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10 Ways to Celebrate Jules Verne’s Birthday in SoCal

Still deciding on how to celebrate Jules Verne’s birthday this Saturday? Let me offer some suggestions.

1. Buy his books: That’s right celebrate his natal day by purchasing one of his books by one of the upstanding bookstores in southern California. Here’s a good list to start with. Heck even buy an e-book.

  • Five Weeks in a Balloon
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth
  • From the Earth to the Moon
  • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
  • The Mysterious Island
  • Around the World in Eighty Days
  • Robur the Conqueror
  • An Antarctic Mystery

2. Watch a movie based on his books: There is a plethora of movies/ tv specials/mini-series based on his work. Take a chance, make some popcorn, maybe dress up as your favorite Vernian character or at the very least provide your running moving commentary in an outrageous French accent.  Here’s a list to get you started:

  • 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (Movie) 1954
  • Around the World in Eighty Days (Movie) 1956
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth (Movie) 1959
  • The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne (Television Series) 2000

3. Play a game based on his books: Visit your local game shop and start a tournament or buy a game and play among friends at home. You may have a little more cache if you dress as Nemo, Robur, or Fogg and demand game play.  I personally like Mayfair Games’ Journey to the Center of the Earth.

4. Buy music inspired by his books: By Rick Wakeman’s 1974 sci fi concept album “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”  Hey why not combine #2, #3, and #4…

5. Visit Disneyland: February 8th is the 2nd Annual Clockwork Conquest at Disneyland in Anaheim. Take the opportunity to traipse around the park with fellow adherents to the steampunk culture.

6. Visit the Russian Scorpion submarine next to the Queen Mary:  It is no Nautilus, but probably the closest you’ll get as a civy to take a tour of a submarine. I suggest you prepare some crib notes on Nemo’s sayings to randomly (but dramatically) shout out, such as, “Strike, mad vessel! Shower your useless shot! And then, you will not escape the spur of the Nautilus.”

7. Take a Hot Air Balloon ride in San Diego or Temecula: Really? You think you can last 5 months in one of these bad boys?

8. Visit the California Science Center or  the San Diego Air & Space Museum: You may be thinking about creating your own Baltimore club, but I suggest examining our space history before you take part on your own endeavor.

9. Try to find your own cave to the Center of the Earth: Although there is a shortage of Icelandic volcanoes in SoCal, we do have a couple of caves. Explore the Leo Carillo Sea Cave in Malibu or Bronson Caves in Griffith Park. I cannot promise that you will see any dinosaurs or giant mushrooms. But, this is SoCal, so you might.

10. Visit a local casino: You too can make outrageous wagers like Phileas Fogg. Dress the part … bring your personal valet.

In the end, enjoy your day.

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