As September came to a close, it was not easy to detect if fall was on its way. Over the past week, the weather was unusually hot and humid—as if we were back east in Florida in the middle of the summer. October made its appearance with thunderheads, spot showers and rainbows, an interesting lead-in to fall. Nevertheless, soon we’ll be lighting our fireplaces and gathering with family to celebrate the fun times.

If Halloween happens to be your forte, there are plenty of creepy pleasures to be had, never too far for a day trip from Eastvale. Of course there is the traditional faire offered by Knotts Berry Farm and our own local ghoul portal, Coffin Creek at Crossroads Park (www.CoffinCreek.com)…and don’t forget to check out the old Northcott Ranch on Wineville Ave. near 65^th Street where the infamous Chicken Coop Murders occurred in 1928—apparently there is knocking about the old neighborhood.

But our job is to take you off the beaten path. If you really need a good dose of haunting, we might suggest a day trip down to neighboring San Diego. Two notorious haunted locations can be had: one in an old Victorian, another on the sea.

Proclaimed to be the most-haunted house in North America, the Whaley House in Old Town is not to be missed. I took my children there about 15 years ago and thought I made a rocking chair in the children’s room rock by stepping on a floor board. Then, I returned last month to tour once again and realized I could not have possibly made the chair rock—the floor boards were parallel to the room. I shrugged it off and proceeded to take lots of photos, in hope of catching a spook or two. Rumor has it, the house is haunted by not just one, but many ghosts. I personally did not feel or see anything unusual, but my camera certainly captured interesting movement in an otherwise still photo. (www.WhaleyHouse.org)

San Diego is also home of the ghost ship, Star of India. The tall ship first set sail in 1863 as Euterpe (the Greek Muse of Music), on the Isle of Man (located in the Irish Sea and regarded as one of the British Isles). She was re-Christened as the Star of India in 1906. Every Halloween, a banner on the vessel is placed for all to see, beckoning the brave hearted to dare to board the haunted ship. Tales of lore say there are many souls that still consider the ship their home—crew, immigrants, a little girl and stow-away, John Campbell.  Catch a lantern tour October 16^th and 23^rd from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. If you miss the specter events, other fun can still be had by all. Sailor Days takes place from November 21 – 29 and December 19 – January 2. The Maritime Museum also hosts California Adventure Sails on weekends, where you can experience life on the tall ship Californian. (www.SDMaritime.org) 

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