Louise Julig

A Ghostly time in San Diego

 I recently had the opportunity to attend a Ghost Tour of San Diego given by Ghostly Tours in History. After a delicious dinner at Zocalo Grill in Old Town, (not part of the tour, but the special, a kind of Brazilian pancake layered with seafood, was wonderful), we met our host, “Magnus Pike” at a meeting place nearby and convened at the limo bus. The limo was comfortable, generously stocked with libations of all kinds, and conducive to conversation. What ensued was an extensive tour of the most historic, and also, apparently, haunted, spots in San Diego, including the Star of India, William Heath Davis House in the Gaslamp Quarter, Hotel Del Coronado, Whaley House, and El Campo Santo cemetery in Old Town. Magnus regaled us with stories about the sailors of old San Diego as they crossed treacherous seas in the Star of India, came into port and headed to the Stingaree district, now the Gaslamp. We learned of San Diego’s city dog, the fate of “Yankee Jim,” who is buried at El Campo Santo, and of the Mysterious Stranger at the Hotel Del. The pace of the tour was not rushed, but leisurely, which was a good thing as several of our party seemed prone to wandering off. Along the way I learned a lot about our city’s past. In a town like ours where many of us are not native, we tend to forget that we’ve got a past, so it was nice to have a chance to connect to it. I would recommend Ghostly Tours in History for anyone looking for a fun evening with friends. A bent for history and the unusual will make the evening even more fun. We were encouraged to take pictures of some of the places where mysterious images sometimes develop, particularly in the William Heath Davis house, Whaley House, and the cemetery. The one above was taken at El Campo Santo. Are the circular blobs that appear here orbs of spiritual energy? or just lens flares? Hmmm ..... I’ll let you decide.

Boudin SF Restaurant Review

Pick up a copy of the October San Diego Family Magazine to see my review of the new Boudin SF restaurant in San Marcos near the Edwards San Marcos Theaters. Memories of San Francisco sourdough from our trip to the Bay area in May were still fresh in my mind when I jumped at the chance to write this review this summer. If you go to Boudin SF, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Update 11/1/08 now Download BoudinSF (PDF,224K)