me wondering what season we’re in exactly. It was 93 degrees in Columbus on Monday. Today it’s in the mid 50s and I’ve hauled out my jacket. Pumpkins started appearing at the local grocery stores and farmers markets a few weeks ago. At Gadling, you’ve probably noticed that Halloween posts are beginning to appear. Catherine, Kelly and Martha have their thumbs squarely on the Halloween what’s happening pulse. There’s more coming as the rest of us join in. Besides Halloween, there’s a lot more on our minds.

Have a great weekend whatever the weather is like where you are.

Halloween at Theme Parks: Fright-fests and Fun for All Ages, Sort of

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a handy guide at WeJustGotBack.com that gives a run down on which theme parks in the U.S. have Halloweeny type thrills for particular age groups. Similar to movie recommendations, the site presents details about the theme parks Halloween happenings and the age range the fun is aimed towards.

A teenager might not get a charge out of the “Countdown to Halloween” musical act at Count’s Halloween Spectacular at Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA your toddler will–even your 10 year-old. But, take your young ones to Halloween Horror Nights at the Universal Orlando Resort in Florida and Universal Studios in Los Angeles and you find yourself dealing with more nightmares than you could ever imagine. This one is recommended for the ages 16 and up. Watch the video on the Web site and you’ll see what I mean. (I warn you though, it’s the exact opposite of a meditation video of bubbling brooks.) Jason, Freddy, and Leatherface are just a part of the action. If you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be in Nightmare on Elm Street or Halloween, this might be for you.

Each Six Flags has Fright Fest, also meant to scare the wits out of you. This one is appropriate for middle-schoolers though, but is not appropriate for under 12. From the descriptions of the events at each park, one can see the difficulty with finding the right fit for a multiple age group family–or the kids who are moving into preadolecence. Then, it becomes a matter of finding one that is entertaining enough for your child who is past being enamored with Mickey Mouse, but too young to have Freddy chasing him or her down with a butcher knife. The great thing about amusement parks though, for a kid who gets bored with a younger sibling’s Halloween speed, there’s always the rides.

Guess which theme park the photo posted on Flickr by WeJustGotBack is from. Did you say Disney?

It’s Official, Ramadan Starts Today and Tomorrow

by Jamie Rhein on

Ramadan, the Muslim holy period of fasting starts with the sighting of the new moon. That’s today–or tomorrow, depending on which country you’re in. Turns out, the new moon isn’t the only marker. Astrologicial calculations might be a factor. Here’s an article that explains this more. Regardless, if you’re traveling in a country that’s mostly Muslim, it’s helpful to be aware of a few pointers so you’re not left wandering in the middle of the day looking for a meal–or taking a swig of water or eating in front of people who are abstaining.

Depending on where you are, it’s not uncommon for restaurants to be closed after sun up and before sundown. Once the sun goes down, the day’s fast is broken and the eating begins. You are not expected to be fasting yourself, but it’s helpful to be culturally sensitive, and not create a stir depending on where you are. If you are in a strict Muslim country like Iran, eating and drinking in public is not allowed and you could find yourself in trouble. The Lonely Planet has a helpful guide for traveling in Muslim countries. One suggestion for taking advantage of your travel experiences is to hang out at a restaurant right before it opens, and then enjoy the feast.

So what is this fasting about you might be wondering?

This is when Muslims commemorate when Allah (God) revealed the Quran to the prophet Mohammed. During this time, Muslims are to purify themselves in mind and body by devoting themselves to endeavors of the spirit. Fasting is a practice of showing devotion to Allah and to strengthen resolve to be a better person. Giving to charity is also important during this time. (Okay, what I’ve presented is the condensed version.)

By the way, the country with the largest Muslim population is Indonesia. And the Gambia, where I was in the Peace Corps, is also mostly Muslim–both are quite diverse from each other. In Singapore, because there is a large Muslim population who live there, the first and last day of Ramadan are also holidays.