Spook-tacular Times in San Diego

The history of Halloween goes back about 2,000 years to the Celts who lived in Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France and their Samhain celebration on November 1st.  They believed the night before Samhain, the dead returned as ghosts, so the living would leave food and wine on their doorsteps to keep the ghosts at bay.   The Celts would also wear masks when they went outside, so the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits.  The traditional family-friendly Halloween that we know really began in the 1950s.  In honor and the more tame version of All Hallow’s Eve San Diego will be hosting some spine-chilling and spooky activities this weekend.

Ghouls and boys of all ages are going to love a visit to Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and their ‘Haunted Aquarium.’   From 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm this Friday and Saturday (Oct 23rd & 24th), they will transform their halls into an eerie, yet highly entertaining, educational party.  Rarely seen sea creatures such as the Humboldt Squid (renamed ‘Frankensquid,’ of course), glowing sea-deep fish, skeleton shrimp and sea spiders.   

Kids will be able to make and take home their own version of slime from seaweed, as well as other creepy crafts.  Costume prizes for those in the best (family-friendly) costumes will be handed out, and the cafe will be open until 8:30pm in case you feel peckish.  Billy Lee and the Swamp Critters band will also keep the party hopping with live music.  Tickets can be bought online for $17 or $19 at the door.  

 The Maritime Museum will be hosting ‘Haunted Tales of our Seafaring Past’ this Saturday (Oct 24th) and next Saturday (Oct. 31st).  You can decide if the Star of India is haunted as your tour guide leads you through the ship with a lantern.  Tour the Star of India as you hear ghost stories from the ship’s past.  Tours guides will lead you through by lantern and entertain you with tales of ghost sightings and unexplained phenomenons.    The tours begin at 6:00 pm and occur every 15 minutes, with the last one beginning at 9:15 pm.  

 For those who love Jack-O’-Lanterns and all the imaginative designs the carved gourd can take on, then The Rise is the event for you.  Taking place in New York, Los Angeles and San Diego, professional artists have hand carve thousands of pumpkins for display.  The Rise of the Jack-O’-Lantern will be at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park this weekend (Oct. 23-25th) from 6:30 to 10:30 pm.   Over 5,000 illuminated Jack-O’-Lanterns will be displayed on a scenic trail (1/3 mile), including a dragon made up of hundreds of pumpkins that is over 50 feet long!  Advanced tickets are required and prices start at $30.

 This weekend and next weekend Belmont Park in Mission Bay will transform itself into ‘Boomont Park,’ for its third annual Halloween celebration.  On Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 to 2:30 pm and 6:30 to 7:30 pm there will be free trick or treating, and a costume contest on Saturday at 5:00 pm.  Speaking of costumes, kids dressed with receive a free kids meal at the WaveHouse with the purchase of an adult meal.  There will be the Booming Manor Haunted House (recommended for kids ages 7 to 12), a pumpkin patch where you can paint your purchased pumpkin for free, and Laser Tag will have a ghoulish makeover with zombies lurking around every corner.   One of the more entertaining events for spectators and participants will be at the Zip Line and Rock Wall, where people dressed as superheroes will get 50% off tickets.  Check out their website for even more events and details.  

Downtown will get a hair-raising spin with the ‘Ghosts of the Gaslamp Walking Tour’ on Friday, Oct. 30th.  The tour happens every Friday at 5:00 pm, but we think the night before Halloween is the perfect  eve  to step out and learn about the horrifying history of Gaslamp Quarter.  Reservations need to be made at the latest the Thursday before at 4:00 pm for the half-mile tour.  A historian will lead you through hotels, funeral parlors, saloons and end at the Willian Heath Davis House (one of the most haunted buildings in San Diego) all the while relating frightening stories from their past.   Adult tickets are $20, kids range from $10 to $8 (7 and under are free), with discounts for seniors and active military, and college students. 

For a bit of culture spooky culture, head over to Copley Symphony Hall to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas and here the San Diego Symphony Orchestra perform Danny Elfman’s score for the film.  The movie will be projected on a big screen with the dialogue and the orchestra will accompany the film’s unforgettable soundtrack.   The film will be shown on Friday (Oct. 30th) at 8:00 pm and Saturday (Oct 31st) at 5:00 pm and tickets start at $20.  On Friday, everyone is encouraged to dress up and arrive early (7:15 pm) for a fun costume contest.  

All things creepy-crawly and trick-or-treating don’t need to be limited to one night of the year.  This year for All Hallow’s Eve, San Diego has something for everyone.  How about a celebrating Halloween by the sea in one of our not-haunted residents at Mission Bay?  You’ll be close to all the chilling, nightmarish, and overall enjoyable action for the next 10 days.

Music To Our Ears

San Diego has its fair share of outdoor concerts thanks to our ideal weather, beautiful scenery, and diverse cultural make-up.  What better way to enjoy the summer, than packing up snacks, a cozy blanket, and sitting under the sky, enjoying some great music from all over the world?   Here we’ve highlighted our three top picks for a melodic outing.

A San Diego tradition since 1984, La Jolla Concerts By the Sea, is a free event, every Sunday in the Summer until September 6th.  The lush, Ellen Browning Scripps Park at La Jolla Cove, is a beautiful patch of grass overlooking the sea.  From 2 to 4p.m., you can enjoy a wide variety of free concerts, from Rock and Roll to Latin Jazz to Cajun Rock.  You can also help support this event and keep it free by purchasing food onsite.  Bullseye Kettle Corn and Hot Dogs, will be selling their tasty fare (with a portion of proceeds going to the Concerts By the Sea), and the non-profit running the concert series will also be selling Haagen Dazs ice cream bars, chips, and candy.   You can also support these concerts by purchasing a raffle ticket for great donated prizes like gift certificates to local restaurants.  This Sunday, Bill Magee Blues Band, will be getting everyone moving with their classic Rhythm and Blues sound.

Celebrating their 13th season, Pacific Beach Concerts on the Green, boasts the prettiest views in San Diego as well as lively music.  From swing to the blues, this concert series is seriously toe-tapping paired with stunning, panoramic vistas of the city.  Located in Kate Sessions Park, above Pacific Beach, you can see Fiesta Island, Mission Bay, and the Pacific Ocean.   The concerts run for the next 3 Sundays in a row.  Supported by the Pacific Beach Community, this organization’s goal was to bring music to the community, and inspire a love and appreciation of music in younger generations.  Please note, this park does not allow alcohol or glass containers.  Other than that, feel free to pack a smorgasbord of delicious treats and something to sit or lounge on, as you listen to the tunes from 4 to 6:30p.m.  

We briefly highlighted the San Diego Symphony in our Comic Con post, but any chance you have to attend one of the The Ashford University Summer Pops concerts (running until Labor Day), you should go!  This week, especially, will be very exciting.  This Friday and Saturday, The Divas of Disco Starring Radiance will be singing dance-worthy songs by Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, The Pointer Sisters and more.   On Sunday, Warner Bros. Presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II, which will be a big hit for the kids and the kids-at-heart.   The classic cartoon will be projected on a giant screen, while the orchestra performs the original Carl Stalling scores which highlight bits of Wagner, Rossini, and Strauss, to name a few.  Classical music has never been more fun!  

The outdoor concert series, offers different seating arrangements, from cabaret tables, fold down chairs and lawn seating.  We like bringing a few picnic quilts, and laying under the stars while taking in the talents of this world-famous orchestra.  Gates open at 6p.m. and the concerts begin at 7:30p.m.

We love that there are so many great options for outdoor fun in and around Mission Bay.  Plan your next few Sundays around packing a picnic, gathering up friends and family, and heading to one of these al fresco venues.  It’s no wonder we count down the days until summer starts!

KAPOW! BAM! It's time for a Comic Con Takeover!

In March of 1970 the first Comic Con, originally called the Golden State Comic Book Convention, debuted in San Diego with 145 people in attendance.  Last July, over 130,000 people showed up for the now, world famous, four-day event.  Tomorrow starts Comic Con 2015 and we hear its going to be even bigger than the previous years.  This year’s show is already sold out, but there are still some exciting Comic Con themed events to attend.  

“People watching” during Comic Con is truly an experience all on its own, filled with avid comic book readers, film buffs, and countless celebrities.  Head over to the Gaslamp Quarter in the center of Downtown to take in the crowds; and when you feel peckish, pop into a restaurant for a bite.  

What better place to sit down to some delicious grub and take in the sights, than a restaurant / bar called Werewolf?  During Comic-Con some of the ultra-friendly staff will dress up like their favorite comic book characters, making you feel like you’ve walked into another dimension.  The menu is just as bold as the restaurant’s personality — scrumptious and creative sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and appetizers rule the menu.  They do offer some pretty amazing and still inventive salads for those who want something lighter.  

Known for their tasty desserts like gelatos, cheesecakes, and crepes, Chocolat Cremerie also has a menu with mouth-watering savory items.  Located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter, this charming and quiet eatery, with an European flair, is the perfect place to take in some delicious fare while you take a break from people watching.  We recommend one of their savory crepes finished with a generous helping of gelato (and, no, we can’t pick one favorite flavor - they are all so good!).  

This summer the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pop series is having fun with Comic Con too.  At the outdoor venue, Embarcadero Marina Park South, located on the bay side of the San Diego Convention Center, you can set up a picnic and listen to a beautiful . . . video game soundtrack?  Yup!  Tomorrow, at 8pm, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will perform Pokemon: Symphonic Evolutions, a symphonic take on the popular video game’s melodies.  The symphony will perform with a giant screen behind them projecting action packed Pokemon images and $1 of each ticket goes towards supporting arts education programs.

Saturday, July 11th’s performance is going to be out of this world, as the orchestra performs the film score to the smash-hit Star Trek Into Darkness.  Come early to participate in the Star Trek Costume Contest.  Sign up as you enter, and the judging will begin at 7pm.  What better way to enjoy heart-pounding film score of Star Trek than by literally relaxing under the stars?

For 18 years The Legend of Zelda has been one of Nintendo’s most popular games, and did you know it’s also led to its own Symphony and Chorus?  It’s true, and on Saturday at 7:30pm,  the Zelda Symphony and Chorus is going to perform downtown in the Copley Symphony Hall.  Even if you didn’t grow up playing the action-packed adventure game, you’ll be captivated by the “The Legend of Zelda:Symphony of the Goddesses - Master Quest,” a four-movement symphonic work.  The piece is performed with a larger than life video presentation that has been coordinated to the music.  

Get ready for the largest pop culture event in the United States, happening, right here in San Diego.  Comic Con is all about the die-hard fans who think nothing of donning comic book hero garb and having fun with it.  ‘Fun’ being the operative word here.  Yes, it’s going to be crowded and maybe a little bit crazy, but it’s also going to be a blast!  And, when you’ve had your fill of superheroes and villains, head back to your place at Mission Bay Vacation Rentals, for a picturesque end to an absolutely amazing weekend.