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Orange County is the state's
favorite family destination, due to its many theme parks, amusements,
historic and cultural facilities, mild climate, and great beaches. The
county is anchored by Anaheim and Buena Park, Southern California's
themepark heaven.
Legend has it that Walt Disney
looked all over Southern California before deciding on 75 acres of orange
trees in the quiet farming community of Anaheim for the site of his first
amusement park. Soon, Orange County became as familiar to the world as
Hollywood and Beverly Hills, and as big a lure. The boom that followed
brought luxury resorts, professional sports teams, and unparalleled
shopping opportunities.
Residents and visitors are also
drawn to the county's 42 miles of beaches and vast tracts of green space
and public parks, as well as the slower-paced communities: Old Town
Orange, downtown Seal Beach, and the rural enclaves in the foothills of
the Santa Ana Mountains. They reflect life in Orange County B.D., Before
Disneyland.
Anaheim
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Perhaps the West's epicenter of family entertainment, Anaheim is adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm and Movieland Wax Museum and is home of the granddaddy of all theme parks, Disneyland. Once a planned agricultural community of German immigrants, the city is now the model of Southern California suburban sprawl.
Buena Park
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A Santa Fe Railroad site since the 1920s (and thus one of Orange County's industrial transportation hubs), Buena Park's biggest attraction is Knott's Berry Farm, the oldest theme park in the nation.
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Dana Point |
| In the 1830s Dana Point was immortalized by Richard Henry Dana in Two Years Before the Mast, which chronicled everyday life and labor along the desolate seaside cliffs. Nowadays the city is a modern complex of shops, restaurants, hotels, and a man-made marina.
Fullerton |
| Situated in the inland reaches of Orange County, this manufacturing city founded in 1887 is home to Fullerton College and California State University at Fullerton.
Huntington Beach |
| Once a sleepy seaside town populated by laid-back surfers, Huntington Beach has come of age and grown into one of the largest cities in Orange County. But the beach culture still holds sway, particularly in September for the annual surfing competition.
Irvine |
| The Irvine Ranch, a former Spanish land grant, has become the site of the quintessential Orange County planned community--open space, residential areas, shopping, and some commerce. The fast-growing city is the seat of the University of California, Irvine.
Laguna Beach |
| Laguna Beach has been renowned as an artists' colony through the decades, and art can be found everywhere: in galleries, restaurants, street corners, front porches, even car dashboards. The highlight of the annual homage to the arts that takes place from July through August is the wholly unique Pageant of the Masters, in which live models and elaborate backgrounds are used to re-create famous paintings.
Newport Beach |
| The winding bay and long peninsula make Newport Beach the quintessential Orange County beach town. Upscale and suburban in feel, the summer crowds turn the place into a center for sporty, sun-splashed fun.
Orange |
| A range was founded in the late 1860s as a planned community, and part of that plan can still be seen around the circular central plaza at Chapman Ave and Glassel St.
San Clemente |
| Quiet, unassuming, but very picturesque, San Clemente is perched on the southern edge of Orange County and boasts clean, undeveloped, and crowd-free beaches. Former President Richard Nixon maintained a summer residence here.
San Juan Capistrano |
| The fabled meeting spot for migrating swallows each March (although in decreasing numbers), San Juan Capistrano is also the site of perhaps the most famous Southern California mission. The seventh of the Spanish chain of missions, the chapel built by Father Junipero Serra in 1776 still stands.
Santa Ana |
| Santa Ana
is the seat of Orange County, in a rich agricultural area. fast-growing Santa Ana is a center for light manufacturing in the large Anaheim-Santa Ana-Garden Grove metropolitan area.
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