Hit The Road

 “Quirky” means strikingly unconventional, offbeat, peculiar and unusual. Sounds like life in Southern California, doesn’t it? And what a treasure trove of odd places to visit here, too:

> Orange County Dental Museum: Sometimes getting kids to go on field trips is like pulling teeth, but they’ll extract some fascinating information at this small 1-room museum. It contains old dental chairs and glass-enclosed display shelves lined with forceps for teeth, small saws and other instruments (of torture!). In the midst of several sets of false teeth is the crown jewel – a partial denture that belonged to George Washington. You can really sink your teeth into history at this museum.

> Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology: If you or your child has ever wanted to be an oologist, and who hasn’t (?!), the is eggsactly the place you’re looking for. (Oology, by the way, is the study of eggs, particularly bird eggs.) Started by an avid collector, the Foundation now contains over 1 million eggs, as well as 53,000 bird skin specimens and 18,000 nests. Although used primarily for scientific research purposes, all kinds of guests flock here for a visit.

The gigantic main room showcases mounted birds, some in “flight,” such as condors, owls, penguins and many more. Numerous cabinets are filled with trays of bird skins (which look like birds on popsicle sticks), such as brilliantly colored tanagers, hummingbirds and toucans. There’s even a mummified falcon. The astounding egg collection ranges from the rare and enormous elephant bird egg to the teeny hummingbird egg, plus fossilized dinosaur eggs, speckled sunbird eggs, shiny green eggs and more.     

> Skeletons in the Closet: Maybe it’s because it’s located inside the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s building (or maybe it’s because they are boys), but my kids think this tiny gift shop is pretty cool. The unusual selection of gifts includes a beach towel with a body outline and BBQ aprons that read “spare hands, spare ribs.” Plus, there are mugs and keychains. Proceeds support the Youthful Drunk Driving Visitation Program.

> The Lock Museum of Orange County: Located in a warehouse in Placentia, it showcases keys to cities from all over the U.S. and the world made from steel, glass and ivory. The owner has also amassed locks and keys that originally belonged to Houdini; manacles dating back to the days of slavery; over 175 handcuffs and thumb cuffs; and keys and locks to jails and a castle. Half-hour tours are available with a reservation.

> Brewbakers: I cheer, you cheer, we all cheer for root beer! At least you will at this unique “wet your whistle” stop, where you can make your own root beer, bottle it, create a label and sip it down while devouring a delicious, homemade (by you!) pretzel or pizza. Located in Huntington Beach, the small micro-brewery (yes, adults can make their own real beer) offers tasty outings and birthday parties for groups of 6 or more.

> IFLY and Skyventure: The next best thing to skydiving is safe and adrenaline-charged indoor skydiving at IFLY at Universal Studios or Skyventure in Perris. Both facilities boast a tall, glass-enclosed tower that houses a wind tunnel. First, you watch a short video on how to fly and try out the correct body position on a stationary bench – arms straight out, chin up, knees slightly bent upward and spread apart. Then, you step into the wind tunnel where highpowered fans thrusting upward through the grates at your feet raise you up off the ground – YOU ARE FLYING! Breath is sucked out of you and you’re tempted to flail

around, but you’d really rather stay in flying position, because this way you stay airborne and fly around, pushing off the walls while envious spectators are watching. IT IS AN UTTERLY EXHILARATING EXPERIENCE!

After a minute, or 2, your flight comes to an end, but you can purchase a DVD of your flight or just remember it in your dreams.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum: This staple attraction, the reigning champ for most oddities under 1 roof, has hundreds of pictures, life-size models and special effects. Robert Ripley traveled all over the world visiting over 200 countries and meeting with kings, queens and cannibal chieftains to gather unusual facts and items. His collection includes real shrunken heads, a necklace made of (dead) maggots, a model of a man who held a real burning candle in his head, a sculpture of Michael Jackson made from more than a million real dollars and a complete landscape scene painted on a potato chip. (Truth is definitely stranger than fiction.) Two of my favorite exhibits here are a rendition of the Last Supper done with 260 pieces of toast (varying from barely toasted to burnt), and the huge portrait made out of clothes-dryer lint. My son Bryce summed up the exhibits best: “They’re kind of cool and kind of gross.”

No matter what you say about Southern California, 1 thing remains true: You’ll never ever be bored here.

Susan Peterson is author of the award-winning guidebook, "Fun and Educational Places to go With Kids and Adults in Southern California." She can be reached at funplaces.com.

IF YOU GO:

What I liked best: