Trip to the Whaley House (Old Town, San Diego, CA)

Ever since my son was about 2 years old, he's had the gift of sensing others' presence.  That's what we call them in our home, too: The Others.  Mainly out of necessity since the thought of ghosts is too unnerving for my daughter, the nickname expressed what my son feels since he's not quite sure what he believes about the other side.  At any rate, my 11-year-old loves the unknown when it comes to ghosts, spirits, and haunted sights.  He's an avid fan of Ghost Hunters and Haunted Places.  He also watched 'Spooked' last year about the insane asylum in Kentucky and loved it.  When I told him we were going to San Diego to visit family and that there was a haunted place he could visit, he was on board in mere seconds.

We took a few pictures, none of which seemed to have any irregularities, though he told me in the courtroom, hallway, and master bedroom that he felt the tingly feeling on the back of his neck.  He also commented that he felt weighed down in the courtroom.  The docents give you some background about the history of the house and its inhabitants, but we did the short jaunt through the homestead before getting details about hauntings, which made his feelings more credible.  Bear in mind that at home, where we've had many things occur (from apparitions and noises to orbs and identifiable scents), his tingly feeling followed by a few camera snaps have yielded irregularities, orbs (some detailed), orb movement, and partial apparitions.  I know some would question my willingness to listen to an inexperienced tween, but he's been so intuitive and has given me no reason to not believe him PLUS I have to believe that there has got to be some credibility to the events and experiences of others at the Whaley House.

The story is that Jim Robinson was the first criminal hanged in San Diego -- and that he was lynched on this property before the house was built.  Mr. Whaley was aware that this had happened, but still chose to build his house upon the property.  It is said that one of the ghosts that remain is that of Jim Robinson.  There is also the ghost of a small female child as well as a fox terrier (believed to be the pet of the Whaleys).  Mrs. Whaley is said to have been seen as well.

Having grown up in San Diego, I try to visit every time I'm back home, wishing I could sense, feel, or see something.  Some have seen full body apparitions while others have felt blasts of cold, frigid air on a perfectly warm summer day.  In the courtroom some have experienced the chains clanging or moving.  Night watchman have noted hearing party music and a heavy gavel falling.  I can remember from an early age my mother relating the Regis story to me.  Regis began as a newscaster in San Diego and someone challenged him to spend the night in the house with a camera crew.  Well, apparently at some point he looked into a mirror and it was not his face which peered back.  Needless to say, that was enough for him and he left -- didn't make it through the night.  We didn't see anything out of the ordinary that day, but it was great to visit and learn more about San Diego's history.  After all, the house has been rated #1 Haunted Place in America by the Travel Channel and it's up there on the lists of a few others -- that should be good enough for any ghost hunter!

If you have the chance and you're in the San Diego area - definitely stop by.  Even if you have kids, as I do, it can be an enlightenment on earlier days when people got by with less.  Even the Whaleys, which were accustomed to having a little more than most, still had much less than we do nowadays.  Chamber pots, simple wooden blocks, and tiny beds shared by two people were the norm.  Educational for kids, to say the least!