Haunted San Diego Ghost Tours, featured in "San Diego Magazine's" Best of San Diego 2010 compilation as the year's best offbeat tour, is billed as "a nighttime history tour with a twist." Board a 14-seat purple bus driven by costumed storytellers. Ride past the San Diego Bay, Gaslamp Quarter and PetCo Park throughout Old Town to haunted sites. At each site, get off the bus to hear ghost stories attributed to each location, including an historic museum, a Victorian Manor, a graveyard, a mansion, a hotel and houses. This tour is geared toward adults. Haunted San Diego advises that children under 13 years old should not take the tour, and kids under 10 years old will not be allowed on the bus. Tickets must be purchased in advance by phone or online. Cost is $35 per person (as of October 2010). Tours last two hours and start at 7:00 p.m. nightly in autumn and winter. Arrive 15 minutes early in Old Town at the Best Western Hacienda Hotel outside the lobby door.
Experience a piece of aviation history by climbing on board the USS Midway, the 20th century's longest-serving Navy aircraft carrier. The USS Midway Museum is "the largest floating aviation museum in the world," according to the San Diegan. A tour takes museum visitors through the crew's sleep quarters, engine room, pilots' ready rooms and flight control. Learn the aviation life via a choice of three flight simulation experiences, including a Strike Fighter 360 and Mach Combat two-person combat simulation and a 12-person Flight Avionics Naval Combat Mission group simulation. Meet World War II veterans and pilots who share their stories.
For a free afternoon of gallery hopping, National Geographic Traveler recommends Balboa Park's outdoor Spanish Village Art Center. Comprised of 37 art studios and galleries, Spanish Village hosts more than 200 local artists ranging from painters to jewelry designers. The Village is an historical landmark. Its buildings and courtyards were built in 1935. Originally, it was built to depict a charming old village in Spain for the second California Pacific International Exposition. During World War II, it was used as temporary barracks. In 1947, it was reopened as an art center. Browse or buy art from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Visitors can hang out and eat lunch on the patio, which is a free Wi-Fi Hotspot. Spanish Village is located between the San Diego Zoo and the Natural History Museum.
