LA JOLLA HALLOWEEN: No, the historic La Valencia hotel is not receiving a full pumpkin-hued coat of paint in honor of the scariest of holidays. It's pinky presentation is part of its famous charm, and its nickname, too (that would be "The Pink Lady"). But the ocean-close landmark is offering a deal over the chilling holiday, but there's nothing chilling about the fact that the property is extending the deal for several days on either side of Halloween. That's like finding two giant chocolate bars in your bucket, instead of just one.
"SCARY GREAT RATE": There aren't a lot of must-knows about this one, beyond the rate: $199 for a traditional La Valencia room (there will be tax, but you know that). Oh, and the dates: Sunday, Oct. 24 through Thursday, Nov. 4. And there you have it. It's a solid rate, nearly a third-off what the price usually is, and we can't think of many more places we'd like to be on Halloween night. There won't be monsters jumping out of mazes, but there will be an elegant atmosphere, a sense of history, and a few candles flickering here and there, most likely. Call it the grown-up's approach to autumn.
MORE SCARY THINGS: You won't be all that far -- maybe 20 or 30 minutes -- from the Whaley House, or the spooky Gaslamp, if you want to do a bit of further Halloweening during your stay.
