Issue link: http://globelitetravelmarketing.uberflip.com/i/149733
ORANGE COUNTY Eclectic attractions, exciting activities and nature galore INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA), located at the juncture of Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Newport Beach near I-405 TOURISM WEBSITES visittheoc.com anaheimoc.org travelcostamesa.com destinationirvine.com/visit lagunabeachinfo.com surfcityusa.com visitnewportbeach.com POPULATION 3,056,000 ORANGE COUNTY 12 0 2013 travel guide to c al i fo r n ia by maribeth mellin AS SEEN FROM ITS many freeways, Orange County looks like a vast expanse of matching terracotta-tiled rooftops, mirrored office buildings and enormous malls. Behind the façade, the county is compact yet amazingly diverse. Sure, it's got Anaheim's Disneyland, but that's just a blip on the OC map. Several of Southern California's most famous beaches with historic missions, art colonies, scenic marinas and legendary surf breaks dot the OC's 42-mile-long coastline. Master-planned communities sprawl through the inland areas where thousands of acres of citrus groves once filled the air with the scent of orange blossoms and rugged canyons sheltered coyotes and hawks. Irvine, one of the largest communities, now contains a University of California campus, the Orange County Great Park and several masterplanned "villages" housing nearly 150,000 residents. Similar developments large and small, including some of the country's priciest enclaves, are surrounded by more established neighborhoods and cities. Though it appears to be a jumble of crowded suburbs intersected by jampacked freeways, the OC contains 34 distinctive neighborhoods all hosting festivals, farmers markets and annual events. The county is also filled with cultural attractions and performing arts venues, such as the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the South Coast Repertory. For sports fans, the Los Angeles Angels play at the Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the Anaheim Ducks hockey team speeds over the ice at Anaheim's Honda Center, which also hosts concerts with Bruce Springsteen, The Who and other major acts. More than 40 championship golf courses and a year-round temperate climate keep golfers happy. Hotel and day spas help the OC's beautiful people maintain their tanned and buff bodies, and everywhere you look you'll see people jogging, walking, biking and thoroughly enjoying their SoCal lifestyle. KWONG YEE CHENG; OPPOSITE: HARMONY GERBER TOP CITIES Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana