Finding the best Orange County restaurants to dine in while enjoying your vacation may not be an easy thing to do when you are in a strange place. With a little help, finding the place you want to dine can be easier than going it alone.

One area of Orange County that has some of the most under-publicized dining establishments is around beach communities like Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. This is an area where you can find creative options for fun eateries. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary, this is a good location. Many of the restaurants in this area are not terribly expensive and they have very well prepared and tasty food.

There are many Orange County restaurant choices that will thrill the kids. This is especially true in the area around Disneyland Park. Your kids will be thrilled to have breakfast with Disney characters and you will hear of nothing else for months. Except for maybe how they designed their own pizza for there are restaurants in this area that provide this option for the aspiring chefs among us. Adjacent to the park is Downtown Disney, a combination of shopping, restaurants and entertainment offerings. There is no charge to enter this area and there is even some free parking available on a limited basis. This could be a great way to find an interesting restaurant and do some shopping in the same evening.

The eateries in this area have a large selection of foods including Californian and Asian. There are quesadillas, cheeseburgers and even fountain treats for a wide variety of choices.

Sidewalk cafes are also an option when it comes to the Orange County restaurants in Anaheim. They are terrific for people watching while enjoying gourmet coffees and treats. The locals are so friendly, which can go a long way towards making you feel welcome. You’ll find restaurants on Harbor Boulevard and Katella Avenue, as well as at the Downtown Disney shopping district.

Orange County restaurants often specialize in Mexican fare. This can be an experience if you find one of the restaurants that is an actual Mexican hacienda. The atmosphere is only rivaled by the food that is served. These are usually fun places to let your hair down and enjoy traditional Mexican food. One of the best things about the dining in this area is it is not expensive. The prices are actually quite affordable. Quite a few cities boast terrific Mexican restaurants, as well as eateries offering many varieties of ethnic cuisine. Little Saigon in Westminster is home to many southeast Asian dining establishments.

There are several historic downtown areas that offer a concentration of eating and drinking opportunities. Those include the city of Orange and its historic Old Town Plaza area, downtown Fullerton around the railroad station, downtown Placentia and San Juan Capistrano near the mission. These dining districts can be reached by the Metrolink rail system, which means you can travel to Fullerton or San Juan Capistrano from Hollywood or downtown Los Angeles.

There are a lot of things to do and see while visiting the OC. There are some popular attractions that many people enjoy visiting and some are quite historical as well. The Mission San Juan Capistrano is considered the birthplace of the OC and is over 200 years old. It is a monument to how multi-cultural California is and it’s history. Another historical site to see is the Richard Nixon Library and birthplace of the former President of the United States. This is a great place for history and political buffs to see.

There are many other attractions to see while visiting Orange County. A popular one is the Flight deck Air Combat Center which is great for those people that are interested in all things related to aviation. This is a fun attraction for people traveling with kids too. If you prefer boats to planes, then be sure to take one of the several boat charters that go out to see the dolphins and the whales. Depending on the time of the year, you can see quite a few of these beautiful mammals of the ocean in their natural setting.

There are several different places to go visit and one of them is right off the coast of Orange County called Santa Catalina. It is a cluster of channel islands in a row off the coast and is a fun thing to do on a day trip. Another must see area is the sophisticated and beautiful ocean side town of Newport Beach. It has a lot of fun things to do such a great al fresco dining, yachting, and a lot of great shopping at several upscale boutiques. Newport Beach emulates what the OC is all about, the beach setting and the opulent lifestyles of the wealthy who live here.

Beaches are what really define Orange County and these areas have become better known to those that enjoyed the TV show The OC or the reality show called Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach does not have extensive beach areas due to the large cliffs that offer unbelievable views for the homeowners in their multi-million dollar homes. One beach that does offer extensive large beaches is the town of Huntington Beach, California. This also has a great city park system connected to it offering a lot of great outdoor activities for the more active visitors such as equestrian areas, golf, tennis, a marina and a wildlife preserve.