Quirky in California

Bobbie, one of my water aerobics buddies, mentioned that there was a geocache located at the center of the world. Hmm. I knew that there was one a couple of miles down in the Atlantic Ocean but the center of the world? Indeed there is, because the center of the world is officially at Felicity, California--there is a law that says so.

Felicity, California, population ? and elevation 280 feet is just a few miles west of Yuma, Arizona and sits on the frontage road parallel to Interstate 8. There is a post office, a church, a pyramid and a section of the original stairs of the Eiffel Tower. Quirky indeed.

The town of Felicity is named after the wife of the mayor of Felicity. The mayor of Felicity also wrote a children's book called "COE, the Good Dragon at the Center of the World". He also owned a lot of desert property and when he asked what he should build on his desert property, his wife responded, well, a pyramid of course--for what else goes in a desert? And so he built a pyramid, and since he had written a book about the center of the world, his next project was to have a spot in the middle of his pyramid designed the center of the world, and the county of Imperial has made it official.

For $2 a person, you are given the opportunity to watch a six minute film clip about Felicity and the granite walls that are a part of the complex and the lady at the gift shop will unlock the pyramid allowing you to stand on the bronze plaque that designates the precise center of the world spot where you make a wish, take your picture if you desire and as part of your entrance fee will give you an official certificate acknowledging that you stood at the center of the world. This certificate allows you to return and visit the pyramid for free at any time. Whoo, boy, who could resist that? Talk about cheap at the price!


All kidding aside, the granite walls are amazing pieces of work. An artist is slowly carving pictures onto the panels to correspond with the historical information that has been documented on the panels of the walls. There is a Korean War Memorial wall, the Foreign Legion wall, the Quest for the Sky wall, the Wall for the Ages as well as walls dedicated to personal family plaques and information for a price. Jacques-André Istel has taken his fairy tale story and turned it into a town and fascinating attraction that will entertain and educate you.

We went for quirky and returned enlightened.


This three dimensional representative of the arm of God from Michaelangelo's painting on the celing of the Sistine Chapel is the hour pointer on the huge sundial in front of the town of Felicity.
This is a twenty-five foot section of the staircase from the Eiffel Tower. The staircase was removed when its weight caused the tower to start to sway. Elevators were installed in place of the stairways.
This small church built on a hill will always be the highest point in Felicity. The church should be opened sometime early in 2008. The structures you see in the lower third of the picture are several of the engraved walls of granite.