“Mr. Whaley, are you here?” I recently asked an empty courtroom at the Whaley House Museum in Old Town Heritage State Park, San Diego. The answer? It didn’t come from the other room, but a swinging silver pendulum I held lightly between my fingers. Vertical swing. Yes. The ghost of Thomas Whaley, one of the most prominent figures of early San Diego life, was there.
And so began my 2 week exploration into the wild realm of paranormal investigation. I have to admit, I went expecting to tell of nothing more than the fascinating – and gruesome – history of Old Town. Like how the young, beautiful and heartsick Violet Whaley shot herself in online casino dgfev the heart with her father”s 32-calibre Smith & Wesson pistol and bled to death in the house. Yikes!
But the more I investigated, whether with San Diego Ghost Hunter gadgetry or Cosmopolitan Restaurant & Hotel ghost stories and churros (Best. EVER), the more the paranormal found me. Alas, I had to leave the most alarming encounter out of the video. When startled, I have the mouth of a sailor.
During October, the Whaley House offers a wide range of tours and events culminating in the coolest Dia de los Muertos celebration in San Diego on November 1-2. As for the Cosmopolitan, I recommend a vintage cocktail and storytime at the bar once bought by Wyatt Earp!
Special thanks to Victor Santana and the Whaley House team, Miguel Pulido at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant and Maritza and Matt with the San Diego Ghost Hunters for their time. And to Lauren Ross – for her mad video skillz.