We got in around 1930 and checked into our hotel. We had been debating all day on what to do, and we decided to catch the trolley back north to the Old Town stop and take a tour of the histric and haunted Whaley House.
Located about fifteen trolley minutes north of Downtown, Old Town was the site of the first stable settlement of San Diego. It is a quarter of the town where the old building motifs have been preserved and is dominated by upscale cigar shops and Mexican restaurants. It is a fairly popular tourist attraction that seemed to draw out a younger and hipper crowd to the streets. The avenues were packed with gawking young people eager to duck into the next Cantina or Saloon for a drink.
At the center of Old Twn is the Whaley House. This brick mansion was built in the mid-1850's by the wealthy elite Thomas Whaley. It was built to be a general store, but served more utilitarian functions, as well, such as a courthouse for the new settlement. The property was built upon the old hanging grounds of San Diego and is rumored to be the most haunted house in America. While I did not see any ghostly apparitions, I noticed that my balance was really out of whack when I was there. I had not been drinking or been on any other substance, but my equilibrium just seemed off. My girlfriend noticed that I was wobbling around a bit and mentioned the fact after we left the tour.
These historical museums are always an interesting side piece to the baseball road trips. You learn a lot about the history of the city you're in and gain a greater appreciation for the experience you're in. This house was the pinnacle of San Diego's elite society and served as a community focal point for many, many years. It continues to to draw many tourists and the docents dress up in period garb to further enhance the experience. The added bonus of the ghost stories and phenomena make this tour one-of-a-kind and on everybody's "Do-Not-Miss" list of San Diego.
After a quick dinner, we decided to head down San Diego Avenue to the old cemetery. On the Whaley House tour, we were told about the old cemetery that held the remains of many of the pioneers of San Diego. Ordinarily, I would stay far away from places like that, especially after dark. This was, however, a baseball road trip and it is required for us to live on the edge and take risks. We decided to cruise around the old cememtery and see what all the hype was about.
The graves were mainly concentrated around the mid- to late-19th century. It was interesting to see the graves f all the people that were mentioned on the tour, and a few other tourists had the same curiosity that we did. The vibe was very creepy, however. The cemetery was only about two acres in size and set directly off the main street, but the dark corners and old graves just left us with an unsettling feeling. This whole related experience will add another unique chapter to the baseball road trip storybook.
We have gotten up and are getting ready to head out on our second day of adventures for the Surfliner trip. Our plan is to head back towards Old Town and Mission Valley to see Mission San Diego de Alcala. It will be Sunday morning mass, so I am very anxious to see the old mission performing it's traditional sacred duty. After that, we'll take the trolley back down to the Gaslamp District and see the Braves and Padres square-off at Petco Park. Once the game has completed, we may go to Coronado beach for some sand and surf, but we're still deciding.
I will try and update tonight about our adventures for day two.
Always take on a 3-0 pitch;)
No comments:
Post a Comment