LAcon V brings you across vast and treacherous oceans, over mountains blanketed with sparkling white snow, through lush green forests and across scintillating golden beaches, to the famed state of California, its busy metropolis of Los Angeles, into its dazzling suburb and popular tourist destination, Anaheim.
“Don’t just dream… Discover!”
As part of one of the world’s most renowned metropolitan areas, Anaheim is the jewel of Orange County, California. A short trip southeast from the City of Los Angeles, Anaheim is known best as the home of the Disneyland resort complex, but it’s also part of a much larger region that has so much to offer the intrepid explorer. Join us as we share some of the sights — and secrets — of the land we in “SoCal” call home.
Anaheim & Orange County
Disneyland
Visit strange new worlds right around the corner!
The city of Anaheim is the center of the Disney universe… right across the street from the Anaheim Convention Center, Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure Park are among the greatest amusement parks in the world! The two parks adjoin each other; you can visit one or both; we recommend several days to explore it all.
Another great amusement park, only a few short miles away in Buena Park, is Knotts Berry Farm, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks. Knotts has a replica ghost town, several roller coasters and many shops & restaurants. Adventure City is another local amusement park, leaning toward younger visitors.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Oak Canyon Nature Center is a 58-acre nature preserve in Anaheim, while Yorba Regional Park is a much larger park with great hiking trails.
Open to the public is Downtown Disney, a shopping area filled with restaurants and memorabilia. Also, the Anaheim Packing District is an upscale food court with local vendors & bars in a renovated, historic 1919 citrus-packing house, but it’s not the only location with plenty of restaurants; because the area is a major tourist destination, nearly every cuisine imaginable can be found only a few minutes away. The STC Anaheim Garden Walk is a quick 5 minute walk from the convention center, too.
Sports fans can also check out Angel Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, or Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. Meanwhile, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts is one of Orange County’s greatest performing arts complexes.
Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
Just beyond the horizons of Anaheim, the world of Los Angeles and its sprawling suburbs beckons. L.A. is the second-most populated city in the United States, and the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area covers five counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties) and is home to over 18 million people. There are hundreds of things to do in L.A., in both the city proper as well as the metropolitan area, to please every taste and every whim. Here’s just a small sample of some of the endless possibilities.
Dive into ocean depths instead of spreadsheets…
Los Angeles beaches are plentiful!
The Aquarium of the Pacific is a world-class aquarium in Long Beach, another major sightseeing destination only 10 miles away that includes wonderful beaches, as well as the Long Beach Museum of Art.
The RMS Queen Mary is permanently anchored in Long Beach harbor; take a trip into the old world of steam liners with a tour into the inner workings of the great ship.
The town of Avalon on Catalina Island
And speaking of beaches… Los Angeles has them in spades. From the tourist haunts of Venice Beach, up the coast to the Santa Monica Pier; trendy Malibu and Zuma beaches; and many others along the way, from Dockweiler to Redondo Beach, Huntington Beach to Newport Beach, and everywhere in between. Fun in the sun is a mainstay here in Southern California!
Or, you can plan for a full day on Catalina Island, only a 40 minute boat ride away off the Pacific coast (from Long Beach) with sightseeing, shopping and beautiful vistas. Catalina should always be on your list of things to do while here.
Gaze into alternative realities, instead of staring vacantly at screens…
Griffth Observatory
Take a day and explore L.A.’s museums and exhibitions! The Griffith Observatory is one of the world’s most renowned astronomical institutions, located on the hillside right above central Los Angeles, while the J. Paul Getty Center Museum is a work of architecture and art, perched above the western side of L.A. There’s also an annex to the same museum, the Getty Villa, an art gallery modeled after an Italian palazzo, located on the coast in Malibu.
Don’t stop there. In L.A.’s Exposition Park, you can find the California Science Center, a wondrous (and very kid-friendly) science museum that is also the permanent home of Endeavour, one of America’s now-retired Space Shuttles. There you can also find the Natural History Museum, as well as the California African-American Museum, and both the famous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (home of multiple events during the Olympics in L.A.) and BMO Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Football League soccer club.
La Brea Tar Pits
And that’s not all. Closer to downtown, on “Museum Row,” the La Brea Tar Pits are a site not to be missed; the museum shows off natural California history and the preservation of ancient fossils. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is next door and is one of L.A.’s most cherished institutions. Further afield is the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Skirball Cultural Center near the Getty, and the Academy Museum, home of the Oscars.
Huntington Japanese Garden
Here in the area you’ll also find the world-famous Huntington Library which also features an incredible art museum and gorgeous botanical gardens, as well as the Huntington Japanese Garden. And there’s plenty more to check out, including the Broad Museum, the Hammer Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, the Hollyhock House, the Autry Museum, the Museum of Latin American Art, the Hauser & Wirth Gallery, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Slip through reality rifts, rather than sifting through files…
Universal Studios Hollywood
Take a studio tour and much more! Universal Studios Hollywood is not just a film studio, but an amusement park as well. Or look back in time to the glory days of Old Hollywood at Paramount Pictures.
TCL’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood
Zip up north a bit near Santa Clarita and spend a day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, which holds the world record for most roller coasters in an amusement park. Or catch a game at Dodger Stadium, one of Major League Baseball’s most venerated fields. Check out the L.A. Live & Crypto.com Arena Entertainment Complex, home of the NBA’s Lakers and Clippers, and a great place to visit Downtown (with restaurants, theatres and more!) Or SoFi Stadium, the new home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers, soon to be a major site for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
The world-famous Hollywood Sign
Spend some time at the Los Angeles Zoo, one of America’s great conservatories. Or head into the foothills toward the world-renowned Hollywood Bowl outdoor amphitheatre, or back downtown to the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the L.A. Philharmonic and one of the most beautiful buildings on the American west coast.
Take a trip to Hollywood to visit TCL’s Grauman’s Chinese Theater, arguably the most famous movie theater in the world. Walk through Little Tokyo, or L.A.’s renowed Chinatown. And a trip to Los Angeles is never complete without checking out the Hollywood Walk of Fame and, of course, the Hollywood Sign, one of the most famous landmarks in America.
