Things to see and do in Orange County

Ostrich racing (in pirate garb) at the Orange County Fair, 1951.

Someone writing a guidebook contacted the Orange County Historical Society about things to see and do in Orange County. The Society forwarded the email to Phil Brigandi and I. The author had undoubtedly already covered the obvious stuff, and Phil's reply highlighted some historical sites that offer tours and also some great hiking routes/trails. I sent the author a list of some additional ideas, which I'm sharing with you too -- just in case you were running out of things to see and do...

Here’s a thoroughly incomplete list of random good stuff off the top of my head,… In no particular order:

1) The Crystal Cathedral/Christ Cathedral campus in Garden Grove: It’s not just a religious site, but also a “historical petting zoo” of modern architecture, with buildings designed by Philip Johnson, Richard Neutra, Dion Neutra and Richard Meier. Richard Neutra’s drive-in church (now called the Arboretum) is a particularly wonderful landmark of the mid-century California car culture. And don’t miss the beautiful little chapel in Dion Neutra’s Tower of Hope.

2) Little Saigon in Westminster and Garden Grove (centered on Bolsa Ave between Magnolia Ave. and Bushard St.): Make a day of it and explore. Along the way, be sure to visit the Asian Garden Mall, a couple of Buddhist temples, the Hoa Binh Garden Grove Supermarket (with huge fish swimming around in tanks next to the fish counter), and the large bas relief mural and statues in the parking lot of the 99 Ranch Market. Moran Street, north of Bolsa Ave is also worth a detour – while visually unexciting, it’s the international hub for free Vietnamese media.

3) A drive through Live Oak Canyon offers a glimpse of the beauty of the Santa Ana Mountains without having to off-road or hike.

4) The Lovell Beach House, in Newport Beach: Although this is a private residence (please don’t disturb the owners), it’s an important stop for anyone who cares about architecture or history. This 1926 masterpiece by Rudolph Schindler is the spot where European modernism came to the United States. Its impact on our current built environment is tremendous.

5) A drive through Laguna Canyon, from Irvine down to the beach, is another place where one can still glimpse the beauty that brought so many people to California in the first place. Be sure to stop and see the sea lions and other critters at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

6) Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, offers one of the most beautiful views of the Orange County coast.

7) El Farolito Restaurant, Placentia. Yes, there are some satellite locations, but go to the original in Placentia. This family owned and operated  Mexican restaurant – in a repurposed old house – is probably the best in Orange County.

8) Indoor Swapmeets – Enter a world you may have been unaware of at the Brookhurst Indoor Swap Meet or the Stanton Indoor Swap Meet.

9) Drive down the Balboa Peninsula and then take the Balboa Island Ferry across the harbor to Balboa Island where you can stop at one of the two ice cream stands on Marine Ave. for a Balboa Bar rolled in chocolate and peanuts. (Frozen bananas are for out-of-towners who watched Arrested Development.)

10) For lovers of all things botanical, there are two great locations in Corona del Mar: Roger’s Gardens and the Sherman Gardens & Library. Very different places, but both pretty amazing. Roger’s displays for Halloween and Christmas are particularly wonderful.

11) Disneyland: I’m sure this is already on your list, but I’m looking at this from another angle. This was the only Disney park Walt had a direct hand in. It was the first Disney park and it changed theme parks utterly and forever. The Pirates of the Carribean, if you’ve never seen it, is worth the price of admission alone. Even outside the park, there’s some wonderful things to see, including the beautiful lobby of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and the Disney-fied Tiki bar known as Trader Sam’s at the Disneyland Hotel.

12) Anaheim Halloween Parade: A tradition since the 1920s. Always held on the evening of the Saturday before Halloween. Earlier in the day there’s a Fall Festival held downtown.

13) Festival of the Arts/Pageant of the Masters/Sawdust Festival/Art-A-Fair in Laguna Beach

14) The Crab Cooker restaurant – Locations in Tustin and Newport. (Newport location temporarily closed for reconstruction after idiot developers destroyed the old historic bank building they’d been in since the 1950s.) The Crab Cooker is an institution. Simply but perfectly cooked fresh fish with cheese potatoes and coleslaw – all served on paper plates. Oh, and then there’s their wonderful red clam chowder – served in paper bowls.

15) Mission San Juan Capistrano is obvious, yes. But less obvious is the Los Rios District, across the railroad tracks from the Mission. It’s the oldest continually occupied neighborhood in California and his home to some great historic homes and the San Juan Capistrano Historical Society.

16) A day antiquing and dining in Old Towne Orange.

17) Visit the inside of one of the Lighter-Than-Air (blimp) hangars at what used to be the Tustin Naval Air Station (later MCAS Tustin). They are the largest free-standing buildings in the world and to walk inside one is to have your mind and sense of scale blown all to hell. Your brain simply refuses to believe what it’s seeing. Getting in will require finding one of the rare public events, meetings or tours held there.

18) The Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. No matter your politics, this place is fascinating.

19) I agree with Phil Brigandi that getting to the top of Old Saddleback is a perfect “Orange County bucket list” objective. But I’ll point out that if you’ve got a good off-roading vehicle, and if the roads are open, you can DRIVE to the top. I certainly don’t recommend driving to the top in a Lexus, but I’ve proven that it CAN be done.

20) Visit the Blas-Aguilar Adobe museum in San Juan Capistrano for a tour and a bit of perspective on the Acjachemen people who already lived here when the Franciscan missionaries arrived. Check for open hours.