The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot
Maria Fernanda McCavitt, Staff Writer, Spanish and world News Editor
January 14, 2012
Filed under Travel
The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot: a place where objects and people seem to defy both logic and gravity. The Mystery Spot, an area one hundred and fifty feet in diameter, is located within the beautiful redwood forests. Described as a gravitational anomaly, it is home to many strange sights and happenings.
Mr. Prather was the original owner of the Mystery Spot and the surrounding area. He purchased the land in hopes of building himself a summer cabin. He was told that any structure built on the hill would slide down the side; however, Mr. Prather ignored the cautions and proceeded to build a cabin, which later slid down the side of the hill as he was warned. The cabin now rests at the edge of the site known to its many visitors as the Mystery Spot.
Photo Credit: Michael Gray
The Mystery Spot is home to a variety of visual and physical anomalies. One example is the trees that grow around the Mystery spot. While most redwoods have branches distributed evenly all around their trunks, the trees in the Mystery Spot tend to have branches growing on one side, and away from the sun. Some of the trees even grow in strange slanted angles and corkscrew shapes. Also, uncharacteristically of the redwood forests, there is little active wildlife around the site. Birds are seldom seen flying overhead.
Possibly the strangest and most notorious oddity within the Mystery Spot is that balls and other cylindrical objects seem to roll uphill. During the tour, a board is laid out and checked with a level to ensure that it is at a slight incline. When a ball or water bottle is placed on the board, it seems to be rolling opposite the pull of gravity and towards the high end of the board.
Visual variations such as those in height and relativity occur within the mystery spot. In other words, people and objects appear to be taller, shorter, larger, or smaller than they really are. People supposedly change height in and out of the Mystery Spot. In reality, many of these illusions actually result from the tilted roof and floor of the cabin that causes shifted perspectives and size misperceptions.
The Mystery Spot makes for interesting photos at strange prspectives. Inside the cabin, the slanted floor allows people to appear to be standing at impossible angles. People seem to be leaning drastically forward and at odd slants. Another strange occurrence in the Mystery Spot is the offsetting of compasses. This was first discovered by the surveyors that came to inspect the land. In and around the area, compasses vary up to seventeen degrees away from north.
Since its discovery in 1939 by a group of surveyors, experts and amateurs alike have tried to provide possible “explanations” for these strange occurrences. Some of the more plausible explanations suggest that a hole in the ozone layer, underground magma pools, or carbon gases are to blame. Others are more far-fetched and claim that these abnormalities are results of buried spacecraft and extraterrestrials. One theory even suggests that hallucinogenic gases seeping from the earth cause misperceptions. The Mystery Spot has the highest known dielectric biocosmic radiation. However, scientists do not know what this means or what effects it has on the surroundings.
Whether a result of visual illusions or scientific rarities, the Mystery Spot is an interesting attraction. The surrounding forests make for beautiful scenery. Tours offer great photo opportunities and demonstrations. To plan a visit, visit The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot website at http://www.mysteryspot.com/.
Other stories in Travel
- A Taste of New Orleans - April 24, 2012
- I Left My Heart in San Francisco - February 8, 2012
- Reno Winter Wonderland - January 25, 2012
- 2011: A Depressing Year for Snow - January 14, 2012
- Snowless Northstar Still A Good Time - January 13, 2012
Loading ...
Comments