12 Unique Things to do in Orange County

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Home to Disneyland Resort and the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Orange County is a bustling place with a wide range of activities. These landmarks, along with the home of the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center, may be the most well known spots in OC. While Evan and I love Disneyland, we’ve found countless other unique things to do in Orange County as well.

From trendy restaurants to premier outdoor shopping experiences, wellness activities, gorgeous parks and museums, this county is a vibrant city-scape waiting to be explored. If you’re planning a trip to Orange County in California here are some unique ideas to add to your list.

See also: How to Experience Fall in California

Feel free to jump ahead!

Eat at the Packing District

Food, food and more delectable food! The Packing District offers a unique experience to those wanting to dine with fair-food vibe in mind. The two story building houses numerous eateries and shops, creating a bustling and electric environment for foodies to indulge their taste buds in. From cotton-candy towering over boba tea, to fish and chips, and delicate French pastries — the Packing House is a haven for foodies.

There are also options for specialize diets too (e.g. vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free travelers). Healthy Junk, a hot spot all vegan restaurant in Orange County, is an excellent restaurant to try. It also offers some gluten-free options.

Additionally, you’ll find more options at non-vegan restaurants, ranging from vegan grilled cheese, falafel plates, cauliflower ceviche, tacos and more.

While the food is notable, the location of the Packing District is quite unique as it’s situated around a pristine historic setting of an old railway packing house. The restored hardwood look, along with market lights strung from every rafter and beam, creates a warm and inviting spot. There are green spaces all throughout the Packing District, as well as numerous other historic buildings that have been preserved and maintained to enjoy.

Visit the Huntington Beach International Surf Museum

If you love museums, surfing, or the ocean, add the Huntington Beach International Surf Museum to your itinerary. This museum showcases the culture and art of surfing. It’s a small museum that offers various exhibits and events depending on the time of year.

A fun fact about this museum is the lady who founded it never actually surfed! More information about the museum can be found here. It’s closed Mondays, and open Tuesday to Sunday 12-5 pm.

Crystal Cove State Park

Known for its gorgeous coastlines, Crystal Cove State Park is a must for outdoor adventurist. It subtly reminds me of Santa Barbara with its pristine coastline one on side, and the vast wilderness for hiking on the other. In fact, it has over 2,400 acres of wilderness excellent for hiking. Stay hydrated as you hike the Moro Canyon Trail, or enjoy a night of camping under the beautiful stars.

Within the park you’ll also find the Crystal Cove, a sandy hot spot for scuba diving and swimming. Take a swim or explore the four tide pools located in this area. There’s Rocky Bight, Reef Point, Treasure Cove, and Pelican Point.

Mountain biking, surfing and stand up paddle boarding are also popular activities at Crystal Cove State Park.

Keep in mind when visiting the beach that there is a parking fee of $15 for the day.

Located in the city of Yorba Linda you’ll find the beautiful Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. Inside you’ll find galleries, permanent exhibits, films, and photographs all about Nixon and his presidency. The museum is extremely informative and has some interactive exhibits as well.

On the museum grounds, there’s a beautiful garden and a memorial for the Nixons. Venture into the old Marine One helicopter that was used during Nixon’s presidency, and even walk through the childhood home of Richard Nixon, built by his father in 1912. Just be mindful not to touch anything, and if you’re tall like us, watch your heads, as some things aren’t as tall as they are nowadays (aka doors!).

While we enjoyed the library, our favorite parts were exploring the house, helicopter and garden. The gardens were absolutely stunning! Enjoying these outdoor exhibits really helped us understand the experience of Nixon’s whole life, starting with how he grew up to his presidency and after it.

If you love museums, I highly recommend adding this to your bucket list as it an excellent activity for a date day.

Check the website to stay up to date on Covid guidelines to plan your visit.

Enjoy a multiple beach, beach-day

Orange County is known for its beaches. You can’t visit Orange County without spending a day or a couple hours at the beach. During the summer, the beaches get packed with out-of towners fleeing to escape the inland heat and cool down by the water, but don’t let that stop you!

With 6 beautiful beaches and various vibes, there’s miles of relaxing spots to explore. The beaches in OC include:

• Newport Beach
• Huntington Beach
• Laguna Beach
• Seal Beach
• San Clemente Beach
• Dana Point

If I had to choose my all around favorite beach, that would be a tough one. I’d say either Dana Point or Newport Beach, but each beach is wonderful with its own respective vibes! For nightlife, bonfires and playing beach volleyball, Newport and Huntington Beach are the best.

Laguna Beach is more centered around the arts and delicious dining experiences. Dana Point also has tasty eateries, great surf spots and is well-known for its whale watching excursions.

San Clemente is also a popular spot for waves, and is a great location for camping. The most popular spot is San Clemente State Beach Campground. I haven’t explored Seal Beach as much, but this area exudes down-to-earth vibes with its expansive beaches and nice waves. It’s great for sandcastle sculpting, surfing and various other water sports.

If you have only a weekend to experience the beaches in OC, pick one or two beaches. I’d recommend start with lunch at Laguna or Dana Point, then heading to Newport or Huntington Beach to enjoy an afternoon beach day.

Note: Newport and Huntington Beach do get crowded during the summer, so fire pits go fast. Get there early to snag a spot.

Take a coastal walk around Laguna Beach

Noel Morata from Travel Photo Discovery says another fun thing to do in Orange County is to take a nice hike around the coastal areas — and what is more appropriate than hiking around Laguna Beach! The beach areas are blessed with stunning beauty and gorgeous coastal landscapes.

Filled with wonderful Mediterranean and California native plants, the coastal walks here are extremely colorful and full of IG-worthy fun moments to capture. You can do a more active workout (fast-walking) or take a leisurely walk if you enjoy seeing the views and capturing some wonderful spots to take a few pictures.

From the main beach area off downtown, you can head either direction on paved asphalt pathways with the most scenic walks going uphill on the right hand side. Follow these paths through some wonderful coves and secluded beaches. The trail goes on for as long as you want to. Find a spot to enjoy the active beach scene or just relax and do some sun tanning close to the waters edge.

There is much to explore in Laguna Beach with its vast coastal areas and its colorful downtown city.

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Bonfire at Newport or Huntington Beach

Bonfire nights are the best! Growing up in SoCal, I spent most of my summer weekends at the beach. From full blown beach days, to raging bonfire nights (don’t worry we didn’t get that crazy). If you’re new to the scene, there’s a couple things to be mindful of when planning a bonfire at the beach.

Tips for an epic bonfire

Get there early. During summer or holidays (July 4th, Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend) the fire pits and rings fill up fast, as everyone is trying to make a break for the beach.

Bring your own firewood. There are stores nearby where you can buy firewood, but sometimes they do sell out. They prices are also more expensive near the beach versus if you were to stop by a grocery store on the way in. It’s not the end of the world if you have to buy some at the beach, as I’ve had to buy some before. But you do run the risk of not having any, especially if its around a holiday like July 4th or Labor Day weekend.

Pack your smores. Vegan chocolate and marshmallows, graham crackers — yum! Whatever you want to roast, make sure to pack it. We’ve roasted veggies (which turned out great!), classic hotdogs, hamburgers and more.

Bring a jacket. Nighttime at the beach get pretty chilly, so be sure to pack a jacket.

Bring a blanket. Again, it gets cold! Also, fires and blankets pair nicely together, it’s like snuggle weather all year long.

Explore Downtown Disney

There’s a reason why everyone flocks to Disneyland anytime of the year — it’s MAGICAL! But if you’re looking for more unique things to do in Orange County, you may want to cross Disneyland off the list. I know, I said it! It was quite painful, as I’m a giant Disney fanatic. However, instead of exploring the park, consider venturing through Downtown Disney instead (or skipping altogether, having a Disney stay-cation later at home).

Here you’ll find delicious eateries, outdoor shopping and still all things Disney. It’s open from 8 am – 11 pm. This fun atmosphere is almost as magical as Disneyland, but makes for some great brunches, happy hours and an evening on the town.

Some of my favorite restaurants for vegans are:

• Uva Bar & Café
• Catal Restaurant
• Salt & Straw
• Jamba Juice

These are just a few, but more can be found here.

Yorba Linda Regional Park

Yorba Linda Regional Park is a gigantic and beautiful park about 140 acres. Throughout the park you’ll find various activities for any outdoor enthusiast. If you love picnics, this park is the prime picnic spot! For some simple lunch ideas for picnics read this easy lunch idea guide.

There’s biking trails, playground areas, picnic tables and a surplus of grassy areas to play frisbee and more. They even have a volleyball courts!

Take a stroll around the park after devouring your tasty picnic. Or venture over here after grabbing a meal at the Packing House. Wander around the beautiful lakes and leisurely stroll through the various walking paths.

More unique things to do in Orange County

This is just the start of the unique things to do in OC! The county is huge, which means there is an abundance of fun activities to explore. Here’s a couple more things to do:

• Sky Zone Anaheim Indoor Trampoline Park
• Flightdeck Flight Simulation Center
• Explore CTR city
• OC Fair (seasonal)
• Explore the Christmas market at Roger’s Garden

Have you been to Orange County, California before? What’s the most unique thing you’ve done here or want to do?

Travel resources for California

• 14 Beautiful Southern California Cities
• 12 Interesting Things to do in Morro Bay
• The Best Hiking Trails in Santa Barbara
• The Top Hikes to do in Yosemite

Wellness resources for travel

• Easy Yoga Stretches for Every Traveler
• The Best Self-Care Essential for Travel & Wellness
• Whole Food Plant Based: What is it? Plus Meal Ideas
• Traveling with Pain — Here’s What to do