The Ocean Institute is located in beautiful Dana Point Harbor and offers ocean science and maritime history programs perfect for kids and adults alike. See hundreds of marine animals in aquariums, watch animal feedings, experience ocean-themed exhibits, and have fun with hands-on activities. For an extra charge, take a tall ship or a whale watching cruise. The Dana Point Marine Protected Area is steps away from the Institute.
With a self-explanatory name, Pretend City Children's Museum is as it implies, a small "pretend" version of a city! Set up like a regular city over an expansive 28,000 square feet (2,600 square meters), this museum showcases displays like the Library, the City Hall, and The Farm. While traversing across this fascinating museum, children can interact with the displays and learn through play. Watch as your two-year-old has fun in the Orange Plaza while your eight-year-old pretends to be a firefighter at the Fire Station. Your children won't want to leave!
If you are driving south along the coast for the day from L.A., this gallery is ideally situated near the popular Fashion Island shopping center, not even a mile from the Pacific Coast Highway. The subject of much controversy among Orange County's art crowd over the past few years, the museum expanded to almost double its original size when the Newport Harbor Art Museum (same location) and the Laguna Art Museum consolidated to form this larger complex, scandalizing the art-loving Laguna Beach community. The permanent collection focuses on late 20th-century and California art, but the museum enjoys exhibitions that have included works from artists such as Rico Lebrun and Pablo Picasso. The Plein Air Café serves lunch, and a meal will earn you free admission to the museum.
If the air inside one of the area's many malls seems too stuffy for you, head to Newport Pier for a day of shopping and dining right on the water. Whether you are in search of a quick buy for a day out on the beach or looking for souvenirs to bring back home, you can find it among the many shops and restaurants in this bustling oceanfront area. Here, you can pick up an OC sweatshirt to emulate those moody walks by the waves or get the kids some toy shovels to build expert sand castles. Then, stop by one of the many kiosks for a fruit smoothie for the ride home, but before you go, make sure to walk out to the end of the pier for some great views of Catalina Island and the surrounding beaches.
Spanning 58 acres (23 hectares), the Oak Canyon Nature Center is a beautiful oasis of nature in the city. The sanctuary, flanked by three canyons is home to a diverse array of animal and bird species. Well-marked hiking trails offer a great opportunity to discover the park's many wonders. Stop by at the John J. Collier Interpretive Center to learn more about the natural features and history of the place.
Disney's magic kingdom, Disneyland Park in Anaheim is the original theme park. A labor of love designed by Walt Disney himself, it is the only one of the franchises to have been built directly under his utmost care. Since its grand opening in 1955, this theme park has become renowned as a place where dreams come true, where ogres, dragons, and wizards roam, and where dazzling visions of the future get realized. Due to substantial growth and development throughout the years, this whimsical wonderland now includes eight playfully themed lands like Critter Country and Mickey's Toontown. Here, fairytale princesses and Mickey Mouse greet visitors of every age and welcome them into a world of thrilling experiences where magical lands come to life and where imagination knows no bounds.
The California Welcome Center in Santa Ana, welcomes visitors to the city and is a helping hand for the first timers. Located in the Westfield Mainplace, the center provides any information needed by travelers to Santa Ana. For a general visit to the city, the center provides you with guides, maps, information and a lot of tourism based services. Be sure to find reliable information from this source.
Many people first see Trabuco Canyon Community Church when they hike at O'Neill Park. The beautiful hilltop setting of the New England-style church not only catches every hiker's attention, but even draws many of them to visit. Although the road to the church is not easily visible, the effort of finding it is rewarded by a scenic canyon drive under a canopy of live oak trees and a 360-degree panoramic view of Cleveland National Forest, the south county and Catalina Island. In addition to the church building, there are a wedding chapel and a giant cross on different sides of the property. No matter where you stand, you’d be amazed by the view at any time of day. This is a very special place to get married. Trabuco Canyon Community Church is non-denominational. -Hoiyin IpÂ
Established post World War II to serve the Polish immigrants in South California, the Pope John Paul II Polish Center aims to preserve the cultural heritage of its Polish members. Operating since long, the first official mass at this center was however held in 1983, after which this place has become a hub for Polish activities. The center hosts and conducts allied activities like Polish classes, festivals catering to the community as well as events that reflect the culture. The center also takes care of the recreational aspect by conducting regular contests, sports activities and interactive sessions. Music artists and performers are also welcome here.
Don't be surprised if a group of sixteen, large white rabbits greet you at the Civic Center Drive in Downtown Newport Beach. This cute and wonderful arrangement is the newest addition to the Civic Center Park that surrounds the Civic Center Building. The huge fluffy white bunnies sitting in a circle are often called Bunnyhenge, owing to its arrangement which sort of mirrors the prehistoric Stonehenge in Amesbury. Installed in 2013, these rabbits are a joy for the kids living in the nearby areas while they also make for superb models for the shutterbugs.
Yorba-Slaughter Adobe, built in the 1850s, is one of the last few typical-styled houses that replicate the ones that were present during the Mexican governance and was built by Raimundo Yorba. After a few years, the house was then bought by veteran Fenton M. Slaughter and hence the name of Yorba-Slaughter abode came into existence. It is a one storey house and is accessible to the public from Tuesday to Saturday. The museum consists of documents and artifacts that enable a better understanding of the way of life of that particular century and group tours are also provided.