After I wrote my recent post about ghost towns, I started thinking a little bit about ghosts. There are a lot of places in the country that are supposed to be haunted. There are also a lot of people who choose to visit these haunted locations. In fact, a lot of people like to stay at hotels that are supposed to be haunted.

I did some research and discovered the top ten haunted hotels according to Haunted America. They are as follows:

1. Hotel Provincial in New Orleans. New Orleans is a destination that many people believe is filled with ghostly spirits. This isn’t the only hotel in the city that is supposedly haunted.
2. Le Pavilion in New Orleans. That’s right; this creepy city has more than one haunted hotel on the list!
3. Hotel Del Coronado near San Diego. This one sounds spooky. I’ll stick to my favorite San Diego budget hotels instead, thanks!
4. Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO. This hotel was creepy enough to inspire Stephen King to write The Shining.
5. Heathman Hotel in Portland. I don’t usually think of Portland as a place where ghosts might be present but apparently I might be wrong.
6. Carolina Inn in North Carolina. All of Chapel Hill is said to be haunted so why should this hotel there be any exception?
7. Sagamore Hotel, NY. This seems like a beautiful historic hotel but if it’s true that there’s a little boy’s ghost haunting the place then I want no part of visiting it.
8. Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR. I can’t think of too many reasons I’d visit Eureka Springs. A haunted hotel isn’t one of them.
9. Ramada Plaza Hotel in Fond du Lac, WI. A long time ago, gangsters used underground tunnels to conduct illegal business. One of those tunnels ended in the basement of this hotel. The gangsters may be gone but spirits supposedly linger on.
10. Queen Mary Hotel in Long Beach, CA. This is probably one of the most famous haunted hotels. You can tour it if you’re interested.

Do you believe in haunted hotels? Would you stay in one? I think I’ll pass!

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San Diego is a destination that I keep trying to learn more and more about. It just seems like such a great place for families and yet a place that’s hip and cool (as compared to, say, Disneyland). Right now I’m interested in the best hotels in San Diego for families that are interested in traveling on a budget.

Here are seven of the most family-friendly San Diego budget hotels that I have found so far:

1. Quality Inn Airport Seaworld Area. This isn’t the cheapest of the budget hotels on my list but it’s one of my favorites because it is located so close to Sea World. That’s an attraction I really love even though it’s kind of pricey. This is one of the most affordable hotels in the area so I think staying here would be a great choice.
2. Comfort Inn and Suites Zoo and SeaWorld. This is another one that I’d choose for the location.
3. Comfort Inn Airport at Old Town. Old Town San Diego provides so much entertainment and a lot of it is free. Staying at this affordable hotel would be good, too.
4. Quality Suites I-5 Miramar. What I love about this hotel is that there are a lot of deals offered by budget hotel sites for perks that can be added during your stay.
5. Comfort Inn at the Harbor. If you couldn’t tell, yet, I am a fan of the Comfort Inn. This is one of the most affordable locations of this chain if you’re traveling to San Diego.
6. Rodeway Inn and Suites Downtown. I don’t know for sure if I’d stay downtown with my family or not. It seems like more of a nightlife area. But people have told me that it’s family-friendly. This hotel is pricier than the rest because of the location but it looks like a good one if I did decide to stay downtown.
7. Porto Vista Hotel and Suites. I don’t get the chance to stay in boutique hotels too often but this is one that I think I could afford.

Do you have any experience with any of these hotels? Do you recommend them?

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I started thinking about taking a trip to San Diego and now I can’t stop thinking about it. San Diego is just such a great destination. It’s good for couples, solo trips and family travel. It’s particularly great because there are a lot of free and cheap things to do in San Diego.

I’m not actually going to get the chance to go to San Diego right now but it doesn’t hurt to plan a trip there for whenever I do get the chance to do. I like to keep tabs on the cheapest ways to travel to destinations that interest me. Based on my research so far, I’d say that these are the best ways to save money on a trip to San Diego:

• Don’t plan too far in advance. I keep getting information about great travel deals for San Diego. This looks like the kind of destination where you can plan a last minute trip and save money.
• Save money with economy hotels. I have seen terrific online hotel reviews for a large number of San Diego budget hotels. Of course, there are a lot of expensive hotels, especially in the Gaslamp Quarter, but I think you can stay at a really nice place in San Diego without spending a lot of money on your room.
• Get a cheap rental car. It looks like San Diego is a city where you really need a car to get around. It’s just not feasible to use public transportation here as a visitor from what I can see. I think it’s worth it to get a rental car that’s affordable for this trip.
• Do a lot of people watching. It seems like the best cheap activities in San Diego are things that let you just walk, window shop and people watch. Hanging out at the beach, walking through the Gaslamp District and sitting outside at a cheap outdoor cafe are all great ways to spend a day in San Diego.
• Spend a day at Old Town San Diego. This is a popular attraction and yet it doesn’t cost any money. You can see all of these neat historic things and you get to enjoy a famous place in the city but you don’t have to spend a fortune. That’s the way I like to travel!
• See things at Balboa Park other than the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo is amazing but it costs a lot of money. It’s located inside of Balboa Park where there are a lot of other things to do that are free or cheap. The museums here, the botanical gardens, the outdoor concerts and the Japanese Tea Gardens are all much more affordable to do and just as fun for the whole family.

That’s what I’ve learned so far about saving money on a trip to San Diego. I’m sure I’ll keep researching this in case I get to go someday so I’ll keep you posted as to what I learn. And any tips that you have about this are welcome!

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