Travel ideas

CharmedPam · September 2018

Last week was my first time in Gettysburg PA and I loved it. Like, almost as much as Salem. I can't wait to go back. I love towns with rich history, great b&b's and tours and such. I'm talking smaller towns and not big cities like Boston, NYC, Chicago etc. which are great - but I love the small town atmosphere of Salem, Plymouth, Gettysburg, Falls River MA, Fells Point in Baltimore, etc.

Anyone have any other towns like this that offer a lot of ghost tours, history tours, old buildings, cool restaurants and Victorian b&b's? I asked my friends and got:

Roanoke, NC
Ocracoke Island, NC
Antietam, MD
Harpers Ferry, WV
Cape May, NJ
St. Augustine, FL

But since we have a lot of people from around the country (and world) wanted to ask TK for any other future travel ideas that fit this type of criteria (doesn't have to be civil war related).

sparklepants41 · September 2018

Newport RI, Charleston, SC, Chestertown, MD come to mind. I know Newport and Charleston have amazing restaurants in addition to historic (and possibly haunted!) houses, but I am not sure about the restaurants in Chestertown. I only know about the historic homes in Chestertown because before my cousin got married, he was a schoolteacher there and rented a room in one of the town's many historic houses. Anytime there was a historic house tour he had to hide his things and skedaddle for the day.

CharmedPam · September 2018

Thanks! I'm compiling a list. Maybe I can hit a few in one trip? LOL btw, I know most will fall on the East Coast, but I'd love some West coast options too! Another one I thought of was Virginia City, NV (and Carson City). Also super cool!

OliveOilsMom · September 2018

We are going to Lancaster County PA for a weekend in Oct to celebrate our 10 years together. They have lots of B&Bs, but you may need to look for ghost tours. They have them, but you may need to look for it. The food out there is amazing! The Amish influence on the freshness of everything, I think, is the key to their food. They also have funny town names like Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse - for your inner teenager! It is about an hour outside of Philly, north (I think) of Gettysburg.

I would also add

Key West, FL
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA (I've not been, my parents have and this would check your boxes)
NOLA

pegasuskat · September 2018

Savannah GA is my all time favorite city, beautiful and VERY haunted.

CharmedPam · September 2018

OliveOilsMom said:

We are going to Lancaster County PA for a weekend in Oct to celebrate our 10 years together. They have lots of B&Bs, but you may need to look for ghost tours. They have them, but you may need to look for it. The food out there is amazing! The Amish influence on the freshness of everything, I think, is the key to their food. They also have funny town names like Bird-In-Hand and Intercourse - for your inner teenager! It is about an hour outside of Philly, north (I think) of Gettysburg.
I would also add
Key West, FL
Charleston, SC
Savannah, GA (I've not been, my parents have and this would check your boxes)
NOLA

OMG, how did I miss Savannah?!? So glad I polled this group! We'll be in Key West in February of 2020 for a day (on a cruise). woot!

mrsconn23 · September 2018

Galena, IL

Lots of 19th century buildings and Grant's home is there. I went as a child, but I would love to go back one day.

mrsconn23 · September 2018

Oh GOD yes...Savannah! I wish it hadn't been so hot when we were there because I was pretty wilted by the time we got to the historical homes.

short+sassy · September 2018

Charleston, SC - though, I'm thinking you've already been there (not sure). I love Charleston. It is a lot of what you described. I think of Charleston as being New Orleans's more demure sister, lol.
Savannah, GA - I've never been there myself, but your description is what I've heard about it.
Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, LA - Myrtles Plantation is considered one of the most haunted places in the country. It is also a hotel and you can spend the night in the house. St. Francisville, LA is about 30 minutes outside Baton Rouge. It's a small town, but there are a bunch of plantations all around there. There are other sites nearby, like Avery Island (where Tabasco sauce is made). The restaurants out in the countryside aren't famous, but that is where you'll find the real, down-home Cajun cuisine.

STARMOON44 · September 2018

Hudson NY is a good base for weekend exploring

CharmedPam · September 2018

Good one @starmoon44, also kinda cool is Sleepy Hollow NY! usually in the fall when they have cemetery tours and stuff.

short+sassy · September 2018

CharmedPam said:

Thanks! I'm compiling a list. Maybe I can hit a few in one trip? LOL btw, I know most will fall on the East Coast, but I'd love some West coast options too! Another one I thought of was Virginia City, NV (and Carson City). Also super cool!

That's because the West is too new to have ghosts, lol.

I'm not familiar with Virginia City, NV. Though I've heard of it. I've driven through Carson City many times. Because the only way to get to Lake Tahoe by plane is to fly into Reno and drive through CC. Maybe I'm missing cool stuff riding along the freeway, but both CC and Reno have always struck me as being Every City, America. Strip malls and ranch houses galore. With casinos as the only notable addition.

I also don't picture it as being a place with cool AirBnB's or great restaurants. The scenery isn't very pretty, until you get to the mountain that starts heading you down to Tahoe. And then it is the BEST.SCENERY.EVER. It's crazy how the landscapes are SO different! Reno/CC are everything brown, dry, and arid. Tahoe is huge, blue lake and green, mountainous forests.

The drive does take you over Donner Pass, where all those people starved to death during wagon-train times and were rumored to have resorted to cannibalism.

CharmedPam · September 2018

short+sassy said:

CharmedPam said:

Thanks! I'm compiling a list. Maybe I can hit a few in one trip? LOL btw, I know most will fall on the East Coast, but I'd love some West coast options too! Another one I thought of was Virginia City, NV (and Carson City). Also super cool!

That's because the West is too new to have ghosts, lol.
I'm not familiar with Virginia City, NV. Though I've heard of it. I've driven through Carson City many times. Because the only way to get to Lake Tahoe by plane is to fly into Reno and drive through CC. Maybe I'm missing cool stuff riding along the freeway, but both CC and Reno have always struck me as being Every City, America. Strip malls and ranch houses galore. With casinos as the only notable addition.
I also don't picture it as being a place with cool AirBnB's or great restaurants. The scenery isn't very pretty, until you get to the mountain that starts heading you down to Tahoe. And then it is the BEST.SCENERY.EVER. It's crazy how the landscapes are SO different! Reno/CC are everything brown, dry, and arid. Tahoe is huge, blue lake and green, mountainous forests.
The drive does take you over Donner Pass, where all those people starved to death during wagon-train times and were rumored to have resorted to cannibalism.

hmm maybe Carson City isn't like that then, Virginia City an old mining town with saloons and b&b's and museums and in the summer/fall they have people dressed up in 1800 garb doing reenactments. Also very haunted. There's a train route that goes from VC to CC so I thought it was another mining town with the same feel. Red Dog Saloon had the best pizza I have ever eaten in VC, but they do have off seasons - unfortunately we pair it with a Vegas trip and we don't like going to Vegas when it's extremely hot, but we also want to catch VC during the peak season when things are open. Usually when Vegas is hot.

short+sassy · September 2018

CharmedPam said:

short+sassy said:

CharmedPam said:

Thanks! I'm compiling a list. Maybe I can hit a few in one trip? LOL btw, I know most will fall on the East Coast, but I'd love some West coast options too! Another one I thought of was Virginia City, NV (and Carson City). Also super cool!

That's because the West is too new to have ghosts, lol.
I'm not familiar with Virginia City, NV. Though I've heard of it. I've driven through Carson City many times. Because the only way to get to Lake Tahoe by plane is to fly into Reno and drive through CC. Maybe I'm missing cool stuff riding along the freeway, but both CC and Reno have always struck me as being Every City, America. Strip malls and ranch houses galore. With casinos as the only notable addition.
I also don't picture it as being a place with cool AirBnB's or great restaurants. The scenery isn't very pretty, until you get to the mountain that starts heading you down to Tahoe. And then it is the BEST.SCENERY.EVER. It's crazy how the landscapes are SO different! Reno/CC are everything brown, dry, and arid. Tahoe is huge, blue lake and green, mountainous forests.
The drive does take you over Donner Pass, where all those people starved to death during wagon-train times and were rumored to have resorted to cannibalism.

hmm maybe Carson City isn't like that then, Virginia City an old mining town with saloons and b&b's and museums and in the summer/fall they have people dressed up in 1800 garb doing reenactments. Also very haunted. There's a train route that goes from VC to CC so I thought it was another mining town with the same feel. Red Dog Saloon had the best pizza I have ever eaten in VC, but they do have off seasons - unfortunately we pair it with a Vegas trip and we don't like going to Vegas when it's extremely hot, but we also want to catch VC during the peak season when things are open. Usually when Vegas is hot.

That does sound like fun! But, yeah, I'd avoid CC, unless there are some specific things you found that sound interesting.

I'd consider cutting out Vegas entirely. It's pretty far and another plane ride away. A short plane ride, but still. If you want to do some gambling and catch some shows, you can do that in Reno or Tahoe. They are much smaller cities than Vegas, so it isn't quite the same "exciting vibe". But, inside a casino, it's all the same, lol.

Edited to add: Inside the Reno airport, there is a huge display that is titled something like, "Your Flight Today Made Available with Mining." And there are dozens of different small samples of various ores that are found in airplanes. It was a extra fun for me when I saw it, because the client I work for is a mining behemoth.

CharmedPam · September 2018

Another one I thought of is the Alamo in San Antonio. Never been. Does that fit the bill?

6fsn · September 2018

Definitely Savannah.

We stayed at a B&B in upstate NY and had BLAST. I don't have a clue about ghost tours, but the wine tour was fabulous.

short+sassy · September 2018

CharmedPam said:

Another one I thought of is the Alamo in San Antonio. Never been. Does that fit the bill?

I have heard San Antonio is fabulous. Great food. I'd guess some cute B+Bs by the Riverwalk. I've heard the Riverwalk is beautiful. I think there are gondola rides.

But that people need to temper their expectations of the Alamo. It's a lot smaller than people think it is. And it is right in the middle of town, surrounded by modern buildings. So it looks weird.

On a mostly unrelated note, I've heard the same thing about the Sphinx. Most pictures make it look like it is out in the middle of desert. It isn't. It's on the outskirts of Cairo, only 6 miles away. I saw a crazy aerial picture with some of the streets and buildings of jam-packed Cairo. A swath of sand. And then the Sphinx. Tourists spoke of one of the best places to see the Sphinx is from a Pizza Hut, that is on a hill on that edge of town. Perfect view of the Sphinx from their windows, lol.

thisismynickname2 · September 2018

short+sassy said:

CharmedPam said:

Another one I thought of is the Alamo in San Antonio. Never been. Does that fit the bill?

I have heard San Antonio is fabulous. Great food. I'd guess some cute B+Bs by the Riverwalk. I've heard the Riverwalk is beautiful. I think there are gondola rides.
But that people need to temper their expectations of the Alamo. It's a lot smaller than people think it is. And it is right in the middle of town, surrounded by modern buildings. So it looks weird.
snip

Concurring on San Antonio, but if you rent a car, you can visit several missions in a day. Those are pretty cool, but don't go in summer! It was scoooortching. Blugh!

downtondiva · September 2018

There are some in the Berkshires in western MA - Lenox, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington in particular come to mind. Those three are all right near each other. Lots of good restaurants and shopping, some beautiful historic sites, gorgeous scenery, and a good music and theater scene during the summer. I've never been on a ghost tour up there, but you could probably find one.

artbyallie · September 2018

Seconding Charleston, Savannah, and NOLA and I don't think I saw Williamsburg, VA mentioned. Also worth a trip if you'd like to see Shakespeare performed in old-school 16th century style is Staunton, VA. The Blackfriars Playhouse is really fun. There's also a winery and one or two breweries in town, though it really is a tiny town and not comparable to others mentioned. We enjoyed the night we spent there, though.

cupcait927 · September 2018

6fsn said:

Definitely Savannah.
We stayed at a B&B in upstate NY and had BLAST. I don't have a clue about ghost tours, but the wine tour was fabulous.

H and I used to live in an apartment on the back of B&B in upstate NY. The place was definitely haunted and is known for being the "haunted B&B". While I don't know about guest experiences, I can definitely attest to it being haunted because there was some weird shit that happened while we lived there.

Wine tasting in our region is absolutely amazing. The Finger Lakes area is among the top ten wine regions in the country to visit.

CharmedPam · September 2018

artbyallie said:

Seconding Charleston, Savannah, and NOLA and I don't think I saw Williamsburg, VA mentioned. Also worth a trip if you'd like to see Shakespeare performed in old-school 16th century style is Staunton, VA. The Blackfriars Playhouse is really fun. There's also a winery and one or two breweries in town, though it really is a tiny town and not comparable to others mentioned. We enjoyed the night we spent there, though.

That's OK! I would love to do a week long trip one day and hit small towns along the way, even for a night! I'm literally jotting down all these ideas to map out a vacation that makes sense.

ahoywedding · September 2018

If you're coming to NC (Roanoke, Ocracoke), check out Wilmington. It's not AS haunted as Savannah, but most seaside towns on the east coast have their own haunted/pirate history. There are several haunted locations around town (and the tours to go with them). The downtown is along the river and suuuuuuper charming! There are great foodie options, plus two very nice beaches about 15-20 minutes away. It's also the "Hollywood of the east," so you can check out some movie locations too. If you take the ferry to the mainland from Ocracoke, you can check out some other cute towns along the way to Wilmington.

cupcait927 · September 2018

ahoywedding said:

If you're coming to NC (Roanoke, Ocracoke), check out Wilmington. It's not AS haunted as Savannah, but most seaside towns on the east coast have their own haunted/pirate history. There are several haunted locations around town (and the tours to go with them). The downtown is along the river and suuuuuuper charming! There are great foodie options, plus two very nice beaches about 15-20 minutes away. It's also the "Hollywood of the east," so you can check out some movie locations too. If you take the ferry to the mainland from Ocracoke, you can check out some other cute towns along the way to Wilmington.

H and I have vacationed at Carolina Beach and loved going to Wilmington while we were there. Very charming, lots to see and do and it was so nice to have beaches close by.

Ro041 · September 2018

I am not sure how ghost-y it is, but Asheville, NC is INSANELY beautiful and I recommend it 100%. You have the small town vibe with a ton of good brew pubs and a good B&B scene.

I sign on to tempering expectations of the Alamo. Even as a kid I was like, "oh. It's a room. Meh." Although the Riverwalk is awesome.

I would recommend Santa Fe and Taos, NM if you want to see beautiful adobe and Native American history with a small town vibe.

downtondiva · September 2018

Another one - Jim Thorpe, PA in the Pocono Mountains. It's very small, but there are some really nice restaurants and shops, as well as a train ride that my husband and I really enjoyed. There's hiking, outdoor activities, and a couple of historic sites in the area, as well as a winery about 30 minutes away (which we also really enjoyed!)

WinstonsGirl · September 2018

In Eastern Canada, you need to check out Quebec. Tons of history, walled city, ghost tours, military fortress with changing of the guard, culture, shops, especially in the Old City. I prefer it over Montreal actually.

My other favourite city with this type of feel is Edinburgh, but it might be too big, and it's a little further to travel

We've got a ton of cool places out west too, but nothing old, which I get the sense you're looking for.

GBCK · September 2018

oh, I haven't re-visited as an adult, but, Eastern Cananda reminds me -- I really liked the Bay of Fundy area. NOt only the nature stuff (and really, you can't go and not see the biggest effing tides in the world. totally worth it. tons of fossils and all that.), but also, it's where a lot of loyalists ran away to post-revolutionary war....there was a lot of history there we explored--fort anne and annapolis royal historical gardens (http://annapolisheritagesociety.com/)

(also origin of the GHost ship, the Mary Celeste (sp?))

DO EET: http://www.southshorebreaker.ca/living/haunted-history-take-a-ghost-tour-around-southwestern-nova-scotia-3128/
(I remember kind Candian rangers telling us ghost stories around campfires. So, biased in that 'childhood memory' sort of way. Also, I sprained an ankle and got sunburn so bad I had fever dreams. FApparently the fun stuff stood out more.)

MesmrEwe · September 2018

mrsconn23 said:

Galena, IL

Lots of 19th century buildings and Grant's home is there. I went as a child, but I would love to go back one day.

LOL - a friend of mine has an airbnb rental there... (and I've got tons of friends in the area)... But if you go Galena, plan to go an hour North to Prairie du Chien to the Villa Louis... There's also The House on The Rock down in that part of the state of WI... (I spend a lot of time in the Prairie/Dubuque area on business)..

My rec... Sarasota, Florida... There's a rich Circus History with the Ringling Museum (though the Ringling Museum of Art along with the Ca'd'zan are my favorite parts of the property!) all along the coast area. There is a place for Trapeze in Venice that is kick butt awesome! (Tito is one of those guys "you just have to meet" He was a flyer with Ringling with his family and siblings and still works with all levels - it's fun to watch him go from coaching the elites ready to go out on the circuit then flip to someone who has never flown before!) Flying is also something that's a MUST do at least once in your life!

artbyallie · September 2018

Ro041 said:

I am not sure how ghost-y it is, but Asheville, NC is INSANELY beautiful and I recommend it 100%. You have the small town vibe with a ton of good brew pubs and a good B&B scene.

I sign on to tempering expectations of the Alamo. Even as a kid I was like, "oh. It's a room. Meh." Although the Riverwalk is awesome.

I would recommend Santa Fe and Taos, NM if you want to see beautiful adobe and Native American history with a small town vibe.

I believe the LaZoom bus has a ghost tour. The Pub-Cycle is a fun tour also. (edit: both in Asheville; we live ~1hr away and go frequently though we haven't done LaZoom yet)

CharmedPam · September 2018

downtondiva said:

There are some in the Berkshires in western MA - Lenox, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington in particular come to mind. Those three are all right near each other. Lots of good restaurants and shopping, some beautiful historic sites, gorgeous scenery, and a good music and theater scene during the summer. I've never been on a ghost tour up there, but you could probably find one.

So we're going to do Fall River, Lenox and Salem next Autumn Equinox since Lenox has an annual apple squeeze going on during that week (it seems?). Usually we do Halloween but doing it around this time of year we can finally make it to the Pioneer Village in Salem. I know we have someone who lives in Salem...I'll know your screen name when I see it! Come to this thread! I have a question

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