California, the golden state, home to a diverse group of people with many different interests and hobbies. Orange County has been my home for my entire life. I grew up in the heart of Orange County and lived around Anaheim for almost 3 decades. Over the years, I have seen many changes occur, new buildings appear, old ones demolished, and tons of new businesses and events spring up. Orange County is a wonderful place to live, and the number of things to do in and around the area is endless.
Anywhere you’re headed from Orange County can be accessed within a 1-2 hour drive. During the summer, the beaches are the fashionable place (pun intended). People flock to our beaches along the west coast each summer and there is a wide variety to choose from. The beaches around Newport and Laguna are extremely nice, clean and not that crowded and there are plenty of places to rent water sports. If you’re looking to catch some waves, Huntington, Seal, and Bolsa Chica State Beach have some pretty nice waves, though the water is often cooler than elsewhere. Huntington Beach also has a dog-friendly beach, perfect for pet owners looking to cool off and have fun with their dogs. Long Beach is not a preferred beach for playing in the water as the ports are located here and the water is not very sanitary (personal opinion)
For those of you looking for some nightlife, Orange County is filled with plenty of things to do in all of the surrounding cities. The downtown areas are always packed with people interested in having a few drinks, going to the clubs… or both. Downtown Fullerton is frequented by college students and young adults alike. There are several different bars to visit with very competitive prices, happy hours and many different types of music. There are also a number of nearby breweries for those who aren’t as interested in partying as they are in catching up with some old friends. Just like downtown Fullerton, the same goes for downtown Anaheim, downtown Santa Ana, downtown Orange, and even the new and revamped downtown Buena Park.
There are quite a few places to eat and many different styles to choose from. Depending on what you’re wanting, I’ll say from personal experience that different cities cater to different ethnicities more than others. For example, and by personal preference, if you’re looking for great noodle dishes, Westminster, Irvine, and Tustin are quite popular for their Asian dishes. Ramen, Pho, Korean BBQ and the like I think are best done in these cities. Some of my favorite places by type/city/service would be: AYCE Korean BBQ – Star BBQ (Westminster), Cham Sut Gol (Westminster) and Mr. BBQ (Fullerton). Pho – iPho (Anaheim), Pho Thang Long (Westminster) — and most places in Westminster. American: Fuddruckers (Buena Park), Buffalo Wild Wings (Buena Park/Orange), The Cheesecake Factory (Anaheim), Islands Bar & Grill (Cypress/Fullerton) or Lazy Dogs Cafe (Brea). Beyond eating something delicious, there are plenty of things to be entertained scattered throughout Orange County.
Starting with our amusement parks: We are instrumental not only to Disneyland, but also to Knott’s Berry Farm and, during the summer, to Knott’s Soak City. In addition to amusement parks, we have a large number of movie theaters nearby ranging from basic screens to 4D involving special effects, lighting, and environmental interaction. Escape rooms are group/team interactive mind games that have been gaining popularity in Orange County. Some of my favorite companies are Crossroads, Puzzlebox, and Square Room Escape. Again, from personal experience, these are all pretty immersive and are much more seamless in terms of how well the tracks connect to one another. For more sporty pursuits, there are a couple of places in Anaheim and Santa Ana for indoor climbing like Rock City, Rockreation, and the Factory.
If you are looking to go shopping there are countless places in all the surrounding cities. The Outlets of Orange (formerly known as The Block), as well as Anaheim Plaza, are two large malls with several different genres. Both are mostly outdoors and if you’re looking for some indoor malls, Westminster, Brea, and even Cerritos have huge malls packed with different stores. With all the shopping, dining, and riding, what about places to stay?
There are a number of private hotels, motels, boutiques and airbnbs to choose from. Just about anywhere you stay there are tons of the things mentioned above to do and see within minutes. Many of these places offer competitive prices, great amenities, discounts, and advice on how to spend your time here.
As you can see, the limits are endless in Orange County. You can do just about anything your heart desires, from hiking, sightseeing, entertainment, dining, nightlife, and more. As we move into the future, we will only see more and more development appear. With the list of activities and the population growing, there will only be more and more things to do. Orange County is truly an amazing place and many travelers who end up here have told me how satisfying their trips were.