Orange County from North to South

Huntington Beach, Surf City, USA, with its iconic pier, is the furthest north of the county’s beach communities.
Anaheim may be inland, but it is where you will find Disneyland, can watch an MLB game at Angel Stadium, or dine at Anaheim Packing House.
Orange is just to the east of Anaheim. Old Town Orange’s streets are lined with antique and collectibles dealers, specialty shops, art galleries, and restaurants.
Newport Beach & Corona Del Mar are directly to the west of campus and the closest of the “beach cities” to Irvine.
Costa Mesa is fifteen minutes from campus and a cultural center with OCMA, South Coast Repertory, and Segerstrom Center for the Arts all calling it home. It’s also home to the OC Fair & Event Center, Southcoast Plaza, and a lot of good and unique restaurants and breweries like those at The CAMPand The Lab.
Santa Ana is fifteen to twenty minutes from campus and another cultural hot spot with the Frida Cinema, Heritage Museum of Orange County, Bowers Museum. It is also home to the Old OC Courthouse, SoCal’s oldest court building.
Laguna Beach is just south of Newport Beach and home to several arts festivals, beaches, parks, and restaurants. It’s about 25 minutes from campus.
Dana Point is home to the Dana Point Harbor, the Ocean Institute, and Doheny State Beach.
San Juan Capistrano: The Mission San Juan Capistrano is open to visitors and the nearby Los Rios Historic District is a charming spot for a stroll.

Unique Local Spots

Balboa Island and Fun Zone, Newport Beach: Take your pick of frozen banana stands, arcade games, and rides.
Duffy Boats, Newport Beach: Bring some friends, pack a picnic, and cruise around the Newport Beach Bay in an electric boat.
Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Beach: Celebrating its 90^th anniversary, the pageant performance brings famous works of art to life on the stage with actors staging famous works of art. The festival grounds also frequently host live music, art exhibitions, and food vendors.
Sawdust Art Festival, Laguna Beach: Over 160 local Laguna beach artists have handcrafted art for sale at the festival, which also has three stages of live music, complimentary art classes (including some specifically for kids), glassblowing, art demonstrations and a variety of outdoor dining and saloon offerings.

Crystal Cove State Park: Miles of beautiful beaches with access from parking lots at Pelican Point (Newport Coast Drive), Los Trancos, Reef Point, or El Morro. Local tip: The Butchery, Starbucks, or Trader Joe’s, which are all located in the nearby Crystal Cove shopping mall, are great spots to pick up snacks for the beach. There are also food concessions on the beach near the Los Trancos entry.
Corona Del Mar State Beach: A popular beach with swimmers, this half-mile long sandy beach is framed by cliffs and rock jetty that forms the east entrance to Newport Harbor.
Beaches of Laguna Beach: There are several beautiful ones to choose from. Main Beach, Fisherman’s Cove, and Woods Cove are great places to start.
Doheny State Beach (Dana Point): A great beach – especially for surfers.

Turtle Rock Trail and Bommer Canyon Trail: The trailheads for both these beautiful trails are very close to the law school. The ambitious can take the Bommer Canyon Trail to the point at which it connects to the trails of Crystal Cove State Park and hike all the way to the ocean.
Crystal Cove State Park: The park’s extensive hiking trails in the canyons behind the beach are best accessed by parking at the El Morro lot (inland side of Pacific Coast Highway at the southern edge of the park). Local tip: The Butchery, Starbucks, or Trader Joe’s located in the nearby Crystal Cove shopping mall are a great spot to pick up snacks before or after your hike.
Newport Beach Back Bay: walking trails, paddleboarding, and kayaking.
La Vida Laguna, Laguna Beach: surf, paddleboarding, kayaking and e-bike tours and rentals.
Dana Point Harbor: dolphin safaris and whale watching and paddle boarding.

Segerstrom Center of Arts
South Coast Repertory
Bowers Museum
Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) offers free admission to everyone (and will for 10 years) because of a generous donation.
Frida Cinema
Heritage Museum of Orange County

University Town Center: RIGHT across the street from the law school, this mall has restaurants, coffee shops, a movie theater, post office and FedEx centers, and a small Target
Irvine Spectrum Center
Fashion Island
South Coast Plaza
The Outlets at Orange

The City of Los Angeles is about 45 miles to the north (though be warned driving times can vary wildly depending on the day and time).
Universal Studios
Natural History Museum and its Butterfly Pavilion
California Science Center
The Getty, an art museum with fantastic hilltop views of the Los Angeles area and beautiful gardens, and the nearby The Getty Villa, which exhibits Greek and Roman antiquities in a re-created Roman country home, are both free to visit (all though reservations are required)
LA Philharmonic and Walt Disney Concert Hall
Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach (just south of LA)
Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Clarita (just north of LA)

San Diego is about 90 minutes to the south via the I-5 highway. Some of its highlights include historic Balboa Park, Old Town San Diego, USS Midway Museum, Little Italy and of course the San Diego Zoo.
Legoland California, Carlsbad is an especially good amusement park for kids 10 and under.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Escondido is northeast of the city but still in San Diego County. It is a large zoo in its own right and its many exhibits include a several-acre enclosure of grazing African animals, a California condor enclosure, and a family of platypuses.
MLB Padres Game at Petco Park
San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas