Are you brave enough to visit the Whaley House on Friday the 13th?

Okay scaredy cats – It may be Friday the 13th, but that doesn’t mean you need to hide out at home. Grab your lucky four-leaf clover and check out our list of 5 to try on Friday the 13th in San Diego:

La Jolla Gravity Hill – Bring your car to this hidden San Diego landmark and disprove Newton’s laws of gravity.  Story goes that if you drive to West Muirlands in La Jolla (between Fay and Nautilus St.) and line up your right rear tire with the telephone pole on the side of the street with the fairway while your car is in neutral it will actually roll uphill.

Note: Please try this with a friend who is able to witness and take photos for you. Do not ”ghost ride the whip” to see if this is working. If dozens of cars start rolling backwards down the hill I don’t want to be held accountable.

The Whaley House – One of America’s most haunted houses, the Whaley House is a San Diego beacon for paranormal activity. Reports of ghostly figures, strange occurrences and even ghost dogs make up potential spooks that roam the grounds. Special Friday the 13th tours are offered from 5 p.m. to midnight tonight complete with oil lamps, scary stories and more.

Escondido Muffler Man – If you happen to be driving along and see a mile-high man while driving in Escondido don’t be afraid – unless he happens to be chasing your car. San Diego is home to one of 17 Muffler Men scattered around the state, made of fiberclass and standing 18 to 25 feet tall.

Hotel del Coronado – Are you brave enough to spend an entire night in a haunted hotel room? The Hotel del Coronado’s room #3327 is reportedly haunted by a past guest who may be overstaying her welcome in a ghostly form.

Haunted San Diego Tours – Haunted San Diego Tours brings you to the most haunted places in San Diego by the bus-full. Learn about San Diego’s spooky history during this interactive tour that promises to prove ghosts exist as they tour through the county’s oldest graveyard and other hair-raising attractions.

Wearing Food, Eating Food

Halloween is just around the corner – what are you dressing up as this year? There’s the typical picks such as ghost, witch, nurse and clown – and then there’s the “thinking outside the box” costume ideas. Why be the 10th witch at the Halloween party when you can be Thanksgiving Turkey Head? Don some bell bottoms and some funky purple sunglasses and be your mom in the 70’s?

I’m so fortunate living in San Diego that there are a vast number of options literally on every corner. Find all of your Halloween needs at a local Spirit Halloween store, or get creative and dig through one of the county’s many thrift stores to create a one-of-a-kind design. There’s plenty of goods to be found in the Hillcrest area in thrift stores like Flashbacks, and funky hats galore at the Village Hat Shop. The Pacific Beach area also has great option in walking distance such as Thrift Trader, The Buff and Pink Zone.

With so many shopping options in San Diego, we promise you’re not going to get lost in the shuffle this year with your standout costume.

Jason's photo was too scary, so here's my Halloween photo from last year

Today marks the first day of fall, which means that we are exactly 38 days away from my favorite holiday, Halloween.

I’m one of those obnoxious people who likes to decorate early, put up corny decorations and dress up for every Halloween related event I hear about – which is precisely why I’m so excited for the Scream Zone at the Del Mar Fairgrounds to open. To get into the spo0ky spirit early, the Scream Zone is hosting an event on Saturday, September 26th where they’re attempting to set the world record for the most people dressed like Jason Voorhees (frightening villain who refuses to die in the Friday the 13th movies). The first 500 people who register will have their names sent in with the photo that will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records. 

This will be so much easier to get in the book than all of those times I tried to set records for standing on one foot for hours.

A 2-story outdoor mall, Fashion Valley is the most all-encompassing shopping Mecca I’ve ever visited. Head to Sephora for a makeover, pick up a new iPhone at the Apple store, a purse at Burberry, home goods at Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn, clothes for the kids at Abercrombie Kids and a meal before you head out at the food court, and you could head out of there with a completely new look for yourself and your home. Every clothing style has a home base: A Lilly Pulitzer for the preppies, an H&M for the hipster crowd, a Bebe for the club-hoppers, a Tommy Bahama for my dad, a Tiffany’s if you forgot your wedding anniversary and need to make up for it, and a Banana Republic and Neiman Marcus for workwear. 

I think my personal record for mall-wandering is probably around 5 hours. Of course, to see everything at Fashion Valley it would most likely take at least a weekend. More if you visit all of the kiosks.

Besides the diversity of retail, another great feature about the mall is that you can enjoy the sunshine while you shop (with sunblock on, of course). And if you left yours at home, you can always pick some up while you’re there.

A personal “celebrity” photographer was available to shoot Avedon-like portraits throughout the night, and there was even a craft room where you could create a wearable collage made from Avedon’s photos.

You're never too old for crafts!

My favorite detail (you know, besides the fantastic artwork, craft table, beautifully dressed people and flowing booze,) was that they were projecting the movie “Funny Face” with Audrey Hepburn onto the museum wall right by the DJ booth. That has to be one of my favorite movies. Maybe someone at the museum got the heads up that I’d be there and gave me a VIP treatment?

Art, Cocktails and Audrey. What a night.

The Richard Avedon exhibit will be at the San Diego Museum of Art through September 6, so you have just a few more weeks to check it out. While you’re there, make sure to run by the Calder Jewelry exhibit which is equally amazing and features intricate jewelry as wearable art.

1. The Lamplighter – This Mission Hills bar brings in a diverse variety of clientele. Patrons can enjoy karaoke every night of the week starting around 9 p.m. I once saw what looked like the leader of a biker gang sing right after a student from UCSD.

2. Kearny Mesa Bowl – What better combination of activities than a game of bowling followed up with a night of karaoke? This multi-tasking venue is also great for bar food and hearing 100’s of renditions of “Rhinestone Cowboy”. Karaoke is on weekends only from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

3. 710 Beach Club – Ever dreamed of singing with your very own live band backing you up? Well you can at every Thursday night at this popular beach bar. As one Yelp reviewer puts it “a great place to make a cool YouTube video”.  I also enjoy the epic beer pong tournaments and drinking Jenga.

4. Tio Leo’s – Killer Mexican food and great karaoke on Thursday and Saturday nights. After a few margaritas, even I start sounding good.

5. The Carriage House – I first went here for a sorority exchange in college and went back when I heard about the fabulous karaoke nights. They have a huge book of songs to choose (crucial!!) and even shuffle-board.

Mission Beach is currently battling Venice Beach in Los Angeles and South Beach in Miami, and we need your votes (and the votes from your friends, family, co-workers, long-lost relatives and random people you meet on the street) to put San Diego on the map. Voting also makes you more attractive, so the more you vote, the better looking you are!*

Voting goes on until Tuesday, August 4th, so please vote all week and ensure that San Diego goes down in the books as being the best beach city in the U.S. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to have a personal photo with the cutest gnome we can think of.

VOTE NOW

*No clinical studies have ever been conducted to prove this theory.

The people I beat out for the buffet

Last week I was lucky enough to attend Kona Kai Resort’s first luau of the summer. Having only experienced a luau in Hawaii when I was all of 11 years old, I had no idea what I was in for. Was I supposed to bring my own hula skirt? Did you have to eat the luau pig in the pit? And if you’re a vegetarian, is there a pit-roasted tofu pig? These are things I was eager to find out.

The luau was completely sold-out, and for good reason. The setting was directly on the beach in Shelter Island, and the weather was gorgeous. My husband and I were greeted with leis and escorted to our tables, where we had a direct view of the water, the stage, and were in close proximity to the buffet table. After grabbing some Mai Tai’s, we were set. I was happy to have left my grass skirt at home, as I would have been the only one besides the dancers wearing one.

Is the view from your dinner table this gorgeous?

The sunset over the water was gorgeous, and truly added to the tropical atmosphere. The Hawaiian band was the perfect touch to the evening, and we were able to enjoy a dinner show of music and Polynesian dances while chowing down on our food. No one made me eat the luau pig or judged my plate of delicious salad, sticky rice, Hawaiian rolls, coconut creme brulee, and additional macadamia nut cookies. Hey, I was there to tell you about my experience, and I needed to experience two desserts.

The Kona Kai summer luaus will continue on Friday evenings on July 17, 24, 31, and August 14. It’s a great idea for a date or a night out with friends and family, and if you’re there for a special occasion they announce it on stage. So if you’re looking to score points with your in-laws in town celebrating their anniversary, I’d suggest you make reservations for the next luau ASAP.

Big Hugs for Giant Slurpees!

My personal (and probably boring) favorite happens to be the Diet Pepsi Slurpee. What could be better than a thirst-quenching Diet Pepsi in ice-slushy form? I’m already imagining myself on the beach tomorrow with my 75 SPF in one hand and my free giant Diet Pepsi slurpee in the other. Or maybe I’ll be adventurous and mix all the flavors together (a.k.a. The Suicide) and head to the Over-The-Line Tournament  in Mission Bay. Either way, I’ve got a fever, and the only cure for it is Free Slurpee Day.

I was so excited about the prospect of this taxi actually existing that I’d wait on the corner after a night out hoping I’d get it. After an extremely successful night at Canes a year ago, my husband and I hopped in the first cab that came by. It didn’t seem special at first, but as soon as the blacklight came on and the sounds of Journey filled the car, I knew the legend was real. The Party Cab does exist.

Ohhh we're halfway there!

Thankfully I got his business card that night and was able to surprise a group of my friends from out of town one night with the VIP treatment of the Party Cab. We sang, we danced, and even paid extra money to have him drive us around so we could finish singing “Jessie’s Girl.”

Where can you find this San Diego legend? Some say he roams Pacific Beach, looking for just the right person in need of a nighttime pick-me-up. Others simply call the number on his card. What’s his number, you ask? Like the rest who found his services accidentally, you’ll find him when you need him the most, on a night when you need to scream “867-5309!!” out the window of a cab. And no, I promise he won’t answer if you dial it right now.