Page 88 - 2024/2025 Travel Guide to CALIFORNIA

Beach offers a vibrant seaside city center. History buffs gravitate to San Juan Capistrano’s beautifully pre- served 18th-century mission, Yorba Linda’s Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum and the restored Victorian homes and historic city centers in Santa Ana and Orange.
The Great Outdoors
The coastline with its world-famous surf spots (Huntington Beach, the
HUNTINGTON BEACH VOLLEYBALL, below.
Wedge at Newport Beach, Trestles in San Clemente), yacht harbors (New- port Beach, Dana Point) and protected areas (Crystal Cove State Park’s underwater reserve, the wet- lands of California’s first state beach, Doheny) are just the beginning of Orange County’s natural wonders. Inland canyons and parks teem with wildlife and hiking and biking trails, such as Irvine’s 300-acre San Joaquin Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary.
INSIDER’S TIP
As Orange County’s seat, second-most populous city and home to JOHN WAYNE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Santa Ana projects an image more businesslike than fun. However, residents treasure their artsy downtown with its funky galleries, theaters, folk-art shops and inexpensive sidewalk cafés. Start a journey into Santa Ana’s bohemian side at the 10-block ARTISTS VILLAGE, anchored by Cal State Fullerton’s GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER with its theater, dance studios, edgy galleries and artists’ live-work spaces. Just outside, go gallery-hopping around the SECOND STREET PROMENADE, which serves as the village’s leafy, fountain-studded central courtyard.
For a broader sense of the downtown arts scene, the first Saturday of the month brings ARTWALK, when local galleries open their doors at 6 p.m. Trees twinkling with lights, street vendors and corner musicians, and live arts performances provide a festive atmosphere for glimpses into art studios and design workshops. grandcentralartcenter.com dtsaartwalk.org
Family Fun
Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm are a given, but don’t overlook Sky Zone Tram- poline Park in Anaheim and Pretend City Children’s Museum in Irvine, where kids go to “work,” collect their pay from ATMs and buy groceries. Santa Ana’s Discovery Cube Orange County offers hands-on science activities, and Dana Point’s Ocean Institute runs marine science and history expeditions on a tall ship or a research vessel.
DRIVE TOUR
The most scenic drive, best attempted on weekdays between rush hours, follows Highway 1 along the coastline from SAN CLEMENTE to LONG BEACH. Stop in the popular towns of LAGUNA BEACH, NEWPORT BEACH or HUNTINGTON BEACH—or all three—for a taste of the casual, diverse Southern California beach scene.
86 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
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