Don't Build Your Home on the Former Hanging Grounds

James and I went to San Diego last weekend, and my legs still hurt from all the walking we did. We spent most of Saturday around Old Town, eating pretty terrible Mexican food (just trust me, it wasn't good), wandering around the shops, cemetery and Victorian houses, and finally ended up on a ghost tour of the Whaley House, one of the most haunted homes in the US. The land, former hanging grounds for criminals, was purchased by Thomas Whaley, and he built his family home on it, knowing full well that hangings had taken place here. He'd even witnessed a few in his time. It's like he wanted to tempt fate. (Would you ever purposely build a home for your family over the spot where numerous people had died a violent death?? Yeah, neither would I.)

Not surprisingly, there are all sorts of weird and tragic things that happened to the Whaley family and all sorts of strange goings-on today.

Guests on the tour were encouraged to take flash photography to try to capture ghosts on the tours. While dim lighting, reflection and  flash bombardment can explain some of the creepy photos that have been taken in the past, it can't explain everything...

It kind of a little bit looks like there's something to the right of the window.

This is the courtroom. There is apparently a vortex in that corner over where the jury would have sat.

Something in the window?

Nothing much happened to us on the ghost tour. We were warned that we could feel short of breath, begin coughing for a few minutes, feel the itch of rough rope around our necks, have our bare legs and feet licked by a ghost dog, and be groped by a pervy theater ghost (seriously) - James did feel a little itchy on his throat, and my ankles felt a slight chill, but that's about it. Our guide was great, he did things to purposely make you jump, and a few of the women screamed and yelled because they'd been scared. I'd totally go back and do the ghost tour again, but I'd wait until after dark - really up the creep factor. And then I wouldn't be able to sleep for a month.

The Rose and Crown, London 2007

PS. This is the only ghost picture I have, taken 7 years ago at The Rose and Crown pub in Stoke Newington, London. All those light trails? Ghosts.