Southern California Activities

A part of the California Riviera, Newport Beach is an historic yachting community in Orange County, California, known for its beautiful harbor and some of the finest beaches (6 in all) on the West Coast. Attractions include beaches on the Balboa Peninsula (featuring body-surfing hot-spot 'The Wedge'). The Catalina Flyer, a giant 500 passenger catamaran, provides daily transportation from the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach to Avalon, California located on Santa Catalina Island. The historic Balboa Pavilion, established in 1906, is Newport Beach's most famous landmark. The Balboa Fun Zone, located on the Balboa Peninsula, features a ferris wheel, an old-time Merry-Go-Round, and bumper cars as well as quaint shops and restaurants. A 10 minute duffy ride or 5 minute drive can take you to the luxurious Balboa Bay Club & Resort, where you can enjoy fine dining, relax with specialty spa services or exercise in the fully equipped gym.

Balboa Island is an artificial island in Newport Harbor that was dredged and filled right before World War I. The Balboa Island Ferry transports cars, bicycles and pedestrians across the harbor channel between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula. The Back Bay is a wildlife sanctuary, while nearby Fashion Island provides shopping experiences with department stores such as Bloomingdale's. The Newport Beach Public Library's spectacular architecture has been featured in the movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. The Orange County Museum of Art exhibits paintings from a variety of modern artists. The Bowers Museum provides information and artifacts of the world's richest cultures. The Newport Aquatic Center offers kayaking, rowing, and canoeing. It has been a training ground for many Olympians throughout the years, and runs several programs for the youth of Orange County. Newport Beach and its surrounding areas has over 12 golf courses, including the Pelican Hill area, which has two golf courses and is located on a small 1.2 square mile sliver of land, and contours the Pacific Coast. Some of the surrounding cities around Newport Beach comprise of Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Laguna Beach and Orange.

Activity		Description

Newport Beach/ Corona Del Mar		A part of the California Riviera, Newport Beach is an historic yachting community in Orange County, California, known for its beautiful harbor and some of the finest beaches (6 in all) on the West Coast. Attractions include beaches on the Balboa Peninsula (featuring body-surfing hot-spot 'The Wedge'). The Catalina Flyer, a giant 500 passenger catamaran, provides daily transportation from the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach to Avalon, California located on Santa Catalina Island. The historic Balboa Pavilion, established in 1906, is Newport Beach's most famous landmark. The Balboa Fun Zone, located on the Balboa Peninsula, features a ferris wheel, an old-time Merry-Go-Round, and bumper cars as well as quaint shops and restaurants. A 10 minute duffy ride or 5 minute drive can take you to the luxurious Balboa Bay Club & Resort, where you can enjoy fine dining, relax with specialty spa services or exercise in the fully equipped gym. Balboa Island is an artificial island in Newport Harbor that was dredged and filled right before World War I. The Balboa Island Ferry transports cars, bicycles and pedestrians across the harbor channel between Balboa Island and the Balboa Peninsula. The Back Bay is a wildlife sanctuary, while nearby Fashion Island provides shopping experiences with department stores such as Bloomingdale's. The Newport Beach Public Library's spectacular architecture has been featured in the movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. The Orange County Museum of Art exhibits paintings from a variety of modern artists. The Bowers Museum provides information and artifacts of the world's richest cultures. The Newport Aquatic Center offers kayaking, rowing, and canoeing. It has been a training ground for many Olympians throughout the years, and runs several programs for the youth of Orange County. Newport Beach and its surrounding areas has over 12 golf courses, including the Pelican Hill area, which has two golf courses and is located on a small 1.2 square mile sliver of land, and contours the Pacific Coast. Some of the surrounding cities around Newport Beach comprise of Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Laguna Beach and Orange.

Laguna Beach		Crystal Cove State Park is located at the southern end of the coast between Laguna Beach and Corona Del Mar. Laguna Beach serves as the premier location where the reality hit TV show "Laguna Beach" was filmed. Laguna Beach has quaint shops, rolling hills and beautiful ocean views. A popular place to visit is Top of the World, which is a wildlife sanctuary and is located atop a large hill with gorgeous views of the ocean.

Huntington Beach		Huntington Beach, comparing to Newport Beach in popularity, has convenient beaches and shops. Many locals and tourists chosen place to shop is Main Street, which has restaurants galore and many boutiques and shops.

Anaheim		Anaheim, located only about 15 minutes from our home, also provides many attractions, including world famous Disneyland and Disneyland's California Adventure, shopping and dining experiences. Located nearby, Knott's Berry Farm caters to both adults and children as it offers theme park rides as well as education.

Orange		The Cleveland National Forest offers over 460,000 acres of trails and terrain and many recreational activities including horseback and bike riding. Irvine Park is full of activity and fun. From pony rides to a mini-train ride, Irvine Park is the perfect place to relax with family or friends. Orange accommodates an array of restaurants, including the Orange County Mining Co. located in Silverado Canyon , and shopping experiences, such as the Block at Orange.

Los Angeles		Los Angeles, the entertainment capital of the world, runs 24 hours a day with events, nightlife, shopping and many recreational activities. Hollywood provides theme parks such as Universal Studios, fine dining and is an excellent tourism location.

Costa Mesa		Costa Mesa incorporates a number of shopping and dining destinations including South Coast Plaza, where world class shopping, restaurants and cafès are sufficient.The Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa hold their annual fair during the summer and are open in the Spring, Fall and Winter for their weekend swap meet, drive-in theatre, and weekly events.