Page 126 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

ORANGE COUNTY
Laid-back surf vibe meets high-fashion style
B Y M A R I B E T H M E L L I N
TOP CITIES
Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton,
Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine,
Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Orange,
San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, San Clemente
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY
John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA),
located at the juncture of Costa Mesa,
Santa Ana and Newport Beach near I-405
TOURISM WEBSITES
visittheoc.com
anaheimoc.org
travelcostamesa.com
destinationirvine.com/visit
visitlagunabeach.com
surfcityusa.com
visitnewportbeach.com
visitbuenapark.com
sanjuancapistrano.org
POPULATION
3,010,000
ORANGE
COUNTY
Celebrities and surfers congregate in Orange County’s beach cities
along a coastline reminiscent of the French Riviera. Several of
Southern California’s most famous beaches with historic mis-
sions, art colonies, scenic marinas and legendary surf breaks dot the OC’s
42-mile-long coastline. From the jam-packed freeways, the county looks
like a vast expanse of matching terracotta-tiled rooftops, mirrored office
buildings and enormous malls. Behind the facade, the county is compact,
yet amazingly diverse. Sure, it’s got Anaheim’s Disneyland, but that’s just
a blip on the OC map.
Beyond the beaches, shopping options are legendary, with Irvine Spec-
trum, South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island serving as magnets for tourists
as well as locals. Master-planned communities sprawl through the inland
areas where thousands of acres of citrus groves once filled the air with the
scent of orange blossoms, and rugged canyons sheltered coyotes and
hawks. Irvine, one of the largest communities, contains a University of
California campus, the Orange County Great Park and several master-
planned “villages” housing nearly 150,000 residents. Similar developments
large and small, including some of the country’s priciest enclaves, are sur-
rounded by more established neighborhoods and cities.
The OC contains distinctive communities and neighborhoods all
hosting festivals, farmers markets and annual events. The county is also
filled with cultural attractions and performing arts venues, such as the
Orange County Performing Arts Center and the South Coast Repertory.
124 2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
SAHANI PHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: ORANGE COUNTY CVB; CHRISTIAN DE ARAUJO/SHUTTERSTOCK