October is the best time of the year to search for ghosts. They haunt many places in Southern California, including Julian.

But the best place to find ghosts is in Long Beach. It’s home of the Queen Mary steamship, and it’s full of ghosts and opportunities to see paranormal hotspots. Nicole Strickland, a professional paranormal researcher on the Queen Mary, shared her encounters with a group of Julian residents interested in paranormal research on the ship at the Julian Library Oct. 9.

She explained how to identify the beings and shared some fuzzy photos.

The Queen Mary, the grandest ocean liner in the world during and after WWII, wound up in Long Beach 1967 – Southern California has been her home ever since. The beautiful ship spent many years catering to visitors and neighbors. It is now an elegant floating hotel that shows how sailing was in the 1930s. Now it’s home to ghosts, events and wedding venues, and home to three world-class restaurants.

Along the way Queen Mary collected ghosts and a reputation of being “America’s one of Top 10 Most Haunted.” A number of tours are offered, from two to four hours, and some include meals: Haunted Encounters, Glory Days Historical, and Dining with the Spirits, Paranormal Sidewalk.

It’s a good idea to reserve well in advance.