Halloween is approaching and spookiness is in the air, so we thought we’d bring you some of the country’s most notorious haunted hotels to consider for your next trip. Why settle for a plain old hotel stay when you could add apparitions, strange noises in the night, locking and unlocking doors, and more to the experience?

Hotel Monteleone, New Orleans - Image credit: Flickr

Check out these haunted spots from the Victorian seaport town of Port Townsend, WA to the land of voodoo and witchcraft itself, New Orleans, LA, and find the spot that’s right for your next journey!

Visiting prospective colleges is similar to peering into a looking glass. Through exploring the college, as well as the respective city, prospective students and their families can catch a glimpse into their daily routine, what classes might be like, who their peers could be and much more. As I mentioned in “College Visits – San Francisco and South Bay,” I wanted to go to school in L.A. And to this day, I am so happy I went to visit the campuses: the L.A. I had dreamed of was nothing like the actual city. It is also important to consider that as students get further into their college years, their lives tend to be less centered around campus and more grounded in the surrounding areas.

Georgia Tech. Photo: hectorir

Atlanta
Atlanta is a hotbed of higher education. With more than 30 institutions of higher learning, the city is teeming with students, culture and history. With so many colleges available to explore, it is advised that you narrow down your list of schools to a number that is manageable for you and your family. However, this guide should get you through the major players and allow you to explore the city in about three days.

Start with Georgia State University, which is located in the heart of Atlanta and is close to Underground Atlanta, an entertainment district where you can grab a snack and sneak in some shopping before your next stop. Drive northeast 6.5 miles to Emory University, located in the suburbs of Druid Hills.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the Top 10 public universities in the country. Located in on 400 acres in Midtown, just north of downtown. Only six miles away from Georgia Tech is the historically black Morehouse College for men and the historically black Spelman College for women.

Oglethrope University is located 10 miles north of downtown and is a great way to round out your Atlanta college visits. If you have some spare time, be sure to visit Centennial Park, which was created for the ’96 Olympics.

Plan a trip to Atlanta on TravelMuse.

Loyola New Orleans. Photo: AuthenticEccentric

New Orleans
Believe it or not, the Big Easy is not just a hive of debauchery, drinking and hurricanes. Although its reputation proceeds itself, New Orleans is a fascinating, cultured city with more than 10 institutions of higher learning. So parents fear not, and hop on the nearest streetcar to easily explore the city.

Uptown Schools: Located on St. Charles Avenue, Tulane University is the largest and most well-known university in the city. Right next door, often overlooked in the shadow of Tulane, is Loyola University, a Jesuit university with fewer than 3,000 students. The only historically black Catholic college in the United States, Xavier University is located close to the Carrollton streetcar line. Be sure to explore the and Audubon Park and the Audubon Zoo.

Lakefront: For a larger campus feel, the University of New Orleans is the place to go. The campus is located on the beautiful shores on Lake Pontchartrain and in one of the city’s nicest residential areas. Dillard University is another one of the city’s historically black private colleges. Dillard is home to the Institute of Jazz Culture, which promotes jazz culture and education.

Plan a trip to New Orleans on TravelMuse.

Post adapted from “College Visit Guide: Atlanta” by Aaron Butzen and “College Visit Guide: New Orleans” by Ashleigh Nushawg.

Planning on getting your special someone a dozen red roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day? Snooze! Treat your significant other to a Valentine’s Day celebration that will really knock his or her socks off. Here are TravelMuse’s top 9 annual Valentine’s Day events across the globe:

From Flamingos to Flamenco, Valentine’s Day is full of unconventional possibilities for romance.

Photo: kjunstorm

Wine Tasting and Chocolate Trail: Niagara-on-the-Lake
Wine and chocolate are known aphrodisiacs, and you’ll find both 20 kilometers (about a half-hour drive) from Niagara Falls. Each Valentine’s Day, 20 wineries around Niagara-on-the-Lake pair their signature wines with different flavors of chocolate. At Peller Estate Merlot is paired with coriander and at Palatine Hills Estate cabernet sauvignon goes with apricot, to name just two.

Plan a trip to Niagara Falls on TravelMuse: Jan. 7 through Feb. 23. Call the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce for more info (tel. 905-468-1950) or visit www.niagaraonthelake.com.

Valentine’s Day in the Garden: Atlanta
On Valentine’s night in Atlanta, Ga., the Atlanta Botanical Garden turns into one long Lover’s Lane. Stroll candlelit paths, gaze at orchid displays paired with abstract art glass (part of the Orchid Daze exhibit) and listen to jazz  while you eat decadent desserts and sip martinis.

Plan a Trip to Atlanta on TravelMuse: Feb. 13, 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person (for members: $25 per person). 1345 Piedmont Ave. NE, tel. 404-876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.

Woo at the Zoo: San Francisco
Get some sex education this Valentine’s Day at the San Francisco Zoo, where zookeeper Jane Tollini explains how animals from penguins to porcupines show their affection, shall we say. Come for brunch, with mimosas and a full French toast buffet, or for dinner that ends with strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Plan a Trip to San Francisco on TravelMuse: Feb. 13, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Feb. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include zoo admission (visitors 21 and over only). 1 Zoo Rd., tel. 415-753-7080. www.sfzoo.org

Bike Ride for Lovers: Brussels, Belgium
The annual Bike Ride for Lovers takes you, dressed in your best red and pink spandex, through the streets of Brussels. The three-hour ride starts after dark at the Pro Velo non-profit bike shop and takes you past the city’s most romantic fountains, buildings and bridges. Along the way, you’ll hear stories told in the language of love (what else but French) and stop at a local café to spend time flirting over espresso.

Plan a Trip to Brussels on TravelMuse: February 1 to February 28. Visit Pro Velo (www.provelo.be) for more information.

On Screen Romance: Mons, Belgium
Belgium has another annual Valentine’s Day event, which shouldn’t surprise since the country does make some of the best chocolate in the world. The Mons International Love Film Festival tackles new ways to look at the idea of love through rare and controversial films. See love in all its forms through movies that make the main screen, or in smaller film competitions that highlight directors in developing countries, independent films, limited release films and, of course, shorts.

Plan a Trip to Belgium on TravelMuse: Feb. 19 to 26. Lotto Mono Expo, www.fifa-mons.be.

Flamenco Festival: Boston
Add some passion to your love life and get a head start on Valentine’s Day at Boston’s annual Flamenco Festival on February 5 to February 6. “Flamenco is more than just a dance,” says Mari Katsigianis, organizer of the Boston festival. “The dance grew around the guitar playing, and that grew around the singing that is the focal part of flamenco.” The tradition started in Andalucia, Spain, and has developed over hundreds of years. “The dancing is tremendous when it’s done well,” says Katsigianis, which it’s sure to be with famed flamenco artist La Conja performing on Valentine’s Day.

To make the Spanish-style holiday complete, dine at one of Boston’s best tapas restaurants: Dali Restaurant and Tapas Bar, Tapeo or Tasca Restaurant in Brighton.

Plan a Trip to Boston on TravelMuse: Feb. 5, 8 p.m; Feb. 6, 8 p.m. at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St. Tickets: $65, $50, or $40. Tel. 877-598-8497. www.worldmusic.org.

Dance the Night Away: Vienna, Austria
Don your finest gown for the Johann Strauss Ball. Each year, the ball takes over the entire Kursalon Wien in Vienna, with a black tie dinner, lessons in the Viennese waltz and four dancing rooms that play everything from classical to ‘90s hits.

Plan a Trip to Vienna on TravelMuse: Feb. 13. Dinner at 6 p.m.; Ball starts at 9 p.m. Tickets range from €105 to €125(US $152 to $181, respectively) with dinner, €47 (US $68) without. For full event information, visit www.soundofvienna.at or call 0043-1-512-57-90.

Run Into Love: Moorea
Spend Valentine’s week on Moorea, a French Polynesian island otherwise known as “The Island of Love.” On Feb. 13, join 600 other runners in the 22nd International Moorea Marathon. Then, stay through Feb. 15 for an island celebration.

Plan a Trip to Moorea on TravelMuse: Marathon, Feb. 13, www.mooreaevents.org. For more info on an island Valentine’s celebration, visit Tahiti Tourism.

Get Married at the Top of the World: New York City
Every year, 14 couples come to the Empire State Building in New York City on Valentine’s Day to say their vows. If you want to say “I do” at the “top of the world” next year, submit an essay that explains why you should be among the select few. Essays are due in October and couples are chosen in November.

Plan a trip to New York City on TravelMuse: For more information, visit www.brides.com/esb or www.esbnyc.com.

*Adapted from “Valentine’s Day Events to Remember” by Samantha Cleaver. To read the full article go to www.travelmuse.com/articles/romantic-getaways/annual-valentines-day-events.