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Guide to Santa Ana-Orange County, USA - California
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Click to go to Flight Prices for Santa Ana-Orange County
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Santa Ana-Orange CountyThe largest of the Orange County family, Santa Ana, a city roughly 10 miles from the warm Pacific American coastline, is where the cool, the casual, and the eccentric come to play. A well-kempt city-town with a lot less to show for than its northwesterly cousin, Los Angeles, and much less pollution to boot, there's much to love about Santa Ana, its people, even its natural surroundings. With its western half cut clean by the steady Santa Ana River, which is accompanied by the smaller and more sanctuarian Santiago Creek a few miles out, the city appears the exceptional locale for all things good in Southern California. The populace which casts scorn at the idea of a large metropolis bound many harmful sociological consider Santa Ana a diamond in the ruff, surrounded by stalwart network of state parks, clean roadways, and quite admirable views. This is, of course, wholeheartedly accepted by the city and its people, and though it continues to grow as an influx of business and venture dollars arrive at its door, it has yet to lose its "compactness" appeal. Those fleeing the oppressive, chaotic, and traffic-laden centers of the world will certainly do well in Orange County's star. History has shown Santa Ana to make interesting and influential turns throughout its lifetime, often to the praise of state body, occasionally as an opposing party. Its courthouse, or many city dwellers prefer, the Old Orange County Courthouse, is the most symbolic and memorialized of Santa Ana's landmarks, a frequently restored but justly adored establishment where justice and controversy both had their share in the spotlight. In all, Santa Ana is a great place to go if kicking back is foremost on your agenda, but you'd also enjoy the friendliness and convenience of having many of the amenities of a metropolitan area nearby.
When to go:
Stuck between hot and warm settings throughout much of the year, there's not a lot of change in Santa Ana in the way of climate; only repeat weather patterns are worth noting. If you're good with forecasts, you'll come to discover that the city is driest at mid-year, when things get rather steam, though much of the excess heat drifts out of the mountainous region fairly quickly. Spring and autumn offer dry stints themselves, but both hold greater chance at showing off their stormy strength in extensive downpours. You won't find snow here in winter. However, a good chill comes around on occasion, creating unwanted shivers in the early morning and night. California? Cold? Oh my.
Getting there and around:
John Wayne Airport, named after - yep, you guessed it! - the famous western character, is a strictly regional terminal. With no direct access to any distant international cities, travelers often find it easier to connect with LAX and drive the ~30 miles to Santa Ana. An easily navigable grid blankets the landscape of Santa Ana, making for easy ground travel no matter what method one may take. If you're looking to see the suburbs on your own watch, a rental car is certainly a good thing to have. Buses run throughout the entire metropolitan area, though recycle times grow less frequent the further one gets from the city center. Taxis are a pricy option.
Attractions:
Both Broadway and Civic Center Drive are the most sought after locales within Santa Ana among tourists, whose searches for history, architecture bring them to these avenues. The western half of Santa Ana as a whole is the most traveled sectors of the city.
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