Stay in a Haunted Inn This Fall: Enjoy Terror in a Colorful Setting

Two birds - one stone? You want a weekend getaway to see the peak colors in the most colorful place, but you also kind of like the idea of getting into the Halloween mood by staying in a haunted location. 

I think I might have your locales - 

New Hampshire 

The Beal House Inn

Littleton, NH

This 1800s farmhouse has a bevy of ghosts reported that slam doors, stomp up and down the stairs, and talk in rooms where no one is staying. They are all friendly and harmless, but oh so intriguing. 

Massachusetts

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast

Fall River, Massachusetts

It's hard not to have heard about the Lizzie Borden ax-killing murder of her father and stepmother in the late 1800s.  If you want an active ghost-hunting feel, this place is set up for the spectacle of it and the ambiance. 

North Carolina

Whitegate Inn and Cottage

Asheville, NC

This lovely 1800s historic home has had reports of floating orbs, footsteps on the stairs, lights going on and off, doors shutting, and other sounds.

Colorado

Stanley Hotel

Estes Park, CO

This hotel was the inspiration for Stephen King's "The Shining." It was opened as a hotel in 1909 on land that was once Native Land. It got a reputation by the 1970s of being haunted when Stephen King stayed there and the inspiration for his book and later a movie based on it created a renewed interest in the lovely hotel.

Oregon

Columbia Gorge Hotel

Hood River, OR

Built in the early 1900s, it is lavishly decorating in beautiful antiques, a real show piece. But, in the Depression Era it was turned into a retirement home. One of the retirees who died there is said to haunt the place, his cigar smoke lingering. Another supposed past resident blocks the door to her past room with a chair under the doorknob.

For anyone who would like to enjoy the fall colors in a beautiful setting, but you also enjoy the idea of sleeping among ghosts in a quiet inn where you can stroll among the yellows, oranges and red leaves, enjoy a warm fire in a fireplace in the evening, perhaps partake of some local cider, but also get goosebumps of another kind, an autumn trip making both of you in a couple happy is the ideal decision.

Pick your dream area for color and the do a little search for haunted B and B's and hotels. You will find plenty, as most of the colorful areas of the country were first ones settled with lots of water and resources, trees and beauty. 

Consider bringing some yummies that set the mood like maple fudge and pumpkin ale (I tried a LOT of pumpkin ales  - my fav is Buffalo Bills)- 

Maple Fudge

1 teaspoon plus 1 cup butter, divided
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
1. Line an 8-in.-square pan with foil; grease foil with 1 teaspoon butter.
2. Cube remaining butter. In a large saucepan, combine cubed butter, brown sugar and milk. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in maple flavoring, vanilla and salt. Add confectioners' sugar; beat on medium speed 2 minutes or until smooth. Immediately spread into prepared pan. Cool completely.
4. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Remove foil; cut into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 1-3/4 pounds (64 pieces).
Nutritional Facts
1 piece: 69 calories, 3g fat (2g saturated fat), 8mg cholesterol, 30mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 0g fiber), trace protein

Top leaf-peeping areas in the country: (look for haunted B and Bs in these areas or even ghost tours)

Aspen, Colorado (mid to late September)
The Catskills, New York (mid September to mid October)
The Berkshires, Massachusetts (late September to mid October)
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon (mid September to mid October)
Green Mountain Byway, Vermont (mid September to early October) 
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, New Mexico (late September to early October)
Upper Peninsula, Michigan (mid September to mid October)
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri (last two weeks of October)

Don't hesitate to find locations in your own state, whether it's haunted tours, haunted hotels or bed and breakfasts, or legendary haunted cemeteries and the like. Just get yourself outdoors and in the colors where the spooky magic has a way of finding you - 

Oh, and please report back. I like to know which places are perfect settings....