Page 87 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to California

KONSTANTIN YOLSHIN/SHUTTERSTOCK; THE IMAGE PARTY/SHUTTERSTOCK; GLENN HIGHCOVE/SHUTTERSTOCK. OPPOSITE: JON BILOUS/SHUTTERSTOCK
LAGUNA BEACH OCEAN
VIEW, opposite; Knott's
Berry Farm Stagecoach,
below; Legendary
Disney castle of Sleeping
Beauty in Disneyland,
right; The Pacific City
food hall known as Lot
579, right bottom.
Fashion Island in Newport Beach, vie
with dozens of local shopping districts.
Sports fans cheer the Los Angeles
Angels at the Angel Stadium of
Anaheim and the Anaheim Ducks
hockey team at Honda Center, which
doubles as a big-name concert venue.
Fifty courses and a temperate climate
await golfers, while hotel and day spas
stand ready to soothe aches and tone
muscles.
City & Town
By population, Anaheim is the largest of
Orange County’s 34 cities. None has a
typical downtown, though Huntington
SPECIAL EVENTS 2024
DANA POINT FESTIVAL OF WHALES March 1-3, Dana Point festivalofwhales.org
SWALLOWS’ DAY PARADE AND MERCADO STREET FAIR
March 23, San Juan Capistrano swallowsparade.com
HUNTINGTON BEACH 4TH OF JULY June 28-July 4, Huntington Beach hb4thofjuly.org
SAWDUST ART & CRAFT FESTIVAL June 28-Sept.1, Laguna Beach sawdustartfestival.org
PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS July 6-August 30, Laguna Beach foapom.com
OCEAN INSTITUTE MARITIME FESTIVAL Sept. 8-10, Dana Point Harbor
ocean-institute.org/events/maritime-festival
NEWPORT BEACH CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE
Dec. 18-22, Newport Beach christmasboatparade.com
MUST
SEE,
DO
• DISNEYLAND RESORT It's true the big
centennial party of Disneyland has concluded but the
thrills and magic of the “Happiest Place on Earth”
continues. Enjoy nighttime shows like Wondrous
Journeys and a water show at Disney California
Adventure, World of Color – One, to celebrate the
legendary storytelling legacy. Star Wars: Galaxy’s
Edge is the Magic Kingdom’s top draw—who could
pass up a smuggling operation on the Millennium
Falcon or battling the First Order with the
Resistance? Pixar, Marvel Comics (see the new
Avengers Campus at California Adventure) and
Twentieth Century Fox acquisitions may overshadow
classic Disney characters, but princesses, witches and
cute animals galore still enchant youngsters.
• disneyland.disney.go.com
• GREAT PARK Marked by the huge orange balloon
ride (seats 25 to 30) floating 400 feet overhead, the
continually evolving 1,300-acre park is a family favorite
offering open space, educational play areas, art
galleries and studios, a playground and picnic area, 1.5
miles of walking/biking trails, an outdoor performance
plaza and a weekly farmers’ market. In addition, there
is a 194-acre Sports Complex with a championship
soccer stadium, 25 tennis courts and amenities for a
wide variety of sports, including a public ice and
training facility with one Olympic and three NHL
regulation-sized rinks and a gym.
• ocgp.org
• LOT 579, HUNTINGTON BEACH Just south of
“Surf City’s” downtown, steps from Huntington Beach
Pier and the city’s famous sands, the sidewalk cafés
and markets of this modern waterfront food hall offer
8 unique restaurants and eateries. Lot 579 is an anchor
of Pacific City, a shopping, dining and entertainment
complex. The communal space upstairs offers plenty
of seating and a killer ocean view.
• gopacificcity.com/lot579
• LAGUNA BEACH’S PAGEANT OF THE
MASTERS Art literally comes to life in the unique
Pageant of the Masters, in which living actors take
up positions against painted backdrops to recreate
world masterpieces in eerie 3-D fidelity. It’s the pièce
de résistance among the festivals, workshops,
galleries and proliferation of public art in the
picturesque beach town that began life in the early
1900s as a small artists’ colony.
• visitlagunabeach.com
• foapom.com
• KNOTT’S BERRY FARM What started as a small
berry farm grew into a family theme-park destination.
With attractions for all ages, the Park has four themed
areas. The Old West Ghost Town is the heart and soul
with cowboys, shootouts, shows and rides for all. Camp
Snoopy is for young ones and features the “Peanuts”
gang. Fiesta Village pays tribute to California’s Hispanic
roots with Mexican-style architecture, food, and eye-
catching works of art. Knott’s Boardwalk pays tribute
to the SoCal beach lifestyle and is home to California’s
first dive coaster, HangTime.
• www.knotts.com
2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 85