The Six Spookiest Halloween Vacation Destinations

Looking for a truly spooky Halloween getaway? Try any one of these haunted hangouts:

• Heading to Seattle?  Listen to ghost stories based on actual events on a 75-minute walking tour through the spooky Market district.  www.seattleghost.com
  

• Vacationing in the Big Easy? Go on a New Orleans vampire tour. You won't hear about brooding teenage vampires here; you'll visit sites of actual vampire-type crimes. www.neworleansghosttour.com

• In Catalina Island, California, you can hear stories based on personal experiences and reports that have been verified by at least five local sources. Get the skinny on EMF and photographic false positives, and discuss the basics of ghost hunting!  www.ghosttoursofcatalina.com

• Savannah, Georgia, residents will take you on a ride in a real hearse through the most haunted areas of the city. www.hearseghosttours.com

• The town name says it all: Tombstone, Arizona's Tombstone tours made TripAdvisor's top 10 list.  www.tombstoneghosttour.com

• And the scariest tour of all might be TripAdvisor's # 1 Ghost Tour in America - in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Go on a Civil War-era ghost tour based on stories originally recorded by the National Park and local historians on what is now the oldest ghost tour in America! www.harpersferryghost.20m.com

Travel Warning: Hurricane Paula Throwing a Wrench in Vacation Plans

Heading to Cancun? Hurricane Paula may have other plans for you. Although the storm is only a Category 1, it's causing significant damage in Honduras, Mexico and other countries in its path.

The storm destroyed homes and forced schools to close in Honduras today with its 75 mph winds. It should hit the Yucatan Peninsula late Wednesday night and threatens to ruin the vacations of many in the popular tourist destinations of  Cancun and Cozumel.

Forecasters warned of possible flooding and landslides and suggest tourists avoid fishing trips or water sports.

Travel Insurance Select has coverage for Inclement Weather and Natural Disasters.  If you insured your trip with Travel Insurance Select and are affected by Hurricane Paula, you can call us at 800-937-1387 for details.

State Department Releases Travel Advisory. What Steps Should You Take?

Many travelers are feeling a little confused over how to interpret the generally vague travel advisory released by The State Department on Friday.

The advisory, a level below "warning" on the threat advisory system,  stated "al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks." Although it did not advise against traveling to Europe altogether, it did suggest travelers stay on their guard, especially in and around travel hubs like subways and airports.

The instructions have left some asking what other measures should be taken.

The State Department recommends registering travel plans with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration Web site.  You can also get up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. and Canada, or on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444 from elsewhere in the world.

Don't want to take any chances? If  you have USI Affinity's travel insurance with the "Cancel for Any Reason" feature, call 800-937-1387 to discuss your options.