Everybody loves a good mystery, and there is none as perplexing as the Mystery Spot, tucked away in the redwood forest near Santa Cruz, California. In this area, the laws of physics appear topsy-turvy. Gravity seems to have been turned on its head. So what is happening here? As you enter the redwood grove, a guide takes you on a 45-minute tour demonstrating a spot where two cement blocks face each other. A carpenter’s “Spirit” level laid across them registers perfect equilibrium. However, when two people of equal height stand on the blocks facing each other, one is clearly taller than the other. How do you explain THAT?

As you walk deeper into the forest and up a hill, you come to a ramshackle wooden shack tipped sideways, all crooked and bent across the path. Strange things happen in that shack. Water flows BACKWARDS! Balls roll UPHILL! People can stand upright at odd angles without falling over. Chairs cling to walls without any visible means of support. Each surprise is unique and seemingly inexplicable.

Over the years, countless theories have been put forward to explain what the  Mystery spot is — everything from concentrations of gases to magnetism to buried spaceships emitting strange rays. Whatever the explanation, the Mystery Spot is very popular and has been since the day it first opened in 1940. On some days, unless you have a reservation, it is impossible to visit after 1200.

Of course, there is always a naysayer around to debunk the explanations that are being given. Nevertheless, it is a bit of good fun. So go ahead and decide if this is real, a hoax, or a fascinating mystery.

IF YOU GO
The Mystery Spot is at 465 Mystery Spot Road, Santa Cruz, California. (Tel 831-423-8897). Open Monday to Friday, 1000 to 1800 and Saturday-Sunday 0900 to 1900. There is a charge. Reservations are a good idea, especially on weekends.

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