If there's one advantage to Irvine being run by a giant company, it's that they've carefully planned its development (so far), leaving large swaths of land within the city limits untouched. At night, from the city's various hilltops, you can actually see the stars. One high-altitude gazing location is at the end of a path stretching through Bonita Canyon Elementary School in the Turtle Rock neighborhood. The path is paved part way—to a point where signs warning of possible mountain-lion attacks and rattlesnake bites signal the end of civilization and the beginning of Nature. Ignore those pesky warnings, flip on your flashlight and head up the steep dirt path. It ends at a relatively flat surface on a hilltop where telescopes can easily be set up for UFO hunting or wish making. Whichever tickles your fancy.