Top Travel Tips, Ideas and Inspiration Orange, California

Explore top travel ideas, guides and tips for your Orange, CA vacation. Save your favorites to start building your perfect trip on Trip Canvas.

Showing 61/61 Inspirations for Orange, California

EDITOR PICK9 of the Best Views of Los Angeles with No Hiking RequiredAAA Travel Editor, Sherry Mims08/14/2024 : Discover the best views in Los Angeles with AAA and Inspector 630. Explore scenic backdrops, dine under the stars and soak in SoCal beauty at top restaurants and bars.

VideoThings to do in Anaheim California

EDITOR PICKThe 5 Best Catalina Island HotelsMichelle Palmer03/25/2024 : Find the best Catalina Island hotels for your stay in Avalon on Catalina Island no matter your needs.

EDITOR PICKTop 7 Places to Get Your Geek OnAAA Travel Editors03/21/2024 : Searching for a fun theme for your trip? These attractions, restaurants and hotels are among the best things to do for a self-professed geek.

EDITOR PICKBest Family Vacation Spots in the U.S. in 2024AAA Travel Editor, Sherry Mims03/05/2024 : Aim for the shoulder season and historical, educational or nature-oriented destinations when you're planning your next best family vacation.

ARTICLEAnaheim Travel Guide [2024]AAA Travel Editor, CW01/30/2024 : Make the most of your Anaheim adventure – explore the city's highlights and plan your trip with ease.

VideoRichard Nixon Library

EDITOR PICKPlaces to go for New Year's Eve with FamilyAAA Travel Editor, Sherry Mims11/30/2023 : Check out these fun New Year's Eve ideas for families. In these top destinations, you can experience the countdown without staying up (too) late!

EDITOR PICK11 of the Most Weird and Unusual Festivals in the U.S.Michelle Palmer09/06/2023 : From North American Wife-Carrying Championship to World Championship Outhouse Races, discover some of the weirdest festivals across the U.S.

ARTICLEThe Best Restaurants in Anaheim in 2023AAA Travel Editor, CW07/06/2023 : Experience culinary excellence at its best in Anaheim as we unveil the must-visit restaurants of 2023, serving up a delightful blend of flavors, ambiance, and impeccable service.

ARTICLETop 20 Things to Do in AnaheimAAA Travel Editor, CW07/06/2023 : From family-friendly fun to unique attractions, explore the top 20 things to do in Anaheim and immerse yourself in the charm and excitement of this vibrant city.

VideoBowers Museum

ARTICLEAnaheim Disneyland: What You Need to Know About the New FastPass SystemAAA Travel Editor, CW07/05/2023 : Discover the revamped FastPass system at Anaheim Disneyland, unlocking essential tips and tricks to make the most of your theme park adventure.

ARTICLEBest Time to Visit DisneylandAAA Travel Editor, CW07/05/2023 : Discover the ultimate guide to choosing the best time to visit Disneyland, ensuring you experience the magic without the crowds.

ARTICLEBest Hotels in Anaheim Near Disneyland in 2023AAA Travel Editor, CW07/05/2023 : Explore the top accommodations in Anaheim that cater to every traveler's needs, providing a perfect blend of convenience, comfort, and value.

EDITOR PICKBudget Friendly AnaheimAAA Travel Editor, Frank Swanson04/06/2023 : There's no question that Southern California's theme parks are some of America's favorite destinations, but they aren't exactly budget friendly. Find out more about low-cost or no-cost options for fun things to do in Anaheim and the surrounding area.

VideoAdventure City

EDITOR PICKAnaheim, Culinarily SpeakingAAA Travel Editor, Frank Swanson04/06/2023 : If fish, shrimp, oysters and clams make your mouth water, then hop on a freeway to one of Orange County's coastal cities, where the seafood is fresh and the oceanfront scenery, beautiful. Watching the sun set from your table at one of these great restaurants is one of the many fun things to do with friends on the Orange Coast.

EDITOR PICKAnaheim Off the Beaten PathAAA Travel Editor, Frank Swanson04/05/2023 : Leave the crowds and the lines behind by visiting these five off the beaten path attractions near Anaheim. Hiking a secluded trail, viewing the stunning California Coast or shopping for rare antiques are just some of the fun things to do.

EDITOR PICK5 Fun and Historic Things to See in Orange CountyAAA Travel Editor, Frank Swanson04/05/2023 : For fun things to do, these five popular attractions near Anaheim should be at the top of your list. And as an added bonus, you'll get an entertaining introduction to Orange County history without the classroom lecture.

EDITOR PICK5 Spectacular Beach Destinations in Orange CountyAAA Travel Editor, Frank Swanson04/05/2023 : Check out these five vacation destinations in the OC for fun in the sun and some of the best beach scenery on the California Coast.

VideoMission San Juan Capistrano

EDITOR PICK7 Hotel and Theme Park Recipes You Can Make at HomeAAA Travel Editor, Laurie Sterbens04/05/2023 : Cook hotel quality recipes in the privacy of your own home

ARTICLEOrange The city once called Richland is officially known as Orange, but Chance is its rightful name. The town owes its very existence to a default on a loan and the resulting lawsuit. Alfred Chapman and Andrew Glassell, two Los Angeles lawyers who handled the suit, accepted 1,385 acres of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana as payment for services circa 1869. Adding their take to the rancho acreage they already owned, they hired a surveyor and divvied up the land into tracts. When the fledgling town of Richland turned out to have a namesake in Sacramento County, they reportedly played a game of poker and gave the winner renaming rights.

NATIONAL PARKAngeles National Forest Rising above the northern rim of the Los Angeles Basin, the Angeles National Forest covers more than 650,000 acres of the rugged San Gabriel Mountains, which in 1894 famed naturalist John Muir described as “one vast bee-pasture, a rolling wilderness of honey-bloom…” The forest encompasses terrain ranging from rugged, arid desert on the north slope to heavily timbered high mountain ridges and meadows.

NATIONAL PARKCalifornia Coastal National Monument Consisting of thousands of islands, rocks, exposed reefs and pinnacles extending up to 12 miles out from the shore off California's entire 1,100-mile coastline, California Coastal National Monument was established to preserve these uninhabited outcroppings.

VideoChrist Cathedral

NATIONAL PARKChannel Islands National Park Access to the Channel Islands can be arranged at locations in Oxnard, Ventura and Santa Barbara. Of the eight islands in Southern California's Channel Islands group, Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa constitute Channel Islands National Park. The ocean waters up to 6 miles offshore surrounding these five islands are protected as Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. San Miguel Island was an active bombing range from World War II through the 1970s.

NATIONAL PARKCleveland National Forest Divided among three separate areas in San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties, Cleveland National Forest covers more than 460,000 acres in Southern California. These areas include chaparral and conifer woodlands and offer many recreational opportunities, the most popular of which are camping and hiking.

NATIONAL PARKDeath Valley National Park Mankind's marks on the desert are limited. The park boundaries encompass the route of the Jayhawkers Trail taken from Utah's Great Salt Lake in 1849; the route taken by the Darwin-French party in 1860; the first mine worked in the region; several beehive charcoal kilns; and the ghost town site of Skidoo.

NATIONAL PARKDevils Postpile National Monument Near Mammoth Lakes and surrounded by Inyo National Forest, Devils Postpile National Monument lies at an elevation of 7,560 feet in the eastern Sierra Nevada. The highlight of this 800-acre monument is a sheer wall of symmetrical basaltic columns more than 60 feet high. The formation is a remnant of a basalt flow worn smooth on top by glacial action. A trail leads to the top where the surface resembles a tile inlay.

VideoFullerton Arboretum

NATIONAL PARKInyo National Forest Inyo National Forest parallels US 6 and US 395 for 165 miles between the eastern California towns of Inyokern and Lee Vining. The forest contains

NATIONAL PARKJoshua Tree National Park North of I-10 and east of Desert Hot Springs with entrances at Cottonwood Spring, Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree, Joshua Tree National Park covers more than 800,000 acres. This California desert country contains striking granite formations and mountain ranges rising from flat valleys about 1,800 feet above sea level to elevations of more than 5,000 feet. At various trailheads and road pullouts there are informational signs about that particular area. However, trails leading off the roadways are not paved, and for a good part of the year the climate makes these trails inhospitable for many persons.

NATIONAL PARKLake Mead National Recreation Area This 1.5 million-acre recreation area, established in 1964, was created around Lake Mead, the massive Colorado River reservoir resulting from the construction of Hoover Dam. Exit wild river rapids. Enter motorboating, water skiing and fishing on a placid lake. Further downstream, the completion of Davis Dam in 1951 impounded Lake Mohave, another popular spot with the boat and Jet Ski set. In all, the recreation area extends about 140 miles along the Colorado River from the west end of Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz., down to Bullhead City, Ariz., and its neighbor across the river, Laughlin, Nev.

NATIONAL PARKLos Padres National Forest Extending 220 miles n. from the western boundary of Los Angeles County to mid-Monterey County, the nearly 2 million acres of Los Padres National Forest cover terrain ranging from coastal areas through semidesert to pine-timbered elevations of almost 9,000 feet. Within this region are the

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