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By Root 1259 0

of MTV’s Laguna Beach and Fox’s The OC, Orange County went from humdrum to hip in just five short years. In fact, glamorous teens, glistening beaches and high school catfights have forced King Mickey to share the Orange County spotlight at the start of the new millennium. But the mouse isn’t worried. He knows today’s trash-watching teens will soon grow up, get married and bring their kiddies to Disneyland. And he’ll be ready with the latest in family-friendly attractions.

But Mickey and trendy teens are just a tiny part of the OC story. Three million people and 34 independent cities jostle for space in the county’s 798 sq miles, a huge swath of real estate stretching south from LA to San Diego. And while there’s a whiff of truth to stereotypical images of life behind ‘The Orange Curtain’ – big box mansions, nondescript neighborhoods, fortress-like shopping malls, blow-dried conservatives tossing Happy Meals from their humvees – there are deep pockets of individuality, beauty and open-mindedness keeping the OC ‘real.’ From Huntington Beach’s surfers keeping seaside sparkle with monthly clean-ups and Laguna’s city fathers promoting art festivals and gallery walks to Vietnamese and Latino immigrants seeking the American dream in Westminster and Santa Ana, there’s a lot to admire.

So make the most of Mickey’s hospitality, the 42 miles of shimmering coast and the world-class shopping malls, but take time to get off the beaten path to see what else makes Orange County thrive.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Waving at Mickey during the Disneyland Parade of Dreams then relaxing on a comfy couch in the stunning lobby of the Grand Californian

Checking out sexy surfers while pedaling the beach bike path in Huntington Beach

Slurping a frothy date shake at Ruby’s Crystal Cove Shake Shack just off a gorgeous stretch of the Pacific Coast Hwy

Fighting outrageous bed-hair inside the eye of a hurricane at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana

Enjoying bluff-top views of pounding aquamarine surf from Heisler Park in Laguna Beach

Camping on the beach at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point

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FAST FACTS

Population Orange County 3 million

Population Anaheim 342,410

Population Huntington Beach 189,594

Average temperatures Jan 44/65°F, Jul 61/80°F

Hollywood to Disneyland 34 miles

LAX to Disneyland 35 miles

Disneyland to Huntington Beach 16 miles

Seal Beach to Laguna Beach 30 miles

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HISTORY

Settlers began arriving en masse in Orange County after the Civil War, responding to the lure of cheap land and fertile fields. Rumor had it that almost anything could be grown in the rich soil, and many crops – such as oranges, apricots, corn, lemons, pumpkins, peaches and walnuts – did indeed thrive despite occasional irrigation and drought issues.

The Southern Pacific Railroad connected to Anaheim in 1875. When the Santa Fe Railroad reached Los Angeles in the mid-1880s, a rate war ensued and by 1886 travelers could reach the west coast from Kansas City on a $1 fare. Land deals were plentiful, and many of the sprawling cities we know today – Anaheim, Fullerton, Santa Ana – got their start at this time as farming communities. In 1886 land in Anaheim sold for about $175 per acre.

By the late 1880s citizens were ready to break free from Los Angeles County. In 1889 a state bill was introduced for the creation of the County of Orange, named after one of its most promising crops. LA wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about the break and lawsuits ensued. By June that year, however, its creation was confirmed, and the new county celebrated with fireworks and parades. Oil had been discovered in the area at about the same time, and by the 1890s it had become a thriving local industry. It is still going strong today, as evidenced by active pumps dotting the landscape.

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GETTING THERE & AROUND

Air

Coming from overseas, you’ll change flights and clear US Customs at one of the major western gateway airports such as LA, San Francisco, Chicago or Dallas. Airlines