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Orange County
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Orange County Overview
Known by most as the home of Disneyland®, Orange County has a bountiful offering of things to do. Bordered by Los Angeles to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and 5,000 foot tall mountains to the east, this temperate region is the home of many rich and famous. With so much packed into such a small county, one can spend the day at the beach, the afternoon biking in the wilderness, and the evening watching the Angels play at Angels Stadium.
Also known as 'The OC'.
TIP: Consider purchasing a Southern California CityPass for big discounts on multiple attractions. At the time of this writing, 5 major attractions from Hollywood to San Diego were offered for $199... a definite value.
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None in this region.
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Bolsa Chica State Beach is located on the northern end of Huntington Beach. Long stretches of sand fill with visitors during the summer. Restrooms are available. MORE DETAILS
Huntington State Beach is located on the southern end of Huntington Beach. This is a wide sandy beach with fire rings for evening bonfires. Public restrooms, bike rentals, and snack stands are available. Across PCH from the beach is the 114-acre Huntington Beach Wetlands that is popular with bird watchers. Huntington Beach is officially known as 'Surf City'. MORE DETAILS
Crystal Cove is located on the southern end of Newport Beach. This is a long, narrow, and sandy beach backed by 50 foot cliffs. Rocks protrude from the water sporadically. The ocean bottom turns rocky in some areas and large boulders are hidden just below the surface. Popular activities on this beach include snorkeling, surfing, and tidepool exploration. Public restrooms are available. MORE DETAILS
Doheny is located on the southern end of the Dana Point harbor. This is a short, sandy beach with an all rock bottom ocean. This park has camping, picnic facilities, a snack bar and public restrooms. Surfing is a popular activity. MORE DETAILS
San Clemente is located on the southernmost end of Orange County. This is a narrow, sandy beach with sand bottom ocean and 30 foot cliffs. The Amtrak train passes along the trestles just a few yards from the ocean. This park has picnic facilities and public restrooms. Surfing and swimming are popular activities. MORE DETAILS
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Disneyland is located in Anaheim and is the most recognized amuzement park in the world. Downtown Disney® and California Adventure® theme park are both on the same property with Disneyland. MORE DETAILS
California Adventure is attached to Disneyland but a separate park along with a separate ticket purchase. This park features a tour of California with a miniature Golden Gate Bridge and Soarin' over California, which takes you on an aerial, scenic tour of the state. MORE DETAILS
Knott's Berry Farm is located in Buena Park and offers a mix of a 1850's western experience and modern rollercoasters. The park resides on an old berry farm that was the true beginning of the theme park. MORE DETAILS
Knott's Soak City is located across the street from Knott's Berry Farm and is run by the theme park. Over 20 water rides are themed to 1950's surfing with names like Pipeline and Malibu Run. MORE DETAILS
Wild Rivers is located in Irvine. Over 40 water rides are themed to an African safari with names like Congo River Rapids and Naibobi Express. MORE DETAILS
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Ocean Institute is located in the northern-most portion of Dana Point Harbor. Exhibits are small and serves mostly as an educational center for school children in the area. A historical tallship is usually moored outside and tidepool exploration is a popular activity on a nearby beach. MORE DETAILS
Orange County Zoo is small with mainly local species such as mountain lions and black bears. The O.C.Zoo is located in the back of Irvine Park. MORE DETAILS
Santa Ana Zoo is located in Santa Ana near Disneyland. This is a small city zoo consisting of several small exhibits and a large petting zoo. MORE DETAILS
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Medieval Times is located in Buena Park within walking distance of Knott's Berry Farm. This is a dinner theatre with arena seating. Events include medieval jousting, falconry, sword fights and more. Visitors eat with their hands and are encouraged to be loud and supportive of their knight. MORE DETAILS
Irvine Spectrum is located in Irvine and features a mix of an outdoor shopping mall, movie theatres, restaurants and entertainment. Entertainment includes a comedy theatre, concert & dinner bar, video arcade for adults and more. MORE DETAILS
The Block at Orange is located in Orange and is similar to the Irvine Spectrum featuring a mix of an outdoor shopping mall, movie theatres, restaurants and entertainment. Entertainment includes a upscale bowling alley, skate park, video arcade for adults and more. MORE DETAILS
Orange County Performing Arts Center is located in Costa Mesa and hosts opera, broadway musicals, concerts and more. MORE DETAILS
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre is large concert amphitheater in Irvine, near the Irvine Spectrum. It was formerly known as Irvine Meadows and hosts bands performing rock, punk, raggae, rap and more. MORE DETAILS
The Galaxy is located in Santa Ana. This concert and dinner theatre hosts bands performing rock, punk, raggae, rap and more. Many local bands are included in the line-up. MORE DETAILS
Dinner Cruises aboard a luxury or historic yacht with Hornblower Cruises. Cruise in style while sipping champaigne, dining on sumptuous fare and dancing to hit songs. Cruises depart from Newport Harbor. MORE DETAILS
The Coach House is located in San Juan Capistrano. This concert and dinner theatre hosts bands performing rock, raggae, 80's retro and more. Many local bands are included in the line-up. MORE DETAILS
The Pond is located in Anaheim near Angel Stadium. This arena hosts Mighty Ducks hockey, ice skating events, championship boxing, concerts and more. MORE DETAILS
The Grove is located in Anaheim next to Angel Stadium. This large concert venue hosts bands performing rock, punk, soft rock, classical and more. MORE DETAILS
Downtown Disney is located outside the Disneyland & California Adventure parks and features outdoor shopping, concert bar, jazz club and more. This is a great place to get a Disney souvenir if you're not going into the theme parks. MORE DETAILS
Gondola Cruise through the canals of Newport Harbor as your gondolier sings Italian classics while you sip wine and fall deeper in love. MORE DETAILS
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Seal Beach is the northern-most beach in Orange County bordering Long Beach. Seal Beach has wide, sandy beaches and a quaint Main Street that leads to its pier. At the end of the pier is Ruby's Restaurant that offers great burgers & shakes with a great view. MORE DETAILS
Sunset Beach seems to be the smallest beach city in Orange County and is squeezed between Huntington Harbor and the Pacific Ocean. Kayaking through salt water marshes and in the canals surrounded by multi-million dollar homes and yachts is a popular activity. On the ocean side, one can find wide sandy beaches. MORE DETAILS
Huntington Beach is a large metropolitan city with several miles of wide, sandy beachfront. Main Street, with its plethora of shops, bars and restaurants, ends at the pier. Huntington is the official 'Surf City' and once a year hosts one of the largest surf competitions in the world. Two state beaches are found here - Bolsa Chica and Huntington State Beaches. Fire rings are available at Huntington State Beach and nighttime beach parties are common during the summer months. MORE DETAILS
Newport Beach is a mix of salt water estuary, rocky cliffs, harbor and wide sandy beaches. The northern portion of Newport is wide, white sand beaches where two piers can be found, the Newport and Balboa piers. The harbor and back bay estuary split Newport Beach down the center. The Balboa Peninsula is a hub for entertainment. Crystal Cove State Beach is found in the southern end and features a sandy beach, tidepools, rock outcroppings and an original beach community. MORE DETAILS
Laguna Beach is an artist community nestled in the hills of Laguna Canyon. Laguna consists of Main Beach and many large & small coves separated by rocky cliffs. Many of the smaller coves are private or have obscure entrances. MORE DETAILS
Dana Point has a large beach area and consists mainly of a harbor. Most of the beach is Doheny State Beach with camping, snack food stands, picnic areas, sand beach and rocky ocean bottom. The harbor offers fishing and sailing charters, restaurants, hotels, an aquarium and a historical tall ship. MORE DETAILS
San Clemente has a mix of narrow sand beaches squeezed by train tracks and cliffs, wide sandy beaches with a pier and hike-in beaches that are world renowned surf breaks. Shopping and entertainment is unusually limited at this pier. MORE DETAILS
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Irvine Spectrum is located in Irvine and features a mix of an outdoor shopping mall, movie theatres, restaurants and entertainment. Stores include Nordstroms, Oakley, Frederick's of Hollywood, Skechers and more. MORE DETAILS
Fashion Island is an elite shopping mall in the very upscale Newport Beach. With an outdoor setting, a plethora of italian-style fountains, ocean breezes and stores like Macy's and Neiman Marcus, Fashion Island is the 'creme da la creme' shopping experience. MORE DETAILS
South Coast Plaza is an elite shopping mall in Costa Mesa. Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Louis Vuitton are just a few of the high-end stores that position the South Coast Plaza a cut above the rest. MORE DETAILS
The Block at Orange is located in Orange and is similar to the Irvine Spectrum featuring a mix of an outdoor shopping mall, movie theatres, restaurants and entertainment. Shops includes Ann Taylor Factory Store, No Fear, Tilly's, Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet and many more. MORE DETAILS
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Miscellaneous Recommendations
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Angels baseball at Angels Stadium in Anaheim. Watch the 2002 World Series Champions play in their beautiful, tropical themed stadium. MORE DETAILS
Mighty Ducks hockey at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim. MORE DETAILS
Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace is located in Yorba Linda and offers a taste of Washington D.C. in Orange County. See the home that Nixon grew up in and learn the lesser known facts, such as his relationship with Elvis Presley. MORE DETAILS
Bowers Museum exibits focus on the art and artifacts of early Californians and pre-Columbian pieces from Mexico. MORE DETAILS
Discovery Science Center is a hands-on museum for children. Examples in science, geology, physics and much more are portrayed in over 100 exhibits. Children learn how an airplane flys, what it feels like to be in an 8.0 earthquake, what creates a tornado and much more. MORE DETAILS
Great Park Balloon is a helium-filled balloon that takes visitors 500 feet into the air for terrific panoramic views. A high-strength cable is always connected to the balloon making it a very safe activity. MORE DETAILS
Newport Beach is a VERY upscale community and a hub for entertainment and activities. Both the Newport and Balboa piers offer restaurants, bars and touristy shops. MORE DETAILS
Laguna Beach is an artist community nestled in the cliffside of Laguna Canyon and widens to a white sand beach with rock outcroppings. Laguna has classic California coastal scenery, great shopping and a bustling nightlife. MORE DETAILS
Irvine Park is nestled in its own canyon in the foothills of eastern Orange County and offers more than a day's worth of activities. Highlights include riding the 1/3 scale replica locomotive, water biking in the pond and pony rides. The park includes wide open fields for picnicking and softball games, and secluded picnic areas under oak trees. Bikes can be rented including water bikes. The Orange County Zoo is on the premises. MORE DETAILS
Mission San Juan Capistrano is Orange Counties only Spanish mission but arguably the most well known. Every year in the Spring, the swallows stop here during there migration. MORE DETAILS
Catalina Island is located approximately 20 miles off the coast of southern California and is accessible in a little over an hour from Dana Point, Newport Beach, Long Beach and San Pedro harbors by charter boat and Long Beach harbor offers helicopter charters also. Camping, hiking, snorkeling & scuba diving and sightseeing are popular activities on this island. MORE DETAILS
Rent a Boat and cruise Newport Harbor. Marina WaterSports rents kayaks, pontoon party boats, sailboats, motorboats and more. MORE DETAILS
Rent a Kayak at one of many locations along Orange County's coast from Sunset Beach in the north where you can cruise the calm waters of Huntington Harbor, to the Newport Back Bay in the south for wildlife viewing in the estuary. MORE DETAILS
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John Wayne - Orange County (SNA) airport offers convenient access to all of Orange County. MORE DETAILS
NOTE: This airport is consistently higher priced than any other in the region.
Other options to consider would be Ontario, Long Beach, or Los Angeles airports.
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Traffic & Transportation
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Rush hour traffic is a problem between the hours of 7am-9am and 4pm-6pm. The east to westbound freeways can be especially conjested going westbound in the mornings and eastbound in the evenings. Try to avoid the 22, 55, 57 and 91 freeways during these hours.
Toll Roads exist in the south county. They can be a great time saver during peak hours. Most toll roads have manned toll booths, but some exits are unmanned and require exact change. If you accidentally end up on a toll road, don't try to backup or turn around, but instead, pull over to the side to try and gather enough change for the next exit. Tolls range from 25¢ to $3. Fines are around $20. Toll roads include: 73, 261, 241 and 133 freeways.
Carpool lanes exist on most Orange County freeways. These lanes are the innermost lanes on the freeway and are marked by double lines and diamond patterns. They are also referred to as 'diamond lanes'. You must have at least two occupants in the vehicle to legally use these lanes.
Something to consider: Traffic in these lanes usually travels at 5-10 miles faster than the average flow and that includes going 10-20 miles over the speed limit. One can only enter and exit a carpool lane at designated points.
Public transportation is fair in Orange County.
Orange County has the OCTA (Orange County Transit Authority) bus system.
Metrolink trains link the Orange County with Ventura, L.A. and the Inland Empire.
The best mode of transportation for visitors is rental car. Many areas are accessible by Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train.
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Winter brings average lows in the 50's and highs in the upper 60's. Mostly rain and rare hail storms occur.
Spring brings average lows in the 60's and highs in the mid-70's. Rain showers can occur through May.
Summer brings average lows in the 70's and highs in the mid to upper 80's. Humidity can make those temperatures seem higher. Once or twice a year, Santa Ana winds blow in from the desert reducing humidity and increasing the heat to the high 90's+. Summer brush fires are a regular occurance. Marine layer is a common occurrence and blankets the region with clouds, but often burns off by midday.
Fall brings average lows in the low 60's and highs in the 70's. Mostly rain and rare hail storms occur.
Ocean water temperature ranges from the 50's in winter to the upper 60's in summer.
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Dec-Mar, 2010-11 - Whale Watching Expeditions from Dana Point Harbor. See California Grey Whales, sea lions, schools of dolphins sometimes numbering in the hundreds, and whatever else happens along while you're out. The whales are migrating from the Bering Sea to Baja California for their winter breeding. Multiple 2-hour trips daily aboard large 40-foot+ fishing boats that have restrooms, a galley and plenty of room. WEBSITE
Check out Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari for a more personal and less intrusive trip on a 35-foot Catamaran.
NOTE: Whalewatching is also offered from Newport Landing and Davey's Locker in the Newport Harbor.
Mar 6, 7 & 13, 14, 2010 - Festival of the Whales in Dana Point Harbor occurs every March. Festivities include a parade, tallship tours, sailing competitions, pancake breakfasts, art fair, live music and more. WEBSITE
Mar 19, 2010 - Return of the Swallows at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Every year around March 19th the swallows return to the mission for nesting. WEBSITE
Apr 24, 2010 - Seal Beach Car Show on Main Street in Seal Beach. Festivities include nearly 500 classic cars, live entertainment, food & product vendors and more. WEBSITE
May 22-23, 2010 - Doheny Blues Festival at Doheny State Beach in the Dana Point Harbor. This event draws top blues artists from around the world and legends like B.B. King and Etta James. Great food, arts and crafts from local vendors and deep blues make this a popular event. WEBSITE
Jul 7-Aug 31, 2010 - Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. Artists recreate famous works of art using actual people as a canvas. This is a MUST SEE if you are an art connoisseur. Order tickets early because every show sells out months in advance. WEBSITE
Aug 2-8, 2010 - U.S. Open of Surfing in Surf City, Huntington Beach. This is always a hugh party with events in surfing, bodyboarding, volleyball, skateboarding, freestyle motocross and more. Grandstands and the Huntington Beach Pier are available to spectators. Arts and crafts are available from local artists. WEBSITE
Sep 3-6, 2010 - Orange International Street Fair in Old Towne Orange. Walk the historic streets of Old Towne Orange where multiple restaurants, pubs and boutiques have booths erected for you to sample their products. Live music and entertainment greets the waves of visitors that attend this event. WEBSITE
Sep 10-12, 2010 - Tallships Festival in Dana Point Harbor. Walk aboard historic tallships and enjoy live music, pirate events and an art fair. Watch as tallships sail out into the harbor and conduct mock cannon battles. Tour the Ocean Institute marine aquarium. WEBSITE
Oct 1-31, 2010 - Knott's Scary Farm opens on weekends for the Halloween month. Every year Knott's Berry Farm theme park transforms its entire park into a giant haunted house at Halloween. What better place to do this than a theme park thats origins root from an actual ghost town. Park employees and volunteers are fixed up by special effects artists to resemble zombies. They then hide in strategic locations and jump out at the perfect heart-stopping moment, or just roam following and tormenting visitors. A public hanging takes place every night at midnight.WEBSITE
Dec 15-19, 2010 - Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is an exciting way to get into the Christmas spirit with holiday decorated boats and floats. See Santa in a speed boat and many more elaborately decorated water craft as thousands of spectators cheer and celebrate. Boats traverse through Newport Harbor amidst multi-million dollar homes and yachts. Event is free but parking is tight.WEBSITE
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