Summer Vacation in Orange, CA

Summer is right around the corner, which means finding things to do with the kids while they are out of school or discovering new and fun attractions to visit when you take a well-deserved vacation. Orange, California, is a diverse area that’s home to mansions on the beach, Disneyland, a huge number of wineries, and a unique selection of lesser-known activities that you can tailor to your family’s likes and wants. Spend your summer vacation in Orange, California.

Discovery Cube Orange County

Discovery Cube is a great place for families. It offers over 100 different hands-on exhibits and fun experiences for kids of all ages as well as their parents. Spend the day learning and playing at this unique spot in Orange County with exhibits such as:

• Race to Recycle: Try to beat the clock in an interactive environmental-themed game where you have to sort items and recycle them.
• You Be the Goalie: Become a professional hockey player in this fun exhibit.
• Inspector Training Course: Inspect a life-size yard to learn all about mosquitoes and vectors. Kids will investigate the environment and determine which areas need further inspection.
• The Raceway: Bring toy cars to life on a large racetrack.
• Cloud Rings: Play with fog, force, and pressure to create unique cloud rings.
• Paper Airplanes: Construct paper airplanes and then launch them through the rings to see how they fly.

There are many activities and experiences for visitors of all ages at Discovery Cube. You can plan a day here and explore the exhibits inside and out.

Take a Boat Tour in Newport Bay

Newport Beach sits between Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach, and you can explore the long stretches of sand and calm waters in Newport Bay. You could head out on the water and take a boat tour around the bay or head to Balboa Island on the ferry. This is a great spot to explore, with lots of small shops, local eateries, and the Balboa Fun Zone, which has fun activities for visitors of all ages.

You could even take a whale- and dolphin-watching cruise or a luxury whale-watching catamaran cruise at Newport Beach.

Explore the Fullerton Arboretum

The Fullerton Arboretum is a place where visitors can learn all about wildlife research and conservation for free. During your visit to Fullerton, you can explore the gardens, observe the wildlife, and take lots of pictures.

The arboretum is home to a varied plant collection, and they’re all available for guests to explore. You can download the map to see where everything is. Fullerton is also home to its own apiary. This is where beehives are kept, and it’s beneficial to the environment because it promotes bee conservation and honey production.

The trees of the arboretum are part of the living museum. The staff cares for over 1,500 trees from all around the world and has four distinct ecosystem collections. Water conservation is a big part of the Fuller Arboretum experience. With much of California in a prolonged drought, water conservation is more important than ever. The facility has taken many steps to help conserve water, including lawn reduction, an irrigation system that only uses water when needed, and drought-tolerant plants.

Visit Lyon Air Museum

A visit to the Lyon Air Museum  is a must during your summer vacation in Orange, California. The museum covers over 30,000 square feet with a collection that features planes, helicopters, and other aircraft in the many hangars. You can see everything here, from a World War II-era bomber to fighter jets and other military vehicles.

The many exhibits include a variety of automobiles, such as a 1940s Divco Helms Bakery truck and a 1939 Mercedes-Benz Model G4 Offener Touring Wagon. If you like motorcycles, check out the 1943 German NSU Kettenkrad HK 101 Tracked Motorcycle and the 1943 Japanese Rikui sidecar motorcycle.

The airplanes are the pride and joy of the Lyon Air Museum, and you can see a Douglas A-26 Invader and a Douglas C-47 Skytrain.

Explore Doheny State Beach

Doheny State Beach is a great place to spend the day. This popular spot has lots of space for families to spread out while enjoying the water or playing on the sand. It has clean facilities, lots of parking available, and even volleyball courts.

Doheny State Beach is one of the top spots for vacationers and locals who want to spend the day in the sun. It’s also the perfect place to go when you want to take a walk, as there are several coastal trails to explore. When you get hungry, you can bring a picnic lunch or head to one of the great restaurants in nearby Doheny.

Experience the Peace at Crystal Cove State Park

With over three miles of Pacific coastline to explore, Crystal Cove State Park is a great place to spend the day. It offers visitors a combination of green parkland and warm sandy beaches, making it ideal whether you love to hike, walk, or sit on the beach.

This park sits off the Pacific Coast Highway between Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar, so it’s easy to get to this lush paradise. There are lots of things to do during a visit to Crystal Cove State Park. The backcountry trails wind through 2,400 acres of undeveloped land, and the trails are open for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. If you need a map, you can find one at the ranger station.

You’ll find seven different coves along the coastline, and the beach stretches for miles, meaning you can relax in the sun, surf, fish, explore tide pools, and dive. The offshore area is also part of the park and a haven for marine life.

Hopefully, this list inspires you when you’re planning your summer vacation in Orange, California. There’s so much to do in the area, whether you want to hit the large amusement parks or find something quieter to do. If you know of a spot we missed, stop by Mazda of Orange and tell us about it. We can check it out this summer, and maybe we’ll even add it to our list.

“Crystal Cove State Park, Laguna Beach, California” by Judy Gallagher Licensed via CC BY 2.0