Claremont, CA Outdoor Activities

With hands gripped to the wheels of karts capable of cresting 45 miles per hour, up to 12 racers hum around the hairpin turns and straightaways of K1 Speed's indoor track during adrenaline-spiking sprints toward the podium. This brand of excitement can be found at all 15 locations, where racers eschew the fumes and inflammatory skywriting of gas kart exhaust for European, eco-friendly electric karts designed to instantly accelerate out of curves, which are bordered by safety barriers that absorb impacts. To keep everyone in the chase, dialed-down junior karts (available at select locations) safely carry tiny drivers between the height of 48" and 58".

Currently hovering around second place in the Golden Baseball League's south division rankings, the Flyers roster boasts two of the league's top hitters: Jimmy Rohan and Tyler Keeble, both of whom are batting over .400 after 13 games. By coupling their power-hitting pulchritude with Manny Ayala's wormhole-producing fastballs and World Series winner Byung-Hyun Kim's cybernetic rocket arm, Orange County's finest are pining to unseat the Yuma Scorpions, who have dominated the division so far this season. Beyond that, the Flyers hope to repeat the magic of their 2008 season, when the team won the GBL Championship Series and got to hold Marissa Dulgar's hand while staring at the stars from her parents' porch swing.

In 2005, Jason Williams and Ken Faught assembled a team of experienced racers and designers to create the driving experience at Pole Position Raceway. Williams, a motocross racer since 1984, and Faught, a three-time land-speed record holder at the Bonneville Salt Flats, recruited professional drivers Kurt Busch and Jeremy McGrath to help their engineers. They reimagined every detail of the track from the ground up, creating indoor courses that balance the grip of asphalt with the swervy fun of polished, concrete slick tracks. Pole Position’s Formula EK20 Pro Karts rumble over the track powered by 18-horsepower motors (nearly triple that of average gas karts), which reach speeds up to 45 miles per hour without filling the temperature-controlled arenas with fumes.

After the first Pole Position Raceway opened in Corona, California, it soon spawned eight locations stretching to the Atlantic. Technicians maintain the fleet via handheld computers, and top drivers are regularly sent out to evaluate karts’ handling and reading comprehension. During races, up to 12 guests compete in contests that last about 10 minutes.

Though many things have changed during the L.A. County Fair’s 90 years, the one constant has been the large crowds it attracts with the classic sights and sounds of an outdoor carnival. Lights race past as carnival rides fly overhead, and riffs from battling bands carry through the air. Stingray Island, a new attraction in 2012, brings fair-goers face to fin with octopuses, schools of shrimp, and stingrays swimming inside a 17,000-gallon salt-water tank. Inside FairView Farms, fair-goers can see firsthand what it takes to work a farm by watching live workers tend to pastures and baby animals at the nursery. In 2011, more than 1,490,000 people explored the fairgrounds, making it the second-highest attendance year recorded outside of 1991, when everyone showed up with their stunt double.

Scandia Amusement Park adds a Nordic theme to classic amusement-park rides. Towering over the park, the signature Scandia Screamer Coaster sends riders through more high-speed drops, twists, and turns than that time they tried to cartwheel down the stairs. Shrieks of excitement echo at Cliff Jumper, a 100-foot-drop tower, and the Viking Ship, which swings like a giant pendulum through the air. A kiddie section treats young visitors to less-intense rides, including a carousel and the aptly named Little Dipper Coaster.

Back on the ground, more than 12,000 vibrant flowers line two Scandavian-themed putt-putt courses. Waterfalls and trickling streams calm players as they putt golf balls through challenging obstacles such as a stone castle. The competition continues at batting cages, which hurl baseballs and scoops of ice cream at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. Aside from these everyday attractions, Scandia Amusement Park lures in visitors with birthday-party packages and a seasonal haunted house.

For the past four years, the Ontario Reign have ruled over opponents as the ECHL affiliate of 2012 Stanley Cup champions, the Los Angeles Kings. Formerly the Texas Wildcatters, and before that, the Huntington Blizzard, the Reign rose to existence in 2008. And, rather than naming the team by letting a raccoon select random letters from a bag of Scrabble pieces, the newly spawned organization turned to its fans with a name-the-team contest. That contest kicked off what has been a thriving relationship between the Reign and Ontario hockey fans. In fact, the Reign led the ECHL in attendance during their first three seasons. In 2011–12, the team rewarded its loyal followers with a Pacific Division championship, and in coming seasons, hopes to be a perennial contender for the Kelly Cup.