11 Quirky Facts About Northern California That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% True

California has it all. From surf and mountains to big cities and peaceful farmland, It’s the tech capital of the world and the country’s breadbasket. With so much variety, it’s no surprise that California’s history is just as unique.

We’ve covered Northern California’s history and all sorts of trivia before, but we promise this list of quirky facts about the top half of this state will surprise and delight you.

1. There Are More Dogs Than Children in San Francisco

If you’ve driven through San Francisco, you may have noticed all the doggie daycares, dog clothing stores, and of course, all the people walking dogs. There’s even a major dog festival—The NorCal Corgi Con, a fun beach day for corgi owners. Not surprisingly, the rumor that there are more dogs than children in San Francisco is true. The city is truly a dog-lover's paradise.

2. Northern California Is Home to a Bigfoot Museum

Bigfoot lore has long fascinated the public and Northern California is no exception. In fact, there's enough interest that there's an entire museum dedicated to the elusive creature in Willow Creek. This museum is so fun to visit that maybe, just maybe, it will make you a believer!

3. We Have the World’s Largest Working Yo-Yo

In Chico, there is a well-known gift shop called Bird In Hand. Inside this gift shop is the U.S. National Yo-Yo Museum and the world’s largest working yo-yo. The giant yo-yo measures 50 inches tall and weighs 256 pounds!

4. A Frog Jumping Competition Takes Place Every Year in Calaveras County

Famous American writer and humorist Mark Twain penned his well-loved short story, "The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" in 1865. It was his first big hit and the story earned him national attention. Twain lived in Angels Camp in Calaveras County when he wrote that story, and by 1928 the first frog jumping competition was held. People from all over the state bring real live frogs to compete in this fun competition. The current record is held by "Rosie the Ribeter" who jumped more than 21 feet in 1986.

5. The World’s Largest Monopoly Board Is in San Jose

Did you know you could a life-sized game of Monopoly in San Jose? Groups can rent out the massive board and even have a referee. Monopoly In the Park was built in San Jose’s Discovery Meadow in 1992. It covers 930 square feet and is the largest Monopoly board in the world.

6. The World’s Largest Box of Raisins Is in Kingsburg

Just off of Interstate 5 near Fresno is The Sun-Maid Market and the world’s largest box of raisins. This quirky raisin box statue was built in 1992 and originally filled with 16,500 pounds of Sun-Maid raisins to establish a world record in The Guinness Book of World Records. Today, tourists line-up to take a photo with the giant raisin box.

7. A Dog Served as Honorary Mayor of the Town of Sunol

Long before the trend of pets running for public office, the small town of Sunol, outside of Fremont, elected a dog as honorary mayor in 1981. Bosco Ramos beat out two humans in the race and ended up serving as honorary mayor until his death in 1994. A statue of Bosco was erected in front of Sunol’s post office.

8. The Fog in San Francisco Is Named Karl

Karl the Fog is the name of the perennial fog that envelops the city. All San Francisco residents know about Karl and occasionally read updates on Karl’s Instagram account. Over the years Karl's notoriety has grown. Today, Karl has an official website as well as products, like coffee and merchandise.

9. The California State Capitol Has a Memorial to a Cat That Lived on the Grounds for 13 Years

"Senator Capitol Kitty" was a beloved feral cat that lived on state capitol grounds for more than a decade. Former California First Lady Sharon Davis wrote about the cat in her children’s book, "The Adventures of Capitol Kitty: An Almost True Story". The memorial plaque, complete with paw prints, can be seen near the state capitol.

10. The Golden Gate Bridge Was Not Supposed to Be Red

When parts for the bridge were delivered, they were covered in the orange-red primer to prevent corrosion. One of the bridge architects liked the paint color since it could be easily seen in the famous San Francisco fog, so the color choice remained. We can't imagine this iconic bridge being any other color!

11. Lake Tahoe Has Its Own Version of Loch Ness

Tahoe Tessie is said to live in an underground tunnel in Lake Tahoe. There are many images and videos online of people claiming they saw Tessie. Researchers have said Tessie sightings are most likely to be misidentified fish, but sightings of the beast continue to this day. Many businesses in the area have capitalized on Tessie by using her image as their logo.

If you thought that was the end of our fun facts, think again.Northern California also has some pretty strange laws. Make sure to study up before your next trip have the OIYS itinerary planner handy!