Uniquely Orange County
1. House of Mickey
Visit The Happiest Place on Earth, and make all of your dreams come true. Meeting the Disney characters and getting their autographs is one of the most anticipated activities at Disneyland! Celebrate the worlds of yesterday, fantasy and tomorrow with timeless attractions, dazzling entertainment and magical moments that last a lifetime.
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2. California Adventure Park
Enter California Adventure and discover the Disney stories and characters you love in ways you've never imagined! Supercharge your Disney experience in this engaging park where new adventures with familiar faces are constantly unfolding before you.
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3. Knott's Berry Farm
Knotts Berry Farm, once an actual berry farm, is now 160-acres of world-class rides, live shows and attractions in six themed areas. Experience GhostRider, the worlds favorite wooden roller coaster and dont miss Supreme Scream-30 stories high and 3 seconds down. Children will love spending the day at Camp Snoopy and riding the carousel.
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4. Balboa Island
Located on Newport Harbor, Balboa Island, known as The Host of the Coast, is a great place to spend the day shopping, dining and having fun in the sun. While on the island, be sure to treat yourself to a Balboa Bar, made of vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate while you enjoy the Pacific views.
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5. Mission San Juan Capistrano
The birthplace of Orange County, Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded more than 200 years ago as the seventh of the 21 missions in California. Today, the Mission is a monument to Californias multi-cultural history. Discover many areas of interest throughout 10 acres of lush gardens and cool fountains, surrounded by adobe walls.
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6. Crystal Cove Historical District
Crystal Cove State Park, located between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, has 3.2 miles of beach and 2,400 acres of undeveloped woodland, ideal for hiking and horseback riding. Crystal Cove is home to mountain bikers, inland and scuba divers, underwater. Explore the tidepools and sandy coves and watch the brilliant colors of a Southern California sunset.
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7. Santa Ana Zoo
The Santa Ana Zoo opened in 1952 on land donated by Joseph Prentice. The zoo displays 90 species, 249 individuals and 35 exhibits. With at least 50 monkeys, a rain forest, endangered species, an aviary, an electrical train and childrens zoothere is plenty to see and do at the zoo.
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8. Orange County Center for Contemporary Art
The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) is an artist operated California non-profit corporation dedicated to the pursuit of professional excellence and freedom of expression in the arts. Located in the heart of Santa Ana's Artist Village, OCCCA presents a variety of free programs: Films, Forums, Eclectic Company concerts and First Saturday artist receptions.
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9. Richard Nixon Library
The Richard Nixon Library opened its doors in 1990 and is dedicated to educating the public about the life and items of the 37 Presidents and encourages interest in history, government and public affairs. Tour history through the 9 acre Library and Birthplace that includes a museum, 22 high-tech galleries, movie and interactive video theaters, the First Ladys Garden, the Presidents birthplace and the flower ringed memorial sites of President and Mrs. Nixon.
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Water World
10. Knott's Soak City
A 1950s California beach-themed water park, adjacent to Knotts Berry farm, Knotts Soak City has 21 water adventures including 17 slides, a wave pool, and lazy river. Whether you are a family visiting the park, a family with small children, a thrill seeker or you enjoy ghost towns, you can make the most of your day at Knotts Soak City. No matter what your interests are and how long you stay, there are plenty of activities to fill your day.
11. Wetlands and Tidepools
The Dana Point Marine Life Refuge contains some of the best rocky intertidal habitat in Southern California. At low tide, sea anemones, star fish, octopus and a variety of shell fish can be observed; Dolphins can often be seen just off shore feeding on the abundant marine life. A walk along the rocky beach reveals sea caves, ancient earthquake faults and the unique geology of the Dana Point Headlands.
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12. Visit The International Surf Museum
Huntington Beach, California was rated by Surfer's Almanac as the "most heavily surfed beach on the West Coast," so it should come as no surprise to find an International Surfing Museum in town. Huntington Beach is one of the most popular surfing spots in California and now is home to the US Open Surfing Championships. Vintage surfboards, classic surf music, films, and related memorabilia are all on display.
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13. Piers of Orange County
Orange County is home to five major piers. From north to south, the piers include; Seal Beach Pier, Huntington Beach Pier, Newport Pier and Balboa Pier in Newport beach and San Clemente Pier. Enjoy the outdoors, ocean and views with a cool breeze through your hair as you take a romantic walk or enjoy the scenery with your family. Stay a while and you may see a school of dolphins or whales migrating.
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14. Ocean County Marine Institute
The Ocean Institute has become nationally known for its hands-on marine science, environmental education and maritime history programs. More than 110,000 K-12 students and 6,000 teachers annually participate in the Institute's 61 award-winning, immersion style programs.
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15. Pacific Marine Mammal Center
Pacific Marine Mammal Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine mammals stranded along the Orange County coastline and to increase public awareness of the marine environment through education and research.
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16. Take The Ferry
For over 90 years, the Balboa Island Ferry has provided service between Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula. You may drive or walk aboard. Transporting passengers, automobiles, bicycles and mopeds-take everything you need on the five-minute ride to Balboa Island, in the middle of Newport Bay.
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17. Let's Go Surfing Now
Southern California offers some of the best surfing in the U.S. and trying it out at least once is a must. It's as simple as finding someone who is willing to teach you some preliminary techniques and show you the tips and tricks of surfing.
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18. Set Sail
Sail with confidence on world famous Monterey Bay. Monterey hosts the most bio-dense and bio-diverse ecosystem on the U.S. Pacific coast. Whether you are a complete novice trying sailing for the first time, or an experienced ocean veteran ready to take your seamanship to a higher level, you'll have a fun and adventurous time in the majestic ocean waters.
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19. Gone Fishing
Orange County offers high quality fishing experiences with trained fisherman and fertile Southern California waters making it enjoyable for all fisherman! Dana Wharf Sportfishing, Davey's Locker Sportfishing and Newport Landing Sportfishing have long fishing histories in the OC.
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20. Adventure On Open Water
Dana Point Harbor offers a wide variety of venues for many activities. The harbor is the homeport for over 2200 boats, offering dry storage and in the water berthing. There is a 15 lane boat launch ramp and a non-motorized craft beach launch. The Embarcadero Marina operates the public launch ramps for Dana Point Harbor. They have 15 lanes to launch boats and Jet Skis.
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