Today is All Hallows Eve eve, the final day we have to prepare ourselves for the intense horror of Halloween.  By "intense horror" I mean costume parties and trick-or-treaters.  While I'm not big on Halloween, I do agree that this time of year is great for enjoying scary stories and movies. There's something about a howling, crisp fall wind blowing dead brown leaves down a lonely street that lends itself to the fantastic and the frightening.

I watched 1408 the other day- a rather underwhelming film that didn't live up to the promise of the Steven King short story. Another King adaptation that, in my opinion, could never be considered underwhelming is one of the greatest horror movies of all time...The Shining. While Kubrick's classic was filmed at the Timberline Lodge on the south side of Mount Hood in Oregon, King's original inspiration came from the elegant Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.  The historic hotel was built in 1909 and has hosted numerous notable guests.

The Stanley is a grand getaway in a spectacular setting and provides a wide range of accommodation, including the luxurious Overlook Villas.  Be warned, however, that staff and registered guests may not be the only ones inhabiting The Stanley on your stay. The hotel is famous for its numerous tales of strange sightings and occurrences. The ghost of F.O. Stanley himself, the hotel's builder and namesake who died in 1940, has been seen lingering in the lobby, billiard room and at the bar (sounds like my kind of spirit).  The Stanley offers an up-close look at its haunted history during daily ghost tours. And of course, I highly recommend a viewing of The Shining at least once during your stay...it plays in a continuous loop on the guest room TVs.