Orange Country, California is more than its world renowned Disneyland Resort theme park and has long surpassed it original function as bedroom community of Los Angeles. With its own airport, burgeoning high-tech industries, shopping centers, entertainment venues and wilderness areas, the county provides urban and natural activities for its over three million residents and millions of visitors.
Visiting Museums
Go to Santa Ana's museum row on Main Street. If you're an adult, start with the Bower's Museum, which has permanent exhibits on local history and hosts temporary wonders ranging from Chinese art to African design. If you have any kids, walk a block or two south to the Kidseum, where they can play tribal instruments or make an Asian dragon. For fun that all members of the family can enjoy, proceed a mile north to the Discovery Science Center, so mom and dad can attend demonstrations on earthquakes, while the kids explore a giant nose.
Trail Trekking
For adventures that can last an hour or a week, bike, run, ride a horse through or bike any part of the paved 120 miles of the Santa Ana River trail which starts near the coast at Huntington Beach and continues northwest through Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The river is dry most of the year, though after a rain wild plants, birds and other creatures find a home in the temporary water.
Shopping
The quintissential Southern California shopping experience triumphs through the shopping mall, with no better example than South Coast Plaza, which boasts 280 boutiques, 30 restaurants and four performing arts spaces, connected by two sky bridges. You'll find high-end jewelers, trendy name-brand dress shops and middle-of-the-road department stores. The stores are housed in two old-fashioned, monolithic buildings, though the surrounding shopping centers feature more modern outdoor malls.
Culture
For an evening of culture and avant-garde performances, catch any of the shows at the Fullerton Theater District. At least five theaters, many under 99-seats, offer plays, musicals, readings and poetry. And most tickets cost no more than a movie. Parking is free in the city lots, and a host of restaurants and bars provide pre- and post-play refreshment.
Beach-going
Beaches define Orange County recreation, though each has its own character and all typically charge for parking. Laguna Beach is nestled among coves and cliffs, with rocks, tide pools and small patches of sand, watched over by art galleries and gardens. Huntington Beach boasts long, wide expanses of sand, a concrete boardwalk and gnarly waves full of surfers. You can find out the history of hanging ten at the International Surfing Museum.
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