'The OC' – busy, bustling, sophisticated and fun
Sleek, wealthy Orange County offers more entertainment, things to do and tourist-trap variety than almost anywhere else in California, a place designed for fun. There's Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Irvine Spectrum Center, Orange County Fair, Crystal Cove State Park, Bowers Museum, Downtown Disney, Orange County Great Park, Huntington Beach, Knotts Soak City, the zoo, Balboa Fun Zone and Island ferry, Discovery Cube... and that's just for a start.
Orange County boasts a full 42 miles of absolutely beautiful beaches.
Lovely Fullerton Arboretum rubs shoulders with the International Surfing Museum, Pacific Amphitheatre, Crescent Bay Point Park, Adventure City and Crystal Cathedral... the list goes on and on. If you're struggling to decide where to go first, here are three cool suggestions, all typical Orange County, all legends in their own lifetime.
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Anaheim
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Huntington Beach
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Laguna Beach
Get to grips with all three, top up with a choice of brilliant hotspots, sights, sounds and experiences and you're set for a fully immersive Orange County experience, a trip to remember.
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City Streets to Southern Beaches
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Ten amusement parks. thirty two museums. Countless natural wonders. Boat tours and water sports. Theatre and live music, art and culture. Orange has it everything, all set like jewels against gorgeous blue skies.
How on earth do you choose what to see and what to leave? Here are three unmissable treats that come highly recommended.
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Captain Dave's Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari
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Huntington Beach Pier
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Medieval Times Buena Park
OC has at least twenty theatres, twenty two beaches, eighteen golf courses, plenty of hiking trails, boat hire and more amusement parks than you can shake a stick at. You'll be in holiday heaven.
Orange County is home to a Buffalo Ranch in Newport Beach and an Alligator Farm in Buena Park.
We can't talk about Orange County without mentioning theme parks. And there's much more than just a few flavours of Disney on offer. Adventure City is the ideal sized theme park for little kids, as is Boomers, in Fountain Valley and Irvine. Knott's Soak City is, of course, a massive water park and enormous fun. And the giant Ferris wheel at the Irvine Spectrum Center is worth a visit on its own, absolutely HUGE with spectacular views. The wonderful Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa is the perfect place to take in a show, home to intimate and large-scale productions, all with lots of legroom, easily accessible seating and exceptional acoustics.
Head for Surf City Comedy Club and enjoy a hilarity-filled night out, great value for money and loved by the locals. Visit the House of Blues in Anaheim for a lively OC buzz. Or test drive a sci-fi-style jet pack for the most unusual ride of your life. Take a leisurely stroll in beautiful Heisler Park or on Crystal Cove State Park, both on lovely Laguna beach. Hike the glorious San Clemente Coastal Trail. And explore scenic Castaways Park and the Bluff Top Trail, on foot or by bicycle. OC will give you a warm welcome.