Diversions >>

• Best Coach (3 Comments)
  Harry Welch
  Don't listen to the naysayers who say the Tartans' 43-game winning streak—longest in OC prep football history—is a result of the tiny St. Margaret's Episcopal High School beating up on inferior competition. It takes a great coach to continue the San Juan Capistrano... More >>
• Best Ducks Player
  Jonas Hiller
  You can put a telephone book to guard the net whenever the Ducks play, and it'd become a star, so strong the hockey team's goalie tradition is, but the case of Hiller is particularly noteworthy. He came to the Ducks to replace Ilya Bryzgalov, a key component of the Ducks' 2007... More >>
• Best Angels Player
  Kendry Morales
  The Halos' front office gets scads of credit for its player development and acquisition strategies, and with some exceptions ([cough] Gary Matthews Jr. [cough]), such credit is deserved. But at the first-base position in 2009, they just plain got lucky. Yeah, give them their due for signing... More >>
• Best Up-and-Coming Beach-Volleyball Player
  April Ross
  The coolest thing about the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) is the accessibility of its players. Even the biggest names hang out with the crowd, talk to fans and sign autographs. And all you need when you head out to watch a tournament is sunglasses, sunscreen and flip-flops. You... More >>
• Best College Player
  Ryan Ammerman
  His nickname is "Ammo" and coaches at opposing colleges call him "a stud," but life on the volleyball court wasn't always easy for Ryan Ammerman. The 6-foot-9, UC Irvine social-sciences major struggled with inconsistent play as a junior on a team loaded with talent. But... More >>
• Best Yoga Studio (4 Comments)
  Huntington Beach Hot Yoga
  Hot yoga has become increasingly popular among fitness enthusiasts in recent years. The Bikram Method, designed for students of all ages and fitness levels, is a demanding series of 26 postures and two breathing exercises in a heated room (up to 110 degrees—if you have balls, expect to... More >>
• Best Gym (1 Comment)
  Newport Beach Athletic Club
  With a plethora of gyms to choose from in OC, Newport Beach Athletic Club (NBAC) stands out because of its high-class amenities, reasonable prices, laid-back atmosphere and unique traditions developed since its 1971 opening. Unlike many other gyms, NBAC won't lock you into long-term... More >>
• Best Cheap Thrill
  Puppies!
  Orange County loves its pets; the tiny-sweater shops and artisanal treat bakeries prove it. But no one said you have to have pets to love them. Bored? Out of work? Alone? We recommend a trip to your nearest dog park, dog beach or pet shop to play with and ogle the unleashed doggies (with their... More >>
• Best Not-So-Cheap Thrill
  A Villa at the Resort at Pelican Hill
  Billionaire real-estate developer Donald Bren has poured concrete over huge chunks of Orange County, but when it comes to building with impeccable style, no one does it better. That's why if you are looking to celebrate a special occasion with friends between a Sunday and a Wednesday and... More >>
• Best Nature Trail
  El Moro Canyon
  El Moro Canyon is a 2,200-acre chaparral canyon that's so gorgeous you'll forget you're only a few miles away from home. Part of Crystal Cove State Park and with 18 miles of campgrounds and hiking, biking and horse trails, you can spot breathtaking views of the ocean and Catalina... More >>
• Best Place to Mountain Bike
  Weir Canyon Trail
  This is a moderate-to-difficult mountain ride of cycle heaven. The double track cuts through Anaheim Hills, where Walnut Canyon Reservoir (sorry, no fishing), Anaheim Hills Golf Course and clusters of never-ending suburban sprawl suddenly become serene and tranquil. But don't stare too long:... More >>
• Best Place to Get Frostbite and Grass Burn at the Same Time
  Ice-Blocking at El Dorado Park
  Ice-blocking is the Orange County surrogate for actual seasons. Since the snow never falls here, but sliding down a hill is a universal joy, we make do with what we have—hills and ice. It's a stupid way to kill time with some friends, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than driving... More >>
• Best Park
  Bonita Canyon Sports Park and Arroyo Park
  Is it weird to give the same award to two separate parks? Yes, but no weirder than giving two separate parks the same name. Bonita Canyon Sports Park comprises both a larger area—which offers the baseball fields its name implies, along with an impeccably manicured (Newport Beach! Hello!),... More >>
• Best Dog Park
  Arbor Dog Park
  When it comes to play dates for your four-legged friends, good puppy mommies and daddies want to make sure their little ones can run free in a clean, safe environment. Arbor Dog Park provides these comforts and more with 2.5 acres of lush grass and shade trees, plus drinking fountains to hydrate... More >>
• Best Park for Kids
  William R. Mason Regional Park
  Originally part of the Rancho San Joaquin, this 345-acre park is as close as you can get to experiencing Orange County's presuburban, unspoiled beauty and still find yourself within the city limits of Irvine, which is ironic because this is the oldest completely manmade, preplanned park in... More >>
• Best Beach In Orange County
  Newport Beach Municipal Beach
  According to a recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, Orange County has some of the cleanest beaches in the country, and none is cleaner than those in Newport Beach, all of which received five-star rankings. Hygiene counts, and it helps to explain why this year's winning... More >>
• Best Beach As Brewery
  Table Rock
  Maybe it's the beach's relative seclusion, and maybe it's the fact that a cave sounds like a really sweet place to get wasted. Whatever the reason, this small patch of rocks, sand and cavern seems to attract the crowd for whom getting sun-baked goes along with getting sloshed and,... More >>
• Best Place to Play With Hundreds of Sea Anemones
  Crystal Cove State Park
  From the looming presence of hideous Newport Coast housing developments dripping with the worst of nouveau-riche decadence ("Mediterranean-style" homes, Italian street names, fooling no one), you wouldn't know that Crystal Cove and its magical tidal pools exist. But park your car,... More >>
• Best Surf Spot
  The Wedge
  Whoever said surfing is all about actually getting in the water, riding a board, and risking life and limb in a quest to harness Mother Nature's mystical energy? That's bogus: The best part of the sport is spectating. Two words of advice come with this winner, which is a world-famous... More >>
• Best Surf Forecasting Blog (2 Comments)
  SoCal Surf Forecast
  Written by professional meteorologist and surf forecaster Adam Wright, the SoCal Surf Forecast is the clearest, most concise blog of its kind in these parts. Wright updates religiously, providing visitors with information about tides, swells, wind speed, water temperatures, wave heights and much... More >>
• Best Picnic Spot
  Carbon Canyon Regional Park
  Sprawl is a four-letter word when you're stuck in traffic on the 57 freeway in North Orange County. But if you pull off at Lambert Road and head east, it will eventually turn into Carbon Canyon Road, and you'll enter another world entirely. Well, not entirely, as proven by the newer... More >>
• Best Free Picnic Spots Nearby
  Various locations on Carbon Canyon Road
  But who the hell can afford to pay $3 to $7 for parking in these cash-strapped days? Drive farther into the canyon on Carbon Canyon Road, past Carbon Canyon Regional Park, and you can find several fine spots for picnicking—IF you keep your eyes and mind open. Adjacent to a mobile-home park... More >>
• Best View
  Orange Hill Restaurant
  Yes, the food here is expensive, and yes, the drive up is kind of steep. And no, you are not allowed to park your own car. But the view makes it worth the experience. Settled on a hill above the city of Orange, Orange Hill Restaurant offers one of the highest views of Orange County, and they... More >>
• Best City to Take Out-of-Towners To
  Laguna Beach
  Oh, hey, there's a gallery with Dr. Seuss paintings! Well, look at that: a dance competition on the boardwalk! Real, live volleyball players at main beach! Beautiful people! Reality celebs! A walkable downtown! Scenery and glitz and food and art everywhere. Overheard: "Is this really... More >>
• Best Ride at Disneyland
  Space Mountain
  If you've ever had the displeasure of getting stuck on the ride and subsequently having the unfortunate opportunity of seeing the Space Mountain track in the light, we offer our condolences. It does kind of ruin the mystery when you get a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain and see... More >>
• Best Golf Course
  Coyote Hills Golf Course
  Let's just get this out of the way: The place is pricey at $100 per round on weekdays. But there comes a time in every golfer's life when you must avoid the army of hacks on the munis, when you want to be pampered by an attentive clubhouse staff (as opposed to having cigar smoke blown in... More >>
• Best Place to Stay Cool Without Getting Sand In Your Ass
  Wild Rivers
  Sure, the Lazy River water-to-urine ratio probably inches dangerously to the undesirable side, but it's a great place to go during the summer if you're not in the mood to deal with seaweed, sand anywhere and everywhere, and the possibility of getting mauled by a seal. And yes, the lines... More >>
• Best Cheap Bowling
  AMF Forest Lanes
  Bowling is the definition of a recreational sport. It consists entirely of hanging out with friends, sitting around in sweet clown shoes, often drinking, and occasionally throwing a ball and sitting back down. It's perfect. But with times being financially tight, it is key to find a good... More >>
• Best Day Trip
  Tijuana
  Every few years, a tabloidesque SoCal television-news operation (looking at you, Fox LA) alarms parents with over-the-top "investigations" that conclude today's Tijuana is the center of sin, and if your teens go there, they will not come back. Such bullshit; TJ has always been that... More >>
• Best Weekend Thrill
  Zip Lines at Big Bear Lake
  When you go on vacation, you usually want to do something memorable, like zip lining— the sport in which you buckle yourself into a harness that attaches to thick metal cables, and then zip from point to point while dangling up to 100 feet above the ground with only your gloved hand to act... More >>
• Best Weekend Getaway
  Lake Arrowhead
  Twenty million dollars can do a lot for a place. And it has done wonders for Lake Arrowhead. After being devastated by fires in 2003, the mountain community was in need of a reinvention; out of the ashes has sprung a beautiful mountain setting complete with boutique shops, outdoor recreation and... More >>