Coasters to Waves

Fly into John Wayne Airport and you’re just 15 miles from Anaheim, where you can chill out from your travels by sipping, eating, and celebrating. The Anaheim Packing District is a lively food hall with 30-plus stalls and restaurants selling everything you want to eat: ramen, acai bowls, Cajun cuisine, soul food, dim sum, Japanese crepes, and even gelato on a stick. (Don’t miss Mini Monster Café’s Instagram-worthy boba and Black Sheep GCB’s elaborate grilled cheese sandwiches.) Anaheim’s bustling craft brewery scene includes trendy Monkish Brewing and comic book–inspired Unsung Brewing Company. With the right timing, you might be able to catch the Los Angeles Angels in an MLB matchup at Angel Stadium or the Anaheim Ducks playing ice hockey at Honda Center. Not a sports fan? Then catch a concert at House of Blues, or two-step your way to The Ranch Saloon for country-western line dancing.

What’s not to love about Disneyland? Even if you’ve visited 100 times, this theme park excels at reinventing itself, doling out fresh versions of rides, attractions, and fairytale pixie dust. In 2023, the Walt Disney Company celebrates its 100th birthday, and Disneyland is whooping it up with new rides and nighttime shows, a decked-out Sleeping Beauty Castle, and festive merchandise. (You definitely want a pair of platinum “Disney100” ears.) Check out all that’s shiny and new, but don’t neglect the oldies-but-goodies like swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean, spooky-hilariousHaunted Mansion, and cool Splash Mountain. Book a room at the Disneyland Hotel so you can splash in monorail waterslides and relax in Mickey and Minnie whirlpools, and be sure to spend a day at the Avengers Campus at next-door Disney California Adventure Park.

If Hollywood is the land of make-believe, then Universal Studios Hollywood is your chance to step into that fantasy world. This movie-studio-meets-theme-park blends a studio tour with thrilling action rides and dizzying special effects. Start by taking USH’s one-hour World Famous Studio Tour, where you’ll view 13 city blocks of movie and television show sets and experience simulated thrills (a movie-magic earthquake!). Then step into a life-sized version of your favorite video game at Super Nintendo World—put on AR goggles and battle Bowser on the multisensory Mario Kart ride, evade piranha plants and rescue the princess, and dine on Super Mushroom Soup at Toadstool Café. You’ll need a full day to explore more of USH’s amazingly life-like movie worlds: Cast spells in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and face off with scary dinos at Jurassic World. 

Santa Clarita is the perfect base camp for family vacations. Start with pancakes and breakfast burritos at Los Angeles County’s oldest restaurant, The Original Saugus Café, where Teddy Roosevelt dined in 1903. Just five miles away, Six Flags Magic Mountain lures thrillseekers to its world-record 20 roller coasters and 100-plus rides, games, and attractions. On warm summer days, zip over to the neighboring water park Six Flags Hurricane Harbor for splashy thrills on water slides and flume rides. When all your adrenaline is depleted, switch things up. You and your kids can hug cows, feed carrots to horses, and give tummy rubs to pigs at The Gentle Barn, a sanctuary for nearly 200 farm animals, or take a hike at Placerita Canyon State Park or Golden Valley Ranch Open Space.

The coastal city of Torrance is packed with alluring marketplaces and eateries. Pick up world-famous Hawaiian sweet bread at King’s Hawaiian Bakery to sustain you while you shop, then browse the three-story Del Amo Fashion Center, showcasing 200-plus stores and dozens of big-name brands. Or visit Mitsuwa Marketplace for Japanese novelties and groceries, plus freshly made sushi and ramen. In downtown Torrance, Street Fair Antiques peddles yesteryear’s treasures and hosts a monthly outdoor flea market, and Dudley’s Records sells vintage vinyl. When you’re all shopped out, survey the historic aircraft on display at the Western Museum of Flight, or admire nature’s feathered flyers at Madrona Marsh, a birding and nature preserve. When evening comes, find your dinner table at Michelin-starred Sushi I-Naba or sea-urchin-centric Miyabi Uni, or sip your way around the city’s 12 breweries.

If it’s nautical, you’ll find it in Newport Beach, home to one of the West Coast’s largest recreational harbors and more than 9,000 boats. You don’t need to own a yacht to get in the water—join a guided kayak tour with the Newport Bay Conservancy, or paddle a rented SUP in the harbor’s calm waters. There’s plenty of sand, too—the shoreline next to Newport Beach Pier welcomes swimmers, surfers, and sun worshippers all year long. For upscale shopping, head inland from the beach to Fashion Island, home to Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, and dozens of other coveted brands. Wrap up your Newport Beach visit with a sunset catamaran cruise and a seafood dinner at Hook & Anchor or Bear Flag Fish Company.

Technically part of Newport Beach, Corona del Mar flaunts its own personality—which is flowery and fragrant. Stop and sniff the blooms at Sherman Library & Gardens, a horticultural heaven filled with bromeliads, succulents, ferns, and other gorgeous flora, plus an amazing book and photography collection. Or visit the botanical garden that doubles as Orange County’s most celebrated plant nursery, Roger’s Gardens. Take home some new plants, or sit down to a garden-inspired meal at Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens. If you’re more inclined to Pacific pursuits, catch a few swells at Corona del Mar State Beach or dive beneath the waves at Little Corona Beach. For dinner, savor delicious Mexican cuisine at longstanding favorite El Cholo.

Like much of the Southern California coastline, Laguna Beach has dozens of come-hither beaches, including golden-sand Main Beach and Instagram-famous Victoria Beach—the cove with the castle-like “Pirate Tower” soaring 60 feet high. There’s also sheltered coves for snorkeling and tidepooling, like Shaw’s Cove and Crescent Bay Beach. But what really makes Laguna Beach stand out is its artistic spirit. More than 100 galleries including Kush Fine Art, Ruth Mayer, Wyland Galleries, and Laguna Gallery of Contemporary Art are found in the heart of town. The Laguna Art Museum showcases thousands of captivating works depicting the beauty of the Golden State, and the city hosts world-famous art festivals every summer, including the Festival of Arts and the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival. 

In Dana Point, life revolves around the Pacific’s rhythms. Sail out of Dana Point Harbor on a thrilling whale-watching tour—it’s a near-guarantee that you’ll spot gray, fin, blue, or minke whales and common and bottlenose dolphins on the 2.5-hour cruise. Bulk up your oceanography knowledge with a visit to the Ocean Institute, or simply soak up the sun at one of Dana Point’s golden shorelines, like kid-friendly Baby Beach, surfing favorite Doheny State Beach, or clifftop Dana Point Preserve. At dinner time, sit down to a Hawaiian-inspired seafood dinner at Wind & Sea in the harbor, or close out your visit in classic coastal style: Catch one last sunset from the beach before heading back to John Wayne Airport.