Orange County

Orange County, California is a county in Southern California. A patchwork of 34 independent municipalities, Orange County's population is one of the most culturally diverse in the world. Orange County's terrific and irrefutable reputation as a tourist destination recently got it its own TV series, The O.C. The county's main tourist draws are its beaches and of course its two theme parks, Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm.

Cities

There are many cities large and small in Orange County – here are a few of the major ones.

• Anaheim - Home of Disneyland, the Anaheim Ducks (National Hockey League) and Los Angeles Angels (Major League Baseball), second most populous
• Buena Park - The city known as the home of Knott's Berry Farm, lots of used car lots, gateway to Los Angeles.
• Fullerton- Home to Cal State Fullerton
• Huntington Beach - "Surf City". Huntington Beach has a long surfing tradition and famous beaches.
• Irvine - One of youngest and the largest city in terms of land size. A somewhat gentrified community with a significant Asian-American heritage.
• Laguna Niguel - one of the larger and more wealthy/exclusive communities in south Orange County, the city has most parks per square mile in the county and home to the Chet Holifield Federal Building.
• Newport Beach - one of the richest communities in the nation, and the setting of The O.C.
• Santa Ana - one of the oldest and largest cities in Orange County, with a tremendous Mexican-American population and cultural influences.
• Seal Beach - A small beach town with a host of cute shops, awesome local restaurants, and a handful of Irish pubs mostly situated on Main Street.

Getting Here

The major airport for the region is Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Once you've collected your baggage, walk outside to the curb and select one of the many forms of transportation available at the airport (taxis, shared vans, car-rental shuttles, etc.). If you do not have baggage, all ground transportation away from the airport is accessed via the lower level at LAX.

The John Wayne airport has several airline carriers operating from this airport and it serves Orange County as a regional airport. It is in the City of Costa Mesa.

The other nearby airport is in the city of Long Beach. The Long Beach Airport is served by four carriers, the most significant of which is Jet Blue, mostly serving the west coast, and a few other cities in the south west, north east and Texas.

Orientation

Finding A Couch

Orange County is smaller than Los Angeles, but still quite spread out and densely developed causing confusion and frustration to the first-time visitors. When looking for a host to surf with, you may want to clarify exactly where he/she is located and how easily you can access public transportation during daytime work hours. Hosts in Orange County get less requests than in Los Angeles, but you should still contact several people directly two weeks before your intended arrival. Mass emailing is not appreciated and may not receive any replies. Try to personalize your request and take some time to read up on your host. If you still cannot find a host, contact a city ambassador or post an emergency couch request in the Orange County Last Minute/Emergency Couchsurfing group.

As a general rule for Couchsurfers, no matter which country you are in, it is highly recommended that you have a hostel/hotel in mind as a backup plan in case your host cannot accommodate you or a problem arises. Use common sense and be prepared as you would be if on your own.

Getting Around

Public Transit (Bus/Subway System)

Public transportation in Orange County is much worse than in Los Angeles is limited to only major streets and all service is normally stopped by 11 pm. OC Transit is the main system for Orange County. You can search for public transit routes by entering your current location (i.e main intersection) and your destination. There are a few other bus companies that provide service to Orange County and they will show up if you use the search website.

Bus drivers do not carry change, so you should have the exact cash fare when you board. If you do not want to use any form of public transportation, car rentals are recommended since taxis can be fairly expensive, especially during rush hour or high traffic.

Regional Passenger Train

Metro Link is the regional passenger connection system, a train system connecting Orange County with adjacent counties which goes as far south as San Diego County, as far east as San Bernadino and Riverside Counties and as far north as Los Angeles and Ventura County. Major destinations it would connect you to include Anaheim (Disneyland), San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente in Orange County, just north of the San Diego county line, Downtown Los Angeles and the Burbank-Bob Hope Airport.

Tips

If you plan on staying in California for at least a month, consider buying a SIM card or a pay-as-you-go phone. You can purchase one at Target for as cheap as $20 USD which includes a SIM card, a charger and the phone.

Wireless Internet / Hotspots

These are all free options for internet and wifi access in the Los Angeles. Some are open 24 hours or access is available outside the buildings after hours.

• Public libraries

• Most hotels and hostels, some larger malls/shopping centers

• Vons, Pavillions, Ralph supermarkets (certain locations) and Whole Foods supermarkets

• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (may require purchase), most McDonald's (with and without purchase), and nearly all stand-alone Starbucks

Events

Need to update section to show Orange County Events and Locations. These listed need to be moved to removed as they are all in Los Angeles County.

Couchsurfing

Check the Orange County Group on CS to keep up to date with L.A. CouchSurfer activities. It is a good idea to contact one or two active members personally to know if there is anything going on. Do not post couch requests in this group.

Monthly Events

• ArtWalk - second Thursday each month

Festivals and Holidays

February - Chinese New Year

April - Thai New Year

May - Cinco de Mayo

June - LA Pride

July - Independence Day

Listings

• LA Weekly - a free newspaper featuring a large listing of cultural events and leisure activities in Los Angeles.
• Yelp LA
• Gridskipper LA

Things to do

L.A. In 24 Hours

When CouchSurfers have only one or two days to spend touring Los Angeles, it's usually recommended to them that they select from the landmarks on this list:

• Olvera Street (El Pueblo)
• Venice Beach Boardwalk
• Santa Monica Pier and 3rd Street Promenade
• LACMA - LA County Museum of Art, and the La Brea Tar Pits
• Melrose Blvd. for shopping and people watching (daytime).
• The Getty Center
• Universal Studios
• Griffith Observatory
• Corner of Hollywood and Highland, and the Chinese Theater

Sightseeing

L.A. has some interesting places to hang out and get to know other people:

• The Farmers Market at Fairfax and 3rd
• Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica
• Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills - famous upscale shopping district
• Thai Town
• Hollywood Forever - cemetery of celebrities, including Mel Blanc who provided the voice for Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck
• Watts Towers

Hiking

There are lots of hiking trails around Los Angeles. North of Santa Monica near the Pacific Coastal Highway, Topanga State Park (parking $6) has an easy 3.5 mile loop with an outlook at Eagle Rock. Will Rogers State Park and Temescal Canyon are also located nearby. For the best view of the city, Runyon Canyon is an off-leash dog park that is popular amongst screenwriters and actors. It is only a 45-minute hike and the entrance is located two blocks west of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Another place of interest is Catalina Island, which is great for camping or you can visit it for a full-day trip.

Museums

There are many interesting museums located around Los Angeles. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is quite popular and is open every day except Wednesday. Conveniently located next to LACMA are the La Brea Tar Pits. The Getty Center is another popular art museum located near Westwood off the 405 freeway. The Center is open every day except Monday and admission is free. The Getty Villa in Malibu, however, requires reservation but is also free to the public. Parking at both facilities costs $15.

Theme Parks

Six Flags California/Magic Mountain, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knott's Berry Farm are popular theme parks for tourists.

Volunteering

• Food Not Bombs - Serving healthy, vegan meals to the homeless every Thursday and Sunday at Pershing Square
• Food On Foot - Feeding the homeless around Hollywood every Sunday
• Tree People
• Habitat Work - Weekend backpacking trips mainly involving the removal of invasive plants on the Wind Wolves Preserve in Los Padres National Forest.

Places to Eat

Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

Here are some of the Los Angeles Couch Surfers' favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurants...

San Fernando Valley:

• Follow Your Heart (vegetarian and vegan) - 21825 Sherman Way, Canoga Park, CA

• Leonor's Restaurant (vegetarian) - 11403 Victory Boulevard, North Hollywood CA

• Madeleine Bistro (organic vegan) - 18621 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA

• Vegetable Delight (vegetarian "mock meat" Chinese) - 17823 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, CA 91344

Westside:

• Real Food Daily (organic vegan) - 514 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401

West Hollywood:

• Real Food Daily (organic vegan) - 414 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048

• Veggie Grill (vegan) - 8000 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

Silverlake:

• Cru (vegan and raw food) - 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Los Angeles:

• Pure Luck (vegetarian) - 707 N Heliotrope Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90029

• Mani's Bakery (vegetarian and vegan options) - 519 S. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90036

El Segundo:

• Veggie Grill (vegan) - Plaza El Segundo 720 Allied Way, El Segundo, CA 90245

Redondo Beach:

• Happy Veggie (Asian vegetarian) - 709 N. Pacific Coast Highway Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Late Night Eats: Open All Night or 24 hours

Hollywood:

• Kitchen 24 (diner, open late) - 1608 N. Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

• Fred 62 (diner, always open) - 1850 N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Silverlake:

• Astro Family Restaurant (diner, open late), 2300 Fletcher Drive, Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles:

• Canter's Delicatessen (deli, always open) - 419 North Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90036

Downtown:

• The Pantry Cafe (diner, always open) - 877 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90017

Manhattan Beach:

• The Kettle (diner, always open) - 1138 Highland Avenue Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Resturant Reviews

• Yelp

Getting Away

Transportation

Flights to San Francisco or San Diego can easily be purchased online from SouthWest Airlines or use BookingBuddy to compare prices. Trains and connecting buses on Amtrak or Bus lines such as Greyhound are also options. You can also check the Craigslist Rideshare page or post a request on the CS California Ride Share Group.

Destinations near Orange County

Los Angeles is the largest city in the region and about 1 hour north of Orange County by car. Within 200miles / 350 km you can reach Palm Springs, Coachella Valley and Joshua Tree National Park are east and can be reached via Interstate 10. Towards the northwest, Santa Barbara and Solvang can be reached via Pacific Coastal Highway 1. Also known as Highway 1, it is a famous scenic seaside route that extends into and through The Big Sur. In the southeast, Temecula is a great place to go wine tasting. From there, you can visit the Salton Sea and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, close to San Diego. To reach San Diego, you can drive south for two hours via Interstate 5. Tijuana, a small city on the border of Mexico, is also popular with tourists.

Emergency Services

Info-Line(Information & Assistance) 24-hours/day - 7 days/week	1 800 339 6993
Fire/Police/Ambulance (Emergency)	911
Rape Treatment Center – Santa Monica, UCLA Medical Center (24-hour)	310 319 4000
Los Angeles County Disaster Hotline	800 980 4990

Non-Emergency & Advisory Services

Embassies & Consulates

Use the Department of State's website for full listings of all embassies and consulates in the United States. A commercial website offers information on Consulates and Embassies for Los Angeles here but there is no way of knowing how complete or accurate this information may be.

Last-minute Accommodation

Hostels & Hotels

Agencies Unlike small compact cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles is a large sprawling metropolitan area that blends into surrounding cities and counties. Even by car, it can take two hours to get from one end to the other. When selecting a hostel, check that it's in the area you want to explore.

http://www.twizi.com/losangeleshostels.htm Includes an over all map of where all their hostels are located.

http://www.lahostels.org/ They have hostels in three areas of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, South Bay and Fullerton (Orange County). There also have a "Travel Store" with classes for new travelers, Eurorail and Amtrak passes, and shuttles around the southwest.

http://www.hostels.com/los-angeles/usa

http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/usa/los-angeles/

http://www.usahostels.com/hollywood/

Many hostels listed with an agnecy may also have there own website. You may wish to check the individual website to see if the price is any better.

Individual Hostels

Hosteling International Santa Monica Good location in Santa Monica and close to Venice Beach. Lots of shops, pubs and is next to the beach. Third Street Promenade is also close.

The LA Adventurer Not in a prime location but have clean and spacious rooms. Living room, small kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Dorm options available as well. Free 24-hour shuttle from airport, free wireless. Access to pool and restaurant, including free continental breakfast and afternoon tea. Free champagne and appetizers from 5-6 pm.

Vibe Hotel Situated on Hollywood and Vine, close to Hollywood attractions. Very modern and clean.

Orbit Hotel/Hostel Rooms are not impressive but are typically dorms. Free parking. The staff is friendly and helpful. The location is quite nice, especially for people who travel alone or are more concerned with general safety. Good walk to various destinations. Located at Melrose and Fairfax.

Venice Beach Hotel The location is close to the beach and Venice boardwalk.

Surf City Hostel Prime location but noisy and busy neighborhood espeically during weekends. Artsy atmosphere and sits above a local bar/club. Right next to the beach and the Hermosa Beach Pier. Live music, DJs in the surrounding area.

Orange Manor Hollywood Quiet, great location for Hollywood sightseeing and close to Metro.