Chillingham Castle

Billed as "The Most Haunted Castle in Britain", Chillingham Castle in county of Northumberland in Northern England is infamous for an entire collection of restless souls. The most famous of castle's ghosts is 'Blue Boy', whose agonizing cries are said to wail out at around midnight from a passageway inside castle close to one of modern-day self catering apartments. A soft light is then said to engulf a four-poster bed in room nearby and an image of boy appear for a few brief seconds. Chillingly, bones of a boy and fragments of blue clothing were discovered hidden behind a wall in very vicinity of noises several years ago.

Old Wardour Castle

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Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, in Dana Point, California, is a place to celebrate life! I know because I took my daughter there on her annual birthday outing. We spent three glorious days and nights at most picturesque spot on Southern California coastline.

The resort’s red-roofed, Victorian-style architecture overlooks cliffs above bay. With captivating views of Pacific Ocean and sprawling Gatsby-esque lawns, I felt like we were in movie “Somewhere in Time.” Even winding driveway up to resort was romantically lit with street lanterns. The shiny wooden lacquered decor was inviting and enchanting with all elegance and ambiance of a coastal beach house. A large roaring fire greeted us in lobby. Laughter ignited lounge as guests shared cocktails and their day’s activities. Their sounds were relaxed and inviting. I smiled knowingly at my daughter. This was going to be a memorable birthday!

As I read list of activities to my daughter it was no wonder everyone in lounge looked so happy and content. There was tennis, croquet, kite flying, whale watching, tide pool exploration, waterskiing, sailing, shopping, hot tubs, swimming, picnicking, golf, and most importantly, a SPA!

When bellman opened door to our room, we both felt we had arrived at our own private beach bungalow. The walls were a sunny yellow. Our beds were accented with turquoise and royal blue striped fluffy duvet covers with a hint of small gold stripes that reminded us of bright beach towels inspired by blue of Pacific Ocean. The beds felt as comforting as rays from warm California sun shining on sandy beach. The crisp white accent of wooden head board gave room a whimsical seaside cottage feeling. We immediately spotted their Bernard waffle-weaved robes and changed into them. We kicked off our shoes and relaxed and enjoyed scent of their lavender sachets. I told my daughter that lavender is aromatherapy that calms and soothes your senses so you can sleep better. She’s a manager for Abercrombie Kids Store in San Diego. With her hectic schedule and long retail hours, she needed this time and place to unwind and mellow out. It was her first birthday treat of trip.

Even though room was cozy and pleasurable, my daughter’s eye for corporate traveler immediately noticed high speed internet access. She was relieved that she would be able to efficiently send and receive e-mails and use internet. She was also delighted with two phone lines. She hates waiting for anything and with this amenity she felt immediately at home. Mom wasn’t going to disrupt her immediate need to use phone. I laughed as she gave a sigh of relief. Being mom, I proudly assured her that I wouldn’t take her anywhere that wasn’t technologically advanced. I told her when I booked our room that they informed me that this property caters to even most sophisticated of wired generation traveling today. I looked at her laptop, iPod, wireless Bluetooth, and digital camera, and knew that if she needed to access state-of-the-art multimedia system that linked 55,000 square feet of conference space she was in good hands. This was a birthday retreat, but if she ever needed to come back for a training session I wanted her to know that this place had touch screens, control hidden microphones projectors, and phone and video conferencing for any business need she might have. Moms will always be moms, as I found myself lecturing her on resort’s many business qualities. She politely listened to me, but what really caught her attention was pamphlet on SPA. After all, this was her birthday weekend and being renewed, revitalized, and refreshed were three of her many birthday wishes.

As I turned out lights and snuggled under cozy duvet comforter, I whispered a quiet thank you for beauty of this lovely California resort, my precious daughter, and most of all . . . time to enjoy. I drifted off to sleep embraced by cool sea breezes and hopeful expectation of good times to come.