Diversions >>

• Best Park
  Huntington Beach Central Park
  This expanse may not have the acreage or wildlife population to compete with some of Orange County's larger rural parks, but for a suburban oasis, it has no competitors. Sure, you could make the drive out to some of the county's unspoiled wildernesses to feel like you're away from... More >>
• Best Beach
  Treasure Island Beach and Blufftop Park
  Everyone hates vacation resorts popping up in their back yard, but when Montage Resort & Spa appeared, it brought the Treasure Island Blufftop Park (and an underground public parking structure!) with it. While the actual beach isn't too easy to get to—hiking across rocks during... More >>
• Best Place to Go for a Run
  Mile Square Park
  While most of us go out of our way to not run, there is a select segment of our society that actually seeks out this kind of physical activity. For those strange, strange people, Fountain Valley's Mile Square Park provides a lovely opportunity to work the cardiovascular system and keep good... More >>
• Best Nature Trail
  Holy Jim Canyon
  Finding a cool natural pool and serene waterfalls in the middle of a deep, hot canyon after hiking along a wooded trail dotted by a few rustic, self-powered wooded cabins and giant oaks is Holy Jim's reward. Getting to the trailhead can be a little bumpy because the road leading to the trail... More >>
• Best Picnic Spot
  Hilltop Park
  On most days, you'll see nothing here but smog—Los Angeles, after all. But Hilltop Park, at the tiptop of Signal Hill, has the very best views in the county. On a clear day, which, sorry to say, isn't all too often these days, you'll be able to see right out to the ocean,... More >>
• Best Rustic Campsite
  El Moro Canyon
  Don't make the mistake of showing up at this Crystal Cove State Park campsite expecting to pitch a tent on the beach, a few hundred yards from your car. The beauty of El Moro Canyon, the friskier and rarely explored side of Crystal Cove, is that you have to work (about a 3-mile climb up from... More >>
• Best Beach Camping
  San Clemente State Beach
  If you're craving something not too crowded, slightly hidden and right up against the beach, head to San Clemente State Beach for camping and skip that other, busier beach-camping spot. There are 160 spots to choose from, all close to the sleepy 1-mile stretch of beach that is home to both... More >>
• Best Way to See the True Wealth of Newport Beach
  Newport Back Bay Loop Trail
  If it weren't for the sight of the occasional modern housing development, the 10.5-mile Newport Back Bay loop would be almost like unspoiled backcountry. Curving around Upper Newport Bay, where flora and fauna spring up around the bay's salt-and-freshwater mix, the trail is quiet enough,... More >>
• Best Place to Ogle Coots Ogling Coots
  Bolsa Chica Wetlands Preserve
  We have come not to watch avocets, mallards or eared grebes, but to observe the creatures who observe our feathered friends. First, point your binoculars at the American coot (Fulica americana) lazily floating in the marsh. Now pan across and lock in on a different coot, the American Bird... More >>
• Best Dog Park
  Central Bark
  Rave about our wonderful dog beaches at Huntington Beach and Belmont Shore, and we'll certainly join you. Trouble is, a beach is a beach, which means typical beach hassles—for you, that means gunking yourself up with SPF-50, dealing with overcrowded parking lots, and rolling your eyes... More >>
• Best Angels Player
  Francisco Rodriguez
  Damn you, Cliff Lee! This season's Cy Young winners won't be announced for several more weeks, but the award for the American League's best pitcher is almost certainly going to Lee, the Cleveland Indians starter who won his 20th game when he had a scant two losses. If it weren't... More >>
• Best Hunk of Manflesh in Spikes
  Jon Garland
  Let's face it, watching baseball can be pretty dull. But throw a sexy man on the field, and things suddenly get interesting. Take the Angels' Jon Garland, for example. One word can describe this heartthrob: meow. The starting pitcher always heats up the infield with his winsome, crooked... More >>
• Best Ducks Player
  Chris Pronger
  Without team captain Chris Pronger, obtained from Edmonton in a sweet 2006 trade, Anaheim would not have won their first and, so far, only Stanley Cup in '07. After being drafted in the second round by Hartford in 1993, the 6-foot-6, 213-pound bruiser was labeled impatient, immature and... More >>
• Best Proponents of Silver and Black Behind the Orange Curtain
  Raiders Boosters of Orange County
  This season marks the 25th anniversary of the Raiders Boosters of Orange County. (The Oakland Raiders are the only NFL franchise that formally authorizes such groups.) The Boosters organize trips for Raiders fanatics in OC to Napa for preseason festivities, Oakland for certain home games and,... More >>
• Best Coach
  John Speraw, UC Irvine Men's Volleyball
  This year, Speraw gets our nod for many reasons. For starters, he's got two things that, say, Mike Scioscia (a perennial favorite in this category) doesn't. First, there's the NCAA Championship, which Speraw's setters, spikers and liberos (don't ask, it's complicated) won... More >>
• Best College Player
  Scott Cutley, Cal State Fullerton Basketball
  Ah, the Titans-Eaters rivalry. Last year, it was all about the horsehide, with UC Irvine's nine breaking through Fullerton's long diamond dominance on their way to the semifinals of the College World Series. (Which pissed off Titans AD Brian Quinn so bad that he went out and hired away... More >>
• Best Ride at Disneyland (1 Comment)
  Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
  Located in Fantasyland (long derided by cool people as a haven for toddlers/hippie-flippers only), Mr Toad's Wild Ride doesn't have the technological wonders of Star Tours or the thrill-ride rush of Indiana Jones or Space Mountain. What elevates it above these other rides, however, is... More >>
• Best Surf Spot
  Lowers
  Don't just take the word of us kneeboarders at the Weekly about Lower Trestles. Within the past year, the Los Angeles "By God" Times dubbed it the best surfing spot in Southern California. An Orange County Register blog post also tagged it as best—on the mainland U.S. And... More >>
• Best Golf Course
  San Clemente Golf Club
  Green fees at this 18-hole, Billy Bell-designed municipal golf course equal what you'd tip the bag boys at private or overpriced public clubs. And even the links for the upper-snothead set that hug the coast can't beat the "Pride of the Pacific" when it comes to stunningly... More >>
• Best Arcade (1 Comment)
  Nickel! Nickel!
  What could be better than spending an afternoon eating cheap pizza and playing video games? Spending an afternoon eating cheap pizza and playing video games for only 5 cents apiece. For $3.50 regular admission ($1 on Tuesdays), OC residents can spend an afternoon in the cool air conditioning of... More >>
• Best Gym (1 Comment)
  Extreme Boot Camp
  Gyms in Orange County range from hole-in-the-wall to ridiculously plush. But is the setting all that important when you're truly serious about getting into shape? That's what we thought. So why pussyfoot around? Enlist in Sofee Beer's Extreme Boot Camp, based in Laguna Niguel. There,... More >>
• Best Place to Let the Kids Bounce Off the Walls
  Hullabaloos Clubhouse
  Need a place to let the kids run wild when it's too hot, too rainy, too whatever? Searching for a "bribe spot" that doesn't involve singing vermin? Since 2005, parents have been singing praises to Hullabaloos Clubhouse. There's a rock-climbing wall; an inflatable obstacle... More >>
• Best Blow Job
  Great Park Balloon
  Inactivity. Cronyism. Money pitness. Toxicity. Larry Agran. There are many reasons to be wary of Irvine's Great Park, but one thing is undeniable: It is pretty cool being 400 feet up in the air in a tethered balloon that gives a 360-degree view of the old El Toro Marine Corps Air Station... More >>
• Best Driving Range
  The Islands Golf Center
  Imagine hitting golf balls over a placid sea while aiming for lush green islands that peek through crystal-blue water. Imagine the splash of the water when the island is missed—and the feeling of accomplishment you'd get when that friendly plunk was absent. Such a place would be a... More >>
• Best Batting Cages
  Home Run Park
  Every now and again, people need to release their frustrations. Punching others in the face is one option, although it can sometimes lead to hefty medical bills and possible jail time. This, and the need for sporting practice, is why batting cages were created. And Home Run Park in Anaheim is... More >>
• Best Day Trip
  Tijuana
  As Southern Californians, we enjoy a close proximity to Mexico, our scruffy neighbor to the south. With so much hysterical attention being paid to the influx of Mexican immigrants into our country, it's important to remember that we can cross their border, too. Never more than a few hours... More >>
• Best Weekend Getaway
  San Luis Obispo
  Orange County getting you down? Can you afford a few tanks of gas? Well, how about if you get someone to go with you and chip in? Okay, then San Luis Obispo is where you want to be. Located about a four-and-a-half-hour drive north of the county line, it's a beautiful slice of Central... More >>
• Best Place to Pick Up Modeling Tips
  Goat Hill Junction at Fairview Park
  Every third weekend of the month since 1989, the Orange County Model Engineers host free train rides on 1.5-, 2.5- and 3.5-scale equipment. It's like riding on Grandpa's old train set! Wind through wildflowers, past the Costa Mesa golf course and the occasional birthday party in the... More >>
• Best Place to Go Fishing
  Irvine Lake
  Okay, so it's not a real lake. But almost. The big blue body o' water formerly known as the Santiago Reservoir was formed by the Santiago Dam (built by none other than, you guessed, the Irvine Co.) in 1931 and was opened to all for fishing fun 10 years later. The Santiago Creek still... More >>
• Best Place to Lose a Finger
  Aquarium of the Pacific
  Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Aquarium of the Pacific has helped to make Long Beach a tourist destination for families from Southern California and beyond. Many, however, aren't aware of the fun tours it offers that many other aquariums—we're looking at you,... More >>
• Best Place to Mountain Bike
  Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park
  "Woods" features an extensive network of trails offering various types of terrain for all skill levels. There are so many ride options, legal and otherwise, that even the strongest ironman cannot possibly pedal everything in a day. This is why folks return, early and often—and... More >>
• Best Place to See More Than Three Stars
  Trail Behind Bonita Canyon Elementary, Irvine
  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... More >>
• Best Place to Do Mushrooms
  Top of the World Park
  While under the influence of hallucinogenics, one can find a supreme calm in being among nature. Viewing the swaying of leaves in the breeze can dazzle the eye, while the lapping ocean waves can simply knock your friggin' socks off. Unfortunately, society doesn't take too kindly to... More >>
• Best Cheap Thrill (3 Comments)
  Stand-Up Paddle Boarding
  Wake up on a Saturday morning and tell your girlfriend you're going to Ku Ku Hoe, and she won't necessarily scream. If she's hip to the latest hot sport in SoCal, she'll know the Hawaiian term for stand-up paddle boarding has nothing to do with the ladies in the back pages of the... More >>
• Best Not-So-Cheap Thrill
  BiPlane Fun
  Westminster-based BiPlane Fun provides scenic rides along the coast in a restored 1943 World War II Stearman Biplane. You can request as many loops, rolls and spins as your stomach can take, as each flight is personally customized to the lone passenger. But this is no inexpensive ride. The cost... More >>
• Best Really, Really Expensive Thrill
  Space Trip
  Why buy a third Ferrari with the extra $200,000 you've got sitting around when you now have the opportunity to do something really special? Yes, we're talking space travel here. We're not kidding. Microsoft billionaire Richard Allen and Richard Branson, the inventive... More >>