Lifestyle

You Can Stay At These Haunted Houses For A Spook-tacular Trip This Fall

by Marisa Casciano

The spookiest season of the year is here, my ghosts and goblins. You're probably starting to put pumpkins in your apartment and decorate the walls with orange twinkly lights. The group chat you have with your best friends is likely filled with messages about costumes and details on Halloween parties. It's only right that I give you all the wicked awesome scoop on Vrbo's haunted properties.

Spoiler alert: These cabins and cottages are a real treat and come with lots of spook-tacular experiences and excursions. Running into a ghost in the middle of the gardens or grounds isn't guaranteed, but you should keep your eye out for spirits roaming the halls. If you do get a chance to meet a spirit, it'll surely make your weekend trip unforgettable and let you check a pretty major item off your bucket list.

So when you're in the midst of making plans to go apple picking or eat a loaded baked potato at the local fair, think about booking a weekend trip to one of these haunted properties on Vrbo. Consider taking a flight to a dreamy destination across the pond and checking into a giant estate, or taking a road trip to a home tucked away in the woods. It'll be a trip that may give you some spooks and pretty rad stories to tell.

Before you start planning your itinerary and doing extensive research on what haunted homes are worth checking out with your best friends, let me tell you about three properties on Vrbo I think will do the trick (and be a total treat). Then, you can purchase your plane tickets or plan a route to your destination that's filled with brightly colored trees.

Vrbo

The first of these properties is a log cabin called the "Shamrock House" in Sunset, South Carolina. With a total of eight bedrooms and four bathrooms, it's ideal for taking a trip with your entire crew in the middle of October.

From the moment you arrive, you'll be treated to a fully equipped kitchen, horseshoe pits, outdoor grills, and lots of wildlife such as turkeys and beavers. You may also be able to say hello to Nancy the Ghost who "is claimed to be heard on occasion," according to the owners via the Vrbo listing.

The owners do ask that you stay for a minimum of three nights in this cabin, so be sure to plan and take days off work accordingly. During that time, you can check out the waterfalls in the area, go tubing, hiking, biking, or whitewater rafting if you so choose. Oh, and you can take a nap in the same room that President Lyndon B. Johnson once stayed in, as noted in the Vrbo listing. Rent it now for around $398 per night.

Vrbo

Now, if you and your best friends are a little adventurous and hoping to take a flight to a haunted house, then a manor in Gloucestershire in the United Kingdom might be a better fit for you. Its marvelous rooms and fancy bedspreads may make you feel like you're living in another world that's made for kings and queens. Not to mention, you may see the old ghost of King Charles I. According to the listing on Vrbo, "His ghost haunts the four acres of landscaped gardens"

At this property, the owners ask you stay for at least two nights. This way, you can really explore the place and all its amenities. There's a pool room, dining room, and large family room that you can hang out in, as well as 12 bedrooms and multiple kitchens for you and your crew to use. On your spooky weekend trip, you may want to spend some time at the stores in the area, or trying out horseback riding. You can also go sightseeing and take in the natural beauty of the Cotswolds.

The manor costs around $2,643 per night, which seems a little steep. But you can split the price with everyone in your crew for a weekend you'll never forget this fall.

Vrbo

Last but not least, if you're already looking to visit a dreamy spot for leaf peeping and apple cider doughnuts, consider making a stop at this cottage on Fishers Island in New York. It's a quaint residence that, according to the listing on Vrbo, is "rumored to be haunted by the benevolent ghost of 1920s broadway actress and opera singer Amy Fay Stone." She was a friend of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald who, of course, wrote iconic and magical novel, The Great Gatsby.

If you stay here, you might meet her or simply be treated to full access to the pool, tennis club, swimming dock, and beautiful views of the autumn sunsets. You may wake up in the morning, brew yourself a cup of coffee, and look over the ocean waves. There are lots of shops nearby, so you may choose to wander over to them and pick up a cute souvenir. The cottage costs around $835 per night and sleeps up to 15 people. Be sure to book it soon so you can plan the rest of your spooky days and adventures for this season.

After all, staying in a haunted house isn't the only thing you can do this fall. The farmers' markets are booming and the pumpkins in your home are begging to be carved. Plan a different activity for every weekend, and have a gourd time, OK?