Many a US city is synonymous with a high profile sports team and indeed Anaheim is known across the country for its highly successful ice-hockey team, the Anaheim Ducks. Sport isn’t the only thing getting this interesting destination on the map however; as California’s 10th-largest city and Orange County’s most populous, Anaheim is an urban development that has grown from its humble beginnings as a German-founded city originating in 1857, to the busy modern metropolis that it is today.
Should sporting references hold little significance for you then Anaheim’s status as home to the famous Disneyland Resort might possibly ring a few bells of recognition instead. While altogether considerably smaller than Walt Disney World in Orlando, this leisure resort complex is still a popular holiday hang-out with its theme parks, hotels, shops and entertainment areas.
The city gets many a mention in guides to California on account of its being home to the American West Coast’s largest convention center, while the popular baseball team, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, also help to raise the city’s national profile. Having started out as a settlement of fifty German families, Anaheim has come a long way to being both a successful industrial center (producing canned fruit, electronics and aviation spares) and a popular holiday and daytrip destination/p>
Highlights
Disneyland: Walt Disney’s first ever theme park opened in 1955 and has been packing them in ever since with its huge selection of rides and attractions.
Disney’s California Adventure: is a newer theme park that takes an entertaining look at the history and culture of California. The park is split into themed sections as follows: Sunshine Plaza, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, The Golden State, A Bug’s Land and Paradise Pier.
Downtown Disney: best visited in the evening, this outdoor center features shops, dining establishments and entertainment areas.
Knott’s Berry Farm: a bit more down to earth than its rival, the roller coasters here surpass anything that Mickey and friends offer.
Richard Nixon Museum and Library: located in nearby Yorba Linda, the birth and death place of former the US president is a shrine to Orange County’s favorite son.
Queen Mary: not far from Anaheim is the 1930s luxury cruise liner, now anchored at Long Beach. The epitome of refinement and elegance.