There are now only 14 days left in the californicatemeter countdown !

Since “July 31st” is getting really close, today it’s time to write something about “The O.C.”. I absolutely love this area, beaches, shops,  tranquility, bars…

After living there for about 9 months this is what I like the most !

• Newport Beach
  • Need to buy something ? Fashion Island
• Balboa Island
  • It is pretty cool to take the ferry ride to the island, it is also pretty cheap (around a dollar if i remember well).
• Huntington Beach (Surf City, USA)
  • Great place to walk around and/or have some beers !
  • There is also the International Surfing Museum
• Laguna Beach
  • Absolutely beautiful+wonderful town close to the beach. It is just lovely.
• San Juan Capistrano
  • One of the most interesting “Missions” in California. The oldest building in California ?
• South Coast Plaza (link)
  • Don’t call it a mall, please. It is a shopping resort!

If somebody has time and money …

• Disneyland

Now it is time for some pictures.

Sources

• California – Lonely Planet.
• Pol.

Click on Arnie to see the video “Visit California” from visitcalifornia.com

California is [...] the third largest state by area and the largest state by population in the USA. The state offers something for everyone: Southern California is home to such popular attractions as Disneyland, Hollywood and the beaches that inspired the television show Baywatch, while the northern part of the state offers the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the hills of San Francisco, and the vineyards of Napa Valley. Further away from the state’s major cities California is home to some of America’s most rugged national parks, incredible skiing opportunities, and quiet northern forests.

Visit Wikitravel for more useful information.

I’ll excerpt from various sites things to do in California (rather than places to visit in California) that we may find interesting. This will be a general post about California, in further posts I’ll come down to every city we are visiting.

Things to do in California:

• See Los Angeles, home to the world-famous Hollywood sign, the Walk of Fame, the Mann’s Chinese Theater, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, and miles of wide, sandy beaches.
• See San Francisco, with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, a large Chinatown, cable cars, and numerous hills.
• Try your hand at surfing or work on your tanning The OC or Santa Monica.
• Climb a mountain and camp in the Sierra Nevadas or Shasta Cascades.
• Taste wine. Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino are premier wine districts north of San Francisco.
• Visit Hearst Castle and the National Geographic Theater within it.
• Eat at Historic Old Fisherman’s Wharf on Monterey Harbor.
• Whale watching and dolphin cruises in Newport Beach.
• See a match of Los Angeles Lakers, with Pau Gasol!
• Visit Alcatraz in San Francisco.
• Visit National Parks: Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Yosemite, Sequoia & King’s Canyon.
• See volcanoes in Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lava Beds National Museum.
• See more beaches.
• Visit San Jose’s Tech Museum of Innovation.
• Theme parks: Disneyland and Seaworld!

Things to do around California:

• Visit Tijuana.
• Visit Las Vegas.
• Visit Grand Canyon.

I am sure I am missing good things. Please comment on your preferences, new ideas and known experiences!

Sources:

• California in Wikitravel
• California in Lonely Planet
• California in Trip Advisor. Things to do.
• California in ThingsToDo.com