It's been years since I've celebrated Halloween but I love any holiday that involves playing dress-up and carefreely consuming copious amounts of candy. While Halloween may not be a huge travel holiday, there are plenty of places that show major love for the great pumpkin. Here are three picks on where to go for a spectacular and spooky getaway. Pack this sexy pilot costume (available at Amazon) in your bag and go!
New Orleans - Yes, the Big Easy knows how to party but this town also considers itself the most haunted city in the world (hello Anne Rice). NOLA's official Halloween Day parade, the Krewe of Halloween, unwinds through the Boo Carre on Saturday, October 30th. Put on your snazziest costume and let the good times roll. Music lovers should snag tickets for the Voodoo Music Experience (October 29-31). Performers include Kermit Ruffins, Ozzy Osbourne, Janelle Monae, Macy Gray, and many others. While you are in town, will you dare to go on a ghost/paranormal tour? Also, New Orleans' cemeteries, with their aboveground tombs, are hauntingly beautiful places to visit and often referred to as "Cities of the Dead.
New York City - As a native, I assure you that you can wear a costume 365 days a year in the Big Apple and no one will give you a second glance. However, the great thing about Halloween is that practically the whole city will play dress-up with you! The raucous and colorful Village Halloween Parade (Sunday, October 31) will celebrate its 38th year of winding through the streets of Greenwich Village. Don't just be a spectator - everyone in costume is invited to march in the parade! For a real fright, cross the terror threshold and visit the Blood Manor or Nightmare: Superstitions haunted houses. For a more spiritual escape, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will host a Crypt Crawl (Saturday, October 30) where guides will lead visitors through the crypts and explain the origins of Halloween. Green-Wood Cemetary in Brooklyn, founded in 1838 and the final resting place for many famous New Yorkers, also has a Halloween tour (October 30 & 31).
Las Vegas: Doesn't everyday in Las Vegas seem like Halloween? Last year I coincidentally found myself in Sin City on October 31st and those of us without costumes really stuck out. Practically every hotel and nightclub in Las Vegas is hosting a special Halloween soiree - click here for a comprehensive list of what's happening in this adult playground. Other fun events include the Las Vegas Halloween Parade.
PS - Wherever you go, get ready for Halloween with a relaxing bath. This Fizzy Baker Halloween Cupcake Bath Bomb looks like the real thing but is actually a calorie-free scented soak. "Hand decorated, the frosting, sprinkles and decorations are made of soap! In the tub, the 'cake' fizzes and releases skin softening coconut oil and glycerin, while the frosting floats free to use just like soap." Nibble on some candy corn and let this cupcake take you away! ($5.50 at Amazon)
