Felicity – Centre of the World

This trip was going to be full of ups and downs. Setting off on another road trip to Felicity, California, known as the Centre of the World. Only this time without our beloved co-pilot Harvey.

Let’s talk about Felicity, and no, not that late 90s drama show that was on that one network for a certain amount of time. I’m talking about Felicity, California, population 2. It’s located just a few miles before the Arizona border and just after the Imperial Sand Dunes recreation area. Known as the Centre of the World to Imperial County and really, it’s because it should be! It is such a Gem with a Zen-like quality!

brief history of Felicity and why the Centre of the world?

How did Felicity Centre of the World get its name and why is it the centre of the world? Well, back in the 1980s Frenchman Jacques-Andre Istel, a former Marine and successful business owner of parachute schools, decided to buy thousands of acres in the Sonoran Desert. Writing the children’s book “COE THE GOOD DRAGON AT THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD” was the inspiration behind the town of Felicity which he aptly named after his wife Felicity Lee. The book helped convince the Imperial County to legally recognise the bronze plaque embedded in the floor of a 21 foot tall, pink hollow granite pyramid on his property as the official “Centre of the World.” 

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first impressions

Shortly after 4 in the afternoon we arrived in the virtually empty parking lot. We parked under a long shadow cast by the sun’s fleeting rays, through a beautiful tree in front of the museum. There were a few cars positioned in various locations on the property, but there was nobody around that we could see. So we paid our $3.00 per person fee and went off to explore. Since this was ‘off season’ it is based on an honour system as the sign kindly says.

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We walked up the ramp and across the tiled pathway to the open-air plaza between two buildings and wow! What a view. Before us, stood 18 carefully placed rows of symmetrical granite. Each 100 feet long and precisely etched with the history of the world, so far… In the distance a steep flight of stairs leads up to a tiny white church perched on a man-made hill of 150,000 ton of soil, over-looking it all.

start reading

We followed the concrete pathway straight ahead and around the pyramid, then began reading the history of California. On the reverse side is the history of Arizona. We spent nearly an hour reading but could have spent several more. The information is so interesting and easy to read, that your focus gets pulled in, unlike any other place I’ve yet seen.

For instance, did you know that if we were able to travel at the speed of light, it would take 26,000 years to reach the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy? When you hear facts like that, it puts perspective in your grasp for a few fleeting moments. You start to think really hard about things like our Universe and life on other planets, other galaxies, time travel and……

The next section has etchings about animals, so you become engrossed with that. (During December through March you can pay $300.00 and have your name inscribed on the “Wall for the Ages”.)

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the prominent feature of Felicity – Centre of the World

We made our way up the steep flight of stairs to the church. This gave us an incredible view of the surrounding area. Unfortunately for us, a wedding was taking place, so because of that we were unable to see inside the church.

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We meandered back down throughout the rest of the grounds, towards the new apartment buildings. We thought on the first inspection they were guest and or motel rooms. Just in front of these, there is a 25-foot high section of the original staircase from the Eiffel Tower. The Felicity train station, (no trains or tracks) and the large gravel chess board sit adjacent.

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Jacques-Andre has many more plans for Felicity Centre of the World and its growth. This eccentric man has taken a small slice of arid desert and created something magnificent and unusual. It is definitely worth taking a trip to see this marvel. I’d be interested to see what the future holds for Felicity, The Centre of the World, population 2.

in a nutshell

• Entrance fee – $3.00 on an honour system
• Ample parking

location map

felicity – centre of the world slide show