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Forget the white sheets this Halloween and go on a hunt for some real ghosts.  And what better places than abandoned prisons and hospitals?  The following include some of the most haunted asylums and penitentiaries in the country.  Many of them offer tours... are you brave enough?

Waverly Hills Sanatorium - Louisville, Kentucky

Opened in 1910, this treated tuberculosis patients during the TB epidemic of the early 1900s.  Fresh air and bed rest were the main treatments during this time - patients were kept outside on porches for most of the day, even during the winter (this led to the invention of electric blankets).  Heliotherapy, or "sun treatment", was also used, as it was believed the sun helped kill the bacteria that cause TB.  Other treatments included ways to temporarily restrict a portion of the lung in order to "let it rest".  One of these treatments, the "shot bag" method, included placing a one pound bag of shot on both collarbones of the patient. The amount was increased by four or five ounces each week until the patient would carry 5 pounds on the upper part of each lung. More permanent treatments involved various methods of collapsing one of the patient's lungs.

Visitors to the Sanatorium can take a 2-hour guided historical tour or spend a half-night (4 hours) or a full night (8 hours) hunting ghosts.  One common spot to have paranormal encounters is in the Body Chute, or Death Tunnel, which was once used to transport the bodies of deceased TB patients down the hill to waiting hearses or trains. Many patients died each day during the epidemic and the staff preferred to use the Body Chute rather than carry them through the main hall in an effort to keep morale up.  Unusual experiences at the Sanatorium include seeing shadows, smelling food from the abandoned kitchen and hearing voices screaming and moaning.  During the month of October, visitors can brave the Terror on the Hill, a haunted house at Waverly Hills.

For most of us, hotel stays come with check-in and check-out dates. But many lodgings claim to have guests that refuse to leave, lingering in the rooms or on the grounds long after their scheduled stay. Check in to one of these hotels if you want to spend Halloween with real ghosts. And why limit it to Halloween? Since the spirits in these establishments are not staged seasonal events, ghost hunters can spend the night with specters year-round. In case you missed it: check out our list of Haunted Hotels of the East.

Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado
The Stanley Hotel (above) was made famous in 1977 by Stephen King's The Shining, but legend has it that the hotel was home to spirits long before King modeled his "Overlook Hotel" after the property.

The building sits on land originally owned by the British fourth earl of Dunraven, who used it as private hunting reserve. Angry locals drove the earl out and automaker F.O. Stanley bought the property in 1909 and opened the Georgian-style hotel. Some claim that the bitter Lord Dunraven haunts the 4th floor, where lights switch on and off mysteriously and furniture moves around by itself. In Room 412, one guest claims that he was possessed by an evil entity that drove him to speak in tongues.

In the 1970s, King stayed in Room 217 of the almost deserted hotel just before it closed for the season. While it is uncertain whether or not King experienced paranormal activity, The Shining generated a flurry of ghost sightings and other eerie events.                                                                                    

Guests who have stayed in Room 408 have reported hearing children playing and laughing loudly outside their door but finding nothing when getting up to investigate. They also claim to have left the room for a few seconds only to return and find the entire room in disarray and handprints of small children on the mirrors. Too scared to stay overnight? The hotel also offers daily ghost tours.

Crescent Hotel and Spa, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Legend has it that several ghosts reside at the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa; eerie sightings have been reported in guest rooms, the lobby, the dining room and on the grounds. The most haunted room, 218, is home to the spirit of Michael, an Irish stonemason who fell to his death from the roof during the hotel's construction and landed on the future site of the room. It is reported that he bangs on walls and turns the television and lights on and off. 

For most of us, hotel stays come with check-in and check-out dates. But many lodgings claim to have guests who refuse to leave, lingering in the rooms or on the grounds long after their scheduled stay. Check in to one of these hotels if you want to spend Halloween with real ghosts. And why limit it to Halloween? Since the spirits in these establishments are not staged seasonal events, ghost hunters can spend the night with specters year-round.

Logan Inn, New Hope, Pennsylvania
This 18th century tavern-turned-inn has a reputation for hosting numerous colonial-era spirits. The restless ghost of a Revolutionary War soldier has been spotted marching around the grounds.  Guests also frequently see the specter of a little girl wandering the parking lot, but no one is sure who she is. Glowing orbs hovering in the lobby and hallways are also reported.

Home to more than cows and cheese, bars and beer, Wisconsin has a history of spooky sightings. Be prepared when the sun goes down...

Milwaukee has two haunts that are worth a visit: Heaven City Restaurant in Mukwonago offers fine dining in a beautiful old house and registered Wisconsin Historical site that is said to be haunted by A.J. Moore, a street preacher and early resident. The restaurant claims reports of ghost sightings, disembodied laughter and voices, doorknobs turning, and even feeling the touch of "an unseen child presence." Allegedly situated near Native American burial grounds and underground tunnels that lead to a nearby river (it's theorized these were used for gangster bootlegging activities), Heaven City has so many reasons to be haunted it can get confusing.

If eating amongst the spirits isn't enough for you, stay a night at The Pfister, which is said to be visited by its former owner, Guido Pfister. Hotel employees insist that he isn't scary--he just seems to be proud of the elegant hotel that he built in 1893.

Here are five U.S. cities that celebrate their ghostly friends year-round, but offer special events for visitors on Halloween.

Galveston, Texas: After its founding in 1836, Galveston was devastated by the Great Storm of 1900, which killed thousands of residents. The aftermath of that hurricane is only part of what's remembered here on Halloween. Dash Beardsley will lead a Galveston ghost tour through Oct. 31. On Halloween evening, visitors can venture inside Broadway Cemeteries, the island's most historic resting place, where the markers on the tombstones are known for telling the real story.

Savannah, Georgia: Anna Powers, who lived during the early 1800s, is said to haunt 17Hundred90 Inn of Savannah. After watching the sails of the young sailor she was in love with slowly fade into the distance, she threw herself from the third-floor window, or so it is believed. In 2007, USA Today declared the inn one of the most haunted buildings in America. On Halloween, Savannah Tours leads its Creepy Crawl Tour to the lounge of 17Hundred90 as it takes visitors on a 2.5 hour spirit hunt, stopping at several of Savannah's pubs, and relaying the ghost stories that still haunt businesses today.

The Indian Festival of Lights, or Diwali, is tomorrow, and to celebrate, we got some cooking tips from expert Ramin Ganeshram, the author of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago (Hippocrene Books, 2006; 2nd edition Spring 2010). After the jump, she shares her recipe for aloo talkari, a potato curry, and a popular flavor of the annual Diwali celebrations. Click below for the complete recipe, and learn more about Ramin by visiting her website.

Ramin Ganeshram is the author of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago (Hippocrene Books, 2006; 2nd edition Spring 2010) and The Curry Chronicles, (Scholastic 2010) a young adult culinary novel, set in the Indo-Caribbean community of Richmond Hill, Queens.

Mardi Gras has been synonymous with New Orleans for over 150 years, but the man behind some of the most stalwart traditions of Fat Tuesday is trying to change his city from a one-holiday town. Blaine Kern, the owner of Kern Studios, which produces 80 percent of the floats that zigzag through the city throughout Mardi Gras season, is on a mission to make New Orleans the nation's new Halloween capital. In 2007, he started the Krewe of Boo, a month-long series of events that culminates in a huge all-out Halloween parade. "We have cemeteries, voodoo parlors, haunted houses, and Gothic architecture," Kern said recently, enumerating the city's many creepy assets. With all that spooky stuff, it was a no-brainer for him to launch a new parade and encourage visitors to take part in the costumed revelry.

But the root of Kern's efforts isn't simply a passion for goblins and ghouls. He created the event as a way to raise money for his charity, The First Responders Fund, which helps house and support the city's fire, EMS, and police departments, many of which are still recovering from the impact of Katrina. "I found out that after Katrina most of the police were going home to trailers at night," Kern says. "The only way I know how to raise money [is to throw a parade]. " He has partnered with the Salvation Army and plans to construct 10 homes for first responders in the Algiers neighborhood of the city this year. This year's parade will be held on October 24th, at 7 p.m., followed by the annual Costume Exposé. Tickets to the party are $100, and all proceeds from both events go toward the fund.

[Krewe of Boo]

Photo: Krewe of Boo

Today five Central American nations--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua--celebrate 188 years of independence. On this day in 1821, Central American notables accepted a plan drafted by Mexican caudillo Agustín de Iturbide that declared the five nations free from Spain. Today in Central America most people celebrate their independence much as we in the U.S. do on July 4th: a day off from school and work, full of parades, picnics, parties, and patriotism.

Here in the U.S., today also marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month during which communities around the U.S. celebrate the diverse and dynamic Hispanic culture. Here in D.C., some of my favorite activities related to Hispanic Heritage Month include the National Zoo's Fiesta Musical this Sunday, September 20th, from 11-5 p.m. Admission is free, so you can enjoy lots of Latin music and dance at the zoo's band shell, buy some authentic Latin cuisine, and browse the colorful arts and crafts for sale.

Former Traveler Photo Intern Jenn Blatty files this report for IT from northern Sweden:

The Swedes are ahead of the game when it comes to exploring the outdoors and taking advantage of their natural surroundings. In the northern city of Sundsvall where I've been staying the past few weeks, I have yet to meet locals who don't know how to pick their own berries and mushrooms from the surrounding forests to prepare into jams, wines, or butters in their own homes. And when I say everyone, I mean even the city-dwellers (although the younger generation may not admit it).

But it makes sense: In Sweden, all are encouraged to maximize usage of the outdoors under a common law privilege called the "right of public access," or as the Swedes call it, "Allemansrätten." You won't find a "No Trespassing" sign anywhere around here: Even as a tourist I can wander from the main trail onto someone else's property to pick blueberries, or if I'm driving the country roads I can pull over wherever I see fit to pitch a tent for the night, so long as I follow the few simple guidelines. For example, I can only use branches lying on the ground for a fire and cannot break a live limb, and I should maintain a distance of 70 meters from any house in view--it's really just common sense stuff.

Today is an exciting day for Francophiles around the world: Bastille Day. Having just spent time in France, I wanted to learn more about this holiday and the history behind it.

Bastille Day became an official French holiday in 1880, but the reason for the holiday happened several years prior. On the morning of July 14, 1789, citizens of the country stormed the Bastille prison in Paris, overturning the absolute--and arbitary--power of King Louis XVI. This event marked the start of the French Revolution, forever changing the way France was governed. As the French Embassy notes on its website, by storming the Bastille, the citizens of France were stating that "the king's power was no longer absolute: power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers."

• Rolling Thunder--tens of thousands of bikers that ride to increase POW-MIA awareness--stormed through the streets of D.C. yesterday for their annual Memorial Day ride. The event was followed by a concert on the National Mall in the evening. Missed the D.C. events? Catch the Memorial Day Parade today at 2 p.m.
  
  
• What's more important on Memorial Day than beer and barbecues? (well, a lot, but we think the food is pretty important, too) Gadling's got a great round-up of the top ten beers in ten states.
  
  
• Want green beer? Check out FastCompany's review of five eco-friendly beers, from Cascade Green to Fat Tire.
  
  
• Though you may not think to head to the Pacific Northwest for its typically rainy Memorial Day, you don't want to miss Seattle's Northwest Folklife Festival, one of the best cultural festivals in the nation (in my opinion).

Photo : Anna_Nova via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

Though few travelers will venture to Mexico to mark Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) this year due to swine flu fears, we'd like to acknowledge the holiday, figure out what it's really about, and mention some Cinco de Mayo celebrations that are still going on in the U.S.

Cinco de Mayo is not the commemoration of Mexican independence; that's actually September 16, 1810. May 5, 1862, is the day the Mexican army temporarily defeated French forces at the colonial town of Puebla in east-central Mexico. The French were invading in a bid to recoup the money Mexico owed them as a result of funding Mexico's 1846 war with the U.S.

In Mexico today, Cinco de Mayo is primarily a regional holiday marked in Puebla, though some re-enactments of the battle, period costumes and all, take place in Mexico City as well. In the U.S., some see Cinco de Mayo as the Mexican, or, more accurately, Chicano St. Patrick's Day. While Irish Americans celebrate St. Patrick, German Americans have their Oktoberfest, and Chinese Americans have Chinese New Year, Chicanos and Latinos from other countries see Cinco de Mayo as a celebration of Latino resilience and pride. Cinco de Mayo is not just a day of festivities for Latinos but for all Americans interested in the history of Mexico, Mexican culture and identity in the U.S., good food and drink, mariachi music, and folk dances.

Chicano students first celebrated the holiday in 1967 at Cal State University. Since the 1980s, Cinco de Mayo has been increasingly commercialized and become less about pride and self-determination and more about drinking Mexican beer.

Cities across the U.S. host public Cinco de Mayo celebrations though some have been canceled due to the swine flu this year. Festivities in St. Paul, Los Angeles, New York City, and Portland are still on.

If your city's celebration is canceled, perhaps have a little fun of your own. Mix up margaritas for the adults and get the kids involved in crafts and cooking enchiladas, mole poblano, and other traditional Mexican dishes to mark this very American Mexican holiday.

How will you celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year?

Photo: gilsonrome via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool

If your mom hasn't already reminded you, Mother's Day is quickly approaching--mark your calendars for Sunday, May 10th. As the day approaches, we'd love to have your stories of Traveling With Mom. Whether it be an African safari or a drive to another state, family trips are often the most memorable. E-mail your essay (200 words or less) about a trip with your mother (or, moms, tell us about a trip with your kids) to TravelerStories@ngs.org, and we'll post our favorites.

In the meantime, check out what our own Traveler moms have to say about traveling with their kids, or with their own moms. Assistant art director Stefan Caiafa shows us a trip with his mom and older brother (above). Last year my mom and I hit the road for a day trip up the Washington coast. Read about photo editor Carol Enquist's trip to Finland, or senior editor Norie Quintos's whale-watching adventure with her kids.

Photo: Antonio Caiafa

It's been 39 years since the first Earth Day, and National Geographic news has a great slideshow of photographs and stories from it's not-so-humble beginnings. But what's interesting is how the day has changed over time. Elizabeth Kolbert reports in the New Yorker this week that the first Earth Day was a "raucously exuberant affair..."

In New York, Fifth Avenue was closed to traffic. People picnicked on the sidewalk; dead fish were dragged through midtown; and Governor Nelson Rockefeller rode a bicycle across Prospect Park. Students in Richmond, Virginia, handed out bags of dirt (to represent the "good earth"); demonstrators in Washington poured oil onto the sidewalk in front of the Interior Department (to protest recent oil spills); and in Bloomington, Indiana, women dressed as witches threw birth-control pills into the crowd (no one was quite sure why). All told, some twenty million Americans took part..."

Today Earth Day seems a bit tame in comparison. Yes, there are concerts and other events, but in many ways the day seems akin to Arbor Day in our minds - a nice thing to recognize - but unless you're physically planting a tree it's more a manifestation of good feelings than a call to action. And indeed, there are numbers to prove that effect: In a recent Gallup poll asking Americans whether "protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of curbing economic growth," only forty-two percent said yes. And in a poll from the Pew Research Center that  asked Americans about their priorities for Congress and the new president, "dealing with global warming" ranked at the bottom of the list.

So what can you do to raise awareness and share information about protecting our environment? We've got some suggestions here at NG. We're currently running a contest called GreenEffect, which will award $20,000 to the five people or groups whose green ideas will help bring about change. Our Green Guide offers tips for everyday trimming of your consumption and energy use. Our mission is "to inspire people to care about the planet" and we're working every day to achieve that end. So read, donate, or share what we're doing here with others, and you can help make a difference.

Photograph from AP 

UPDATE: We've now extended our deadline for entries through Monday, April 13.


Over the last few weeks, we've been promoting our "Peeps in Places" photo challenge, and we've already received over 100 entries from all over the world! Here's a glimpse of the entries so far, feel free to favorite the ones you like best on Flickr. There's still a few days left to add your photos to the mix, you can enter by taking a photo of one or more Peeps (original chicks, pink bunnies, or others--we're not biased) in any travel destination, add your photos to our Flickr pool, and then tag them "NGTpeeps." Please limit your entries to three per person.

We'll select photos and feature them on our website and five lucky "peeps" will be featured in an online gallery. Our favorite Peep photo will get a subscription to National Geographic Traveler and a gift from National Geographic Foods of the World. The winners will be announced on our blog in a week or two, so please submit your Peeps photos by the end of Monday, April 13th, 2009.

We'd like to take a moment to commemorate April Fools' Day, the annual day of pranks and hoaxes, and promise you we won't run any false headlines or posts today. Or will we? . . .
   
April Fools' Day has been around since perhaps Roman times and explanations of its origins are diverse. Some say the day of fun at others' expense may derive from the change in 1582 from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, marking those observing the old New Year as fools. Or, as April Fools' Day is close to the vernal equinox, perhaps the sudden change in weather disoriented many a fool. Planting too soon, in April, may have brought the title to a past era's farmers. There may even be a mention of the holiday in The Canterbury Tales.
   
Origins aside, April Fools' Day is celebrated around the world in various ways. In Iran, the 13th day of the month of Navrus, either April 1 or April 2, is a day of fun and joking. Flemish tradition allows children to lock their parents or teachers out on this special day; letting them in the house or classroom only after being promised treats. Poland's prima aprilis (first of April) is also a day full of hoaxes. In France and French-speaking Canada poisson d'avril (literally, April fish) involves trying to attach a paper fish to a victim's back without being noticed.
   
Some of the best hoaxes in the English-speaking world include a news story the BBC ran in 1957 on Panorama that reported the Swiss harvesting spaghetti from trees. The BBC fielded plenty of calls from viewers inquiring where they themselves could purchase such trees. In the U.S., Burger King duped customers in 1998 when it announced  the launch of a left-handed Whopper to save southpaws the ignominy of condiments dripping down their left hand. Many requested the new burger and many more asked for the righty original.

Read More: National Geographic News asks humor experts about the origins of the day. And check out a list of History's Hoaxes. 

How will you mark April Fools' Day?

Illustration courtesy Hulton Archive/Getty Images 

With Easter just around the corner, there's only one thing on my mind - chocolate. While I won't be traipsing around London tasting some of the world's finest chocolate anytime soon, I hope to live vicariously through my fellow chocoholics who find the time to do so.

For the Easter holiday, the four-star Mandeville Hotel is pulling out all the stops. You're welcomed with a chocolate gift, and the one-night stay for two includes a traditional English breakfast (sans chocolate), chocolate tea in the afternoon, and a chocolate martini in the Mandeville's bar. 

If you haven't had enough chocolate by the time you check out, head over to Fortnum & Mason, a 300-year-old shop located a mile from the hotel. The store is famous for its Easter egg collection, especially the Ultimate Easter Egg. The outermost milk chocolate shell opens to reveal three more shells of different types of chocolate.  And, at the center of this three-pound treat is a 100-percent dark chocolate egg.