Things to Do in SoCal

Please welcome Julie from Girl on the Move- as she shares with us her experiences in travelling from place to place and sampling all that life offers. Today she's stopping in with a little 'insider info' about what to see when visiting Southern California, which is great because that's where I flew to on Thursday!

Thanks Julie for sharing this great post!!
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I feel fortunate enough to have been able to grow up in Southern California and outside of seven years I lived on the East Coast after college, I’ve been in SoCal ever since!  We have beautiful weather, great food, beaches, mountains, desert, and so much more.


Entertainment
Disneyland – It would be impossible to write up a list of things to do in Southern California without including Disneyland…and California Adventure!  They say that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth and I have to say that I agree!  There are so many great places to eat at the park, fun rides, and a magical atmosphere!

Knott’s Berry Farm – Geographically, Knott’s Berry Farm is not too far from Disneyland, but these two parks are quite different!  Knott’s offers more thrilling rides including a roller coaster that goes from 0 to 82 mph in 2.3 seconds and at it’s highest point is more than 200-feet in the air!  Visiting Knott’s also allows you to explore California’s history as visit the Ghost Town and pan for gold!

Long Beach Aquarium – A fun aquarium in Rainbow Harbor with touch tanks, penguins and so much more!  One of the things I love most about this aquarium is that it is staffed by volunteers passionate about sea life.  If you’re able to stop by an exhibit while the divers are in the tanks I would encourage you to do so because they can be very informative and entertaining!

San Diego Wild Animal Park – I absolutely love visiting the San Diego Wild Animal Park because it allows you to experience the animals in an environment that more closely resembles their natural habitat than a zoo….but prepared for a fair amount of walking!

The Great Outdoors
The beach – You can’t go to Southern California and skip the beach!  My favorite beach to visit is Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City, because you can watch the surfers, enjoy lunch at Ruby’s on the pier, and walk up and down a Main Street filled with restaurants and stores.

Hollywood sign hike – There a quite a few places that you can visit to view the Hollywood sign, but none compare to seeing the sign from above the sign!  The hike also provides sweeping views of both the valley and the greater Los Angeles area…to put it simply, it’s breathtaking!

1000 Steps Beach – If you’re looking for another beach, check out 1000 Steps Beach in Laguna Beach. There is a great post about this beach over here… http://www.withlove-rachel.com/2014/04/1000-steps-beach.html

Yummy Food
Mexican food – Southern California offers some amazing Mexican food…seriously, it’s better than almost anywhere else in the country!  There is no way I could even begin to offer you a single restaurant recommendation because there are just so many good options to choose from, but I will say this…don’t limit yourself to the chains…some of the best Mexican food in SoCal is at the hole-in-the-wall restaurants!

In N Out – A California staple!  Enjoy fresh cut fries and a secret menu…just make sure you google the secret menu ahead of time!

Cupcakes - I would be remiss if I didn’t include all of the fabulous cupcakes that are available in Southern California!  If you head over to my Cupcakes Across America page, you can check out all of the great cupcakes in CA! http://girlonthemoveblog.com/cupcakes-across-america/