October in Florida means the arrival of exciting Halloween events, such as a Boo at the Zoo at every zoo in the state, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween at Disney and Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. I've been to most of these events -- actually went to the first HHN when it cost less than $20 for tickets -- and they are great. But these days paying $50 to $75 for one night of Halloween fun just isn't in the family budget.
These things weren't in the budget for my family when I was a child in North Carolina. But my dad, the king of the cheap daytrip, found a way to make October and Halloween exciting. One Saturday night, he loaded us all into the car. As we drove, he told us the legend of a man killed by a train and who came back searching for his head along the railroad tracks. He said some people had seen his ghost or the lantern light shining in the dark -- and did we want to see if it was true? I'm not sure exactly where in North Carolina this was, but as young pre-teens, we were game for anything.
My dad took us to the railroad tracks and for the next hour we strained to see something, anything and took turns saying "Shh" or "What was that?" or "Is that him?" Truth be told, we didn't see any ghost or anything. But, we created a memory that stays strong some 25 years later.
Florida is another state rich with ghost stories and tales of hauntings. Many of the places rumored to be haunted are free to get into and open to the public. This site lists places throughout the state -- as of 2009 -- that have a legend or spooky tale.
Spook Hill in Lake Wales also is a free tourist attraction. Cars appear to drive uphill!
So keep your money to those high-priced Halloween events. Visit a real -- or rumored to be real -- haunted place for some real thrills and adventure. Just be careful and don't go by yourself, especially if you're visiting a cemetery. The spirits that inhabit woods and cemeteries could be real.
Happy haunting and daytripping!
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