October 2005 -- Sure you want a romantic getaway that will send shivers up your spine...but how about a romantic getaway this Halloween that will send a few spooky shivers up both your spines? Every year, BedandBreakfast.com releases its list of haunted accommodations where you can go to enjoy both a good weekend and a good Halloween with a few scary tales. Here's their list of haunted accommodations in the Southwest and West:

Red Garter B&B, Williams, AZ: Owner-innkeeper, John Holst, describes himself as a "hardcore skeptic" when it comes to ghostly apparitions. But he has come to terms with his B&B’s resident ghost, named Eve. This two-story 1897 Victorian Romanesque-style bed and breakfast, once considered the rowdiest abode on Williams' Saloon Row, operated as a bar and bordello until the 1940s. A steep flight of steps known as the "Cowboy's Endurance Test" led to the girls upstairs. Holst is pretty sure that one of the women of the night never left. While most guests have a good night' sleep, a few have said they felt the bed shake, heard someone going up and down the stairs or felt something touching their arms, according to Holst. Info: 928-635-1484.

The Elms B&B, Calistoga, CA: Many of the former inhabitants of this 1871 Victorian mansion are still a presence. The bride of the original owner still resides in the former master bedroom, turning on lights and faucets and removing pictures from walls. A house of ill repute back in the 1930s, the ‘madam’ who fell down the stairs to her death has reportedly visited guests for the past fifty years, standing sternly with her hands on her hips. A gentleman has been spotted reading the morning paper, and Ruby, a former servant, dressed in a grey and white uniform, visits from time to time. Info: 800-235-4316.

The Groveland Hotel, Groveland, CA: An old gold-miner named Lyle still prefers to hang around, and spirited storyteller and innkeeper Peggy Mosley, has a collection of Lyle stories compiled from employees and guests that she loves to tell. Although a recluse in life, Lyle’s spirit tends to the playful. He particularly dislikes women's cosmetics on ‘his’ dresser and has been known to move such items to a nearby sink. One Groveland Hotel guest watched as her new makeup 'hopped' over the back of the dresser and landed on the floor. Lyle is a great tease who likes to tinker with lights and water, also enjoys moving items around desktops. Info: 800-273-3314.

Riverside B&B, Oroville, CA: You’ll hear ghost tales around the fire with stories about the inn’s Fly Fisherman Ghost here on Halloween weekend. This sportsman spirit is actually a former guest who came one year to take in the spectacle of the king salmon and steelhead trout spawning on the Feather River. He disappeared while staying at the inn, and many think that he simply stayed on in spirit to enjoy the incredible fishing. Info: 530-533-1413.

Bottger Mansion of Old Town, Albuquerque, NM: Resident ghosts sigh, pace, and sometimes even dance. There are three confirmed, and more likely six contented spirits here, documented by investigators of the paranormal. Stay over Halloween or any other time of year, and you just might experience them. Info: 800-758-3639.

Bliss Mansion, Carson City, NV: They say this is the place to rest in peace, and during Halloween stories of paranormal activities and unwanted guests abound. Tour and stay in elegant Bliss Mansion, and maybe you’ll come face to face with the spirited gunfighters of the past. Info: 800-887-3501.

Prince Solms Inn Bed & Breakfast, New Braunfels, TX: In the early 1900’s a young women clad in a lacy wedding dress waited for her husband to arrive for their wedding at this inn. He did not appear, and despite a thorough search he was deemed to have disappeared. The woman vowed to reside at the inn until he came, and stayed on as staff for the next twenty years until she died in the late 1920’s awaiting her true love. In 1930, a man arrived by horseback in search of a woman, and when he climbed the stairs to find her, innkeepers reported seeing the woman waiting in her wedding dress. The couple embraced then slowly disappeared. No one ever came to claim his horse, tied to the hitching post. Since then, there have been numerous sightings of a woman in her wedding dress. Info: 800-625-9169.

For more Halloween packages and events:

• visit www.BedandBreakfast.com and click on Advanced Search. Choose Special Packages, then Halloween Happenings from the drop down box.

Related Pages:

• Where to Sleep with a Ghost in the Midwest and Great Lakes States
• Where to Sleep with a Ghost in the South
• Where to Sleep with a Ghost in the Mid-Atlantic States
• Where to Sleep with a Ghost in New England