Monarch, who when alive weighed more than 1,200 pounds, is now a taxidermy item at the California Academy of Sciences in the city where he died. Death Valley in southern California is the lowest point in the United States at 282 feet below sea … 18. 1850-08-31 California pioneers organized at Montgomery & Clay Streets; 1850-09-09 California is admitted as the thirty-first state of the Union; 1851-01-31 San Francisco Orphan's Asylum founded, 1st in California; 1851-03-25 Yosemite Valley discovered in California; 1852-04-19 California Historical Society forms; 1852-07-03 Congress authorizes US's 2nd mint (San Francisco, California) California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. When California entered the Union in 1850, San … California Oddities or contacting us via the following methods. California grows 99.5% of all dates grown in the United States, and Arizona produces the rest. 17. It is illegal for women to drive vehicles while wearing a housecoat. For decades, its alternative, freewheeling atmosphere has attracted weird cults like the Manson Family and Heaven’s Gate. The cookies were made by San Francisco bakery Benkyodo. Below you will find links to some of the weirdest stories from the golden state, but remember, the tales on this website are only the tip of the iceberg. Although you don't have to see these weird California attractions on a road trip, it's preferable—the only thing more bizarre than some of these places is the Golden State's lack of public transport outside major cities! We have some bizarro museums, unusual places to watch outdoor flicks and a bunch of other surprises that will make you fall in love with a completely unexpected side of SoCal you’ve never seen before. Odd Laws in the San Diego Area For one, you can leave the LA coroner’s office with goodies. It’s General Sherman, and it lives in Sequoia … In this section you'll find some amazing, and in a few cases, hard to believe California Legends. Strange Laws in All of California. Daniel Kish, born 1966 in Montebello, California, the president of the World Access for the Blind, is … The Story of How a Séance Led to One of Los Angeles’ Most Beautiful Buildings. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management: “Connecting the Pacific Ocean with the land, the California Coastal National Monument provides unique coastal habitat for marine-dependent wildlife and vegetation on more than 20,000 rocks, islands, exposed reefs and pinnacles along the California coastline, as well as 7,924 acres of public land in six onshore units: Trinidad Head, Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch, Lost Coast Headlands, Point Arena-Stornetta, Cotoni-Coast Dairies, and Piedras Blancas.”. Additionally some of the lesser known and more bizarre history of California is featured here as well ranging from the While you won’t learn any Hollywood secrets or salacious celebrity gossip reading this, you will learn some pretty interesting facts about the state of California. This Spanish phrase translates to “the River of Our Lady Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula.” The name was eventually shortened to “Los Angeles,” but the original main street can still be visited, with many of its original buildings and cobble stone walkways, downtown on Olvera Street — formerly Calle Olvera. Weird U.S. Promote Your Page Too A Utopia Spelled Z, Z, Y, Z, X With the addition of a few numbers and Greek letters, the name “Zzyzx” (pronounced zeye-zix) might be a complicated equation to orbit rockets around Mars, but the site has a colorful history that stretches back almost two centuries. California avocados are the best, and the city of Fallbrook, which is known for its avocado groves, claims the title of “Avocado Capital of the World.” Fallbrook even hosts an annual avocado festival that draws crowds from all over the planet. If you live in Southern California, it’s quite possible you have a few quirks that feel entirely normal to you but seem quite odd to the rest of the country. The Fortune Cookie Was Invented in San Francisco. You won’t be able to bring any nuclear weapons to Chico, so leave those at home. Castroville is known as the “Artichoke Center of the World,” and in 1948, actress and icon Marilyn Monroe was crowned their first ever Artichoke Queen at the Castroville Artichoke Festival. Make sure you've got a fully charged smartphone or GPS device, up-to-date car insurance, and patience. If you’re looking to spot stars, these are the 35 places in LA where you’re most likely to spot a celebrity. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Wondering what the name of the world’s largest tree is? Tweet This Gold Rush began in 1848, but there was also a Silver Rush in California from 1881 to 1896. Here are 8 weird SoCal habits or behaviors that we … ephemera and books on the stranger aspects of California’s past. The history of Chico, California, begins with the original inhabitants, the Mechoopda Maidu.. California produces over 17 million gallons of wine each year. "Old Hutch" Hutchinson identified five events as the most seminal in Chico history. Well you can find them all right here in the great state of California! He was captured and lived in captivity until his death in San Francisco 22 years later. Will its natural beauty inspire you? He lost. Native Chicagoan Ray Kroc acquired the rights to the company in 1961 for $2.7 million and made the brand what it is today. I mean come on where else can you discover stories about missing treasure, ghost camels, cursed totem poles, and ships lost in the desert? The California grizzly can still be found on the state flag and is still the official state animal of California. Welcome to Weird California, the strangest state west of New Jersey. These weird facts are so bizarre they might just blow your mind. Fresno, California is the Raisin Capital of the World. Weird California: You Travel Guide to California's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (Volume 7) In Carmel, it is against the law for women to wear high heel shoes. In the scariest month of the year, sometimes we don't want the obviously terrifying. Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns were vital to the silver mining operation. The city of Chico was founded in 1860 by General John Bidwell, a member of one of the first wagon trains to reach California in 1841. Was captured and lived in captivity until his death in San Bernardino, California, the subspecies arctos... Like, a severed finger or anything contact with Spanish explorers, most of richest. 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