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the center of the world

Journey to the Center of the World

Driving down Interstate 8 in the desert of California, you get more of a sense of boredom than centrifugal force.  However, if you make a stop in Felicity all 2 of the locals might say otherwise.  It is the official “Center of the World”!  Well, home to it at least.  The Official Center of the World is a dot inside the pyramid next to the post office. The center of the world, or universe, can be anywhere but it is set by law in Felicity, CA.

There are some very interesting attractions that surround this official center of the world.  Such as the history of the world, etched in granite.  The Granite Museum-Walls tell the history of countries, humanity and a host of other entities.  Each monument is 100ft long and designed to last 4,000 years.  I suppose Jacques-Andre Istel (the Frenchman who founded felicity and the center of the world) thought books and the internet wouldn’t last.

the wall for the ages

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center of the world

There is a set of 25 ft. high stairs at the entrance to Felicity.   They don’t actually lead to anywhere, yet just act as a sculpture. The stairs are section number 12 of the original stairway of the Eiffel Tower. The stairs weigh 6,600 lbs and required engineering and a building permit.

stair

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felicity california

The Post Office was by far my favorite oddity.  It was dedicated in December 1987 when thousands of small post offices were being closed due to the economy (sound familiar?). This tiny town of 2 received over 2,300 letters mailed the dedication day and the ceremony included a speech in Chinese by Consul Zhou of the People’s Republic of China who traveled 600 miles for the occasion. It’s operated by the town at a whopping cost of $1 to the Federal Government per year.  The government now has 20+ un-cashed $1 checks on file.

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center of the world

Its places like Felicity and people like Jacques-Andre Istel that make life and road trip way more interesting…

Have you been to the center of the world or found something like this on a road trip?  If so, tell us about it in the comment box below.

Famous for my "how-not-to" videos, and typically the man behind the camera, sometimes I’m forced to be here in the “spotlight”. When you see my face you’re probably reading something more technical than adventurous, but either way I do my best to tell it like it is and infuse my opinions into the commentary…after all this is a blog and not MSN.

Comments (11)

  • We’ve driven past that thing many times on trips from Phoenix to San Diego. We had no idea what it was, though. Thanks for enlightening us. Maybe we’ll stop next time!
    Love your posts and videos. Keep up the great work.

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  • We just drove past that church and wondered about its story. Great post. Check out Slab City if you’re still in the area.

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  • That is so cool! I don’t think you guys are weird at all! 🙂

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  • Hunter

    loved the vid…cliffhanger ending

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  • Mary

    I had no idea! Really interesting information.

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