To travel south along the coast from Greater Los Angeles is a totally different experience than the travel north from there. Certainly, the coastline is beautiful in both directions, but where the northern reaches are given to older, more self-contained communities, rapidly giving way to a totally rural environment, the southern coast is a mecca for yuppies. This is where the large shopping malls can be found, the nouvelle cuisine, the jam-packed yacht harbors, the trendy art colonies, the all-glass churches, the manicured golf courses. This, perhaps, is the stereotypical southern California, a place where young men and women wear a perpetual tan, where surfboards and swim fins are two of the most common household appliances, and where every day affords the opportunity for new adventures. This guide explores the region in depth, with an emphasis on outdoor activities, from golf and birdwatching to wine tours, watersports and hiking. We start with Anaheim, then move south to Long Beach, Whittier, Catalina Island, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, New Port Beach, Huntington Beach and San Juan Capistrano. Touring chapters take you to all the well-known sights, and then lead you off to unusual attractions that will amuse and delight you. Accommodation sections cover all, from camping to B&Bs to historical houses. Restaurants and cafes are chosen for their charm and impressive cuisine. Often, doing something that you've done a dozen times before, but doing it in a different place, at a different time, or with a different person can make all the difference. Under the right circumstances, even the routine can become an adventure. Everything in life is an adventure. At least, it is the first time you experience it. Every sight, every sound, every scent, every taste, every sensation is an adventure that once. Why? Because it is a discovery. And every new discovery is an adventure. So, the authors dedicate this book to discovery: to experiencing new places, new people, new activities, new sensations, but above all, to discovering new dimensions within ourselves.
