100 Things To Do in Orange County, California

Orange County, California: It seems like anyone with cable television has heard of the place. Unbeknownst to some, there is more to do in Orange County beside shopping, drinking lattes or driving down PCH with the top down. Between the beaches, amusement parks, sports arenas, music venues, art, food, history, housewives and the weirdos, there are plenty of things to do. Thus, completing this list of 100 things to do in Orange County was relatively simple. Some items on the to-do list cost money, some are free. Some require physical activity, some don't. In the end, no matter what your interests, or where you come from, I'm confident you can find something on this to-do list that tickles your fancy.

The links in the following list will lead you to all the information you will need on that particular subject:

• Ride the ferry over to Balboa Island for the day.
• Learn to surf.
• Take a tour of the Mission San Juan Capistrano.
• Enjoy the boardwalk along Main Beach in Laguna Beach.
• Cruise the galleries and sip free wine on the 1st Thursday of every month at the Laguna Beach Art Walk.
• Try out a stand-up paddle board.
• Rent a duffy boat.
• Take Fido for a day of fetch at the dog beach in Huntington.
• Browse the shops at The Block of Orange.
• Dance the night away at the Imperial Ballroom in downtown Fullerton.
• Take a deep sea fishing trip out of Newport Landing or Dana Warf.
• Have lunch with the Hells Angels and friends at the most famous biker bar in Southern California: Cook's Corner, located just off El Toro Rd.
• Catch a foul ball at an Angels baseball game.
• Shooby dooby down to Ruby's on the end of the Balboa Island Pier in Newport.
• Spend your hard earned greenbacks at South Coast Plaza, the highest grossing shopping mall in the entire United States.
• Fire away at the Orange County indoor shooting range.
• Spend the day dolphin and whale watching.
• Find great deals at the Orange County Swap Meet in the OC Marketplace every weekend.
• Disneyland!
• Check out one of many Christmas boat parades during the holidays.
• Jump on the Amtrak Surfliner and head North or South for the day.
• Rent a boat and go fishing at Irvine Lake.
• Amazing food + incredible view = an unforgettable dining experience at Orange Hill Restaurant.
• Rent a goofy 4-man bicycle at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point.
• Browse the shops on Main St. in Surf City USA, Huntington Beach.

• Crash a wedding likely to be taking on the weekend at any luxury hotel in the area
• Hike Saddleback mountain and other surrounding trails.
• Watch the Ducks get beat at The Pond of Anaheim, AKA the Honda Center.
• Hike Trabuco Canyon.
• Roast mallows and tell ghost stories at Twin Harbors camping on Catalina Island.
• Eat at the famous Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in Pasadena.
• Visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
• Rollerblade by the beach, with your shirt off, of course.
• Go snorkeling.
• Watch medieval knights joust while feasting like a king at Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament.
• Visit the Santa Ana Zoo.
• Get plastic surgery.
• Go to Knotts Berry Farm.
• Learn something new to impress your friends with at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana.
• See a show at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.
• See the birthplace and now library of former President Richard Nixon.
• Read a book while smelling the roses at Sherman Gardens in Corona Del Mar.
• Take a step back in time and tour Los Rios St. in downtown San Juan Capistrano.
• Splash around in the Summer at Wild Rivers water park.
• Go RV camping at the Newport Dunes.
• Golf.
• Catch a movie from the backseat of your car at Star Vu Drive-In at the OC Fair & Event Center.
• Buy medicinal marijuana.
• Hike, bike, surf or swim at Crystal Cove State Park located just North of Laguna Beach.
• Have a picnic at O'Neill Regional Park.

• Hit the batting cages or go minature golfing at Boomers in Fountain Valley.
• 1. Buy avocados 2. Make guacamole 3. Eat guacamole.
• Hike or bike through Aliso Woods Canyon.
• Stroll down the Seal Beach pier (the longest in Orange County).
• Jam out on a boat Friday or Saturday evening on one of Dana Point's Live Music Cruises.
• Go skate one of the many skate parks located in Orange County.
• Go skydiving.
• Eat dinner and/or see a show at the House of Blues in Anaheim.
• Rent a golf cart and drive around Catalina Island.
• Buy a dinosaur at Prehistoric Pets in Fountain Valley.
• Go horseback riding.
• Learn something new at the International Surfing Museum in Huntington Beach.
• Pay your respects to lost loved ones at the historic Yorba Cemetery in Yorba Linda.
• Go bird watching around the Bolsa-Chica Wetlands.
• See a comedy act or local music group at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano.
• Take a moonlit stroll through Downtown Disney in Anaheim.
• Get wine drunk at the Laguna Canyon Winery.
• Read a book on the beach.
• Ride the free trolley through Laguna Beach in the Summer.
• See the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove.
• Learn about and look at local marine life at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point harbor.
• Learn about and look at local wildlife at the Orange County Zoo..
• Get a pony ride at Zoomars Petting Zoo on Los Rios Street in San Juan Capistrano.
• Drink a cocktail and watch the sunset from The Rooftop Bar in Laguna Beach.
• In the Summer, check out the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach.

• Visit Little Saigon in Westminster to stock up on all your Vietnamese-made supplies.
• Visit the Fullerton Arboretum.
• Look creepy and wander the streets of Laguna Beach while stalking the cast of MTV's hit reality TV show.
• Ride 500 feet in the air on the Great Park Ballon Ride in Irvine.
• Ride the miniature railroad through Irvine Park.
• Get your speed fix at the K1 Racing Indoor Go Karts.
• Fly a kite at Main Beach in Huntington.
• Buy and eat locally grown fruits and vegetables at one of the many farmer's markets.
• See a movie in 3D at the Irvine Spectrum IMAX Theatre.
• See your favorite band perform at the Grove of Anaheim.
• Watch surfers go over the falls at the Wedge in Newport when the waves are big. 
• Disneyland California Adventure!
• Visit Bowers Museum of Cultural Art.
• Ride a jet ski off the coast of Dana Point.
• Get a double scoop of ice-cream and ride the attractions while visiting the Balboa Island Fun Zone.
• Take a drive on Ortega Highway; one of the most dangerous highways in the US.
• Have dinner at The Hobbit in Orange, a small home transformed into a restaurant.
• Get your cowboy gear on head to San Juan Capistrano's finest watering hole, The Swallows Inn.
• Get spooked at the haunted Queen Mary ship in Long Beach.
• Get together with friends for a beach bondfire.
• Eat Mexican food…anywhere.
• Have tea and martini's on Saturdays at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort.
• Get friends together for a game of beach volleyball.
• Have a romantic sunset dinner at The Beachcomber in Crystal Cove.
• Watch pig races and eat deep-fried twinkles at the Orange County Fair.

The list could go on, but I'm stopping at 100 because it's a nice even number. I do appreciate your dedication... reading through the entire list and all, but really, what are you still doing here? Grab your friends, family members, pets and lovers and go do something!