From 101 Holidays newsdesk
The California fly-drive holiday recommendation is one of 101 Holidays’ most popular pages - driving yourself around this immense and diverse state is a great way to explore beyond the more obvious attractions. Here are 10 weird and wonderful things to do in California.
1. The hills above Palm Springs are home to The Integratron, one of the world’s weirdest must-sees. Located on a magnetic vortex, this dome shaped building was built by George Van Tassel to be a rejuvenation centre and time machine. It claims to have communicated with Extra Terrestrials, and apparently harbours a magical magnetic energy.
2. If you’re a wine enthusiast and are planning to tie the knot, surround yourselves with beautiful Merlot and Pinot Noir vines as you say “I do” with a wedding at Gundlach Bundschu Winery. Celebrate with a wedding breakfast in the romantic Cave Barrel Room. More ideas and information from California Wines.
3. Try sky-diving at 120mph, two miles above the wine country, from the Russian River to Lake Sonoma. Land at the Alexander Valley Vineyards for a celebratory glass or two.
4. Take a catamaran across Lake Shasta to some spectacular caves, formed over 250 million years ago. Trek up into the hills for a chance to see bald eagles, mountain lions and black bears and have a go at sluicing for gemstones and fossils.
5. Enjoy a game of Monopoly in the Park in San Jose. Throw the monster dice on a gigantic 930 sq ft Monopoly board wearing Monopoly pieces as headgear. Great fun for all the family.
6. Head to Chico for the Yo-Yo Museum, housing a collection of yo-yos dating back 80 years. It’s also home to the world’s largest yo-yo, weighing an impressive 256 pounds!
7. Huntington Beach a surfer’s paradise. Not only is the beach sensationally sandy, but it hosted the world record for the most riders (40 in total) on one giant surfboard in 2005. Time your visit to coincide with the US Open Surfing Championships in July and August to see how the experts do it.
8. Pasadena is home to the infamous Colorado Street Bridge. Built in 1913 across a canyon linking the San Gabriel Mountains to the Los Angeles River, it is rumoured to be haunted and has been the location of numerous suicides.
9. In North Hills, a 15 ft topiary poodle stands on Plummer Street and Hayvenhurst Avenue, created by resident Brian Welch. Named ‘Ivy Poodle’ the pooch even wears a red ribbon collar to celebrate Christmas.
10. Visit Watts Towers in Los Angeles, an art centre with a difference. Consisting of 17 different towers, the steel structures are adorned with mosaics made from whatever materials were available to the artist, Simon Rodia. With no access to machinery, the towers were created using his own ingenuity and simple tools (including a washer’s belt and buckle).
Visit our recommended tour operator for California: North America Travel Service
