Take a stroll on any trail in Monterey County. The views are breathtaking, certainly. And there’s plenty of wildlife – birds, deer, perhaps even a condor. Nice, but it hardly compares to a hike through the Triassic, Jurassic or Cretaceous eras. A mountain lion? Try not to quake with fear when you encounter a rampaging Apatosaurus or hear the threatening woosh of a Pterodactyl.
If you’re thinking “Dinosaurs? I pump those things into my hybrid,” well, think again. They are back – Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Spinosaurus, the fearsome 50-foot Megalodon, and dozens of other creatures that dominated earth 200 million years ago. Jurassic Quest brings life-size animatronic dinosaurs to the Monterey County Fair & Event Center this weekend, Feb. 17-20. You can walk with dinosaurs that look and sound real. They are detailed down to the teeth, so it’s best to be careful. There are also interactive shows with infant dinos (never get between a baby rex and its mother) and something that could never have happened in the jolly Jurassic: dinosaur rides. The event also features games, crafts and fossil digs. But you know – life-size dinosaurs that move. It’s the great outdoors as it existed in prehistoric times, a hike like no other. Just keep an eye out for asteroids. [DF]