Even if you’re a spooky aficionado like me, not every outing can focus on all things weird and wonderful. From business travel to family reunions, some excursions have more practical purposes. But that’s no reason to give up the ghost hunting while you’re away. With these four easy tips, you’ll be back on track to a haunting good trip in no time.
Stay at a bed and breakfast. Most readers on this site probably already try to avoid the usual chain hotels, but the presence of otherworldly lodgers is one more reason to seek out quainter accommodations. If a bed and breakfast isn’t an option, then aim for a place that’s been around for at least one-hundred years. A century should be plenty of time to rack up a few interesting tales. Plus, purveyors often love to regale visitors with their establishment’s best spine-chilling yarns. Just don’t forget to tip the spirits before you depart.
Visit historic sites. Museums are great, but exhibits located in buildings younger than you typically lack the history to attract any ectoplasm. Instead, you’ll need to search for poltergeist hangouts elsewhere. If traveling in America, use the National Parks System to search for designated historic places, true hotspots of paranormal activity. (Case in point: the specter at Pennsylvania’s Fort Necessity that has a penchant for tossing books from gift shop shelves.) Also, check for restored homes open to the public. Like bed and breakfasts, most owners are eager to share unusual stories with new visitors.
Go on a walking tour. It doesn’t even need to feature a ghostly theme. Many tours turn into discussions of who haunts who on the streets at midnight. Every city has its tales, and tour guides know the most fascinating of these legends. If talk doesn’t naturally transition to apparitions, guests are often invited to ask questions at the end. That’s the ideal opportunity to inquire about the locale’s creepiest folklore. Chances are other people on the tour fancy a good ghost story as much as you do.
Ask the locals. Maybe your bed and breakfast turned out to be a non-haunted bust. Perhaps your walking tour guide wouldn’t know Casper even if they met face to face. No problem. The greatest untapped resources of any city are the people living there. Talk to owners and employees at stores and restaurants you visit on the trip. As long as they have a few minutes, they’re usually more than happy to give you the scoop on those spooky stories that don’t make the guidebooks. How’s that for a souvenir?
Happy haunting!