The Aquarium of the Pacific (aquariumofpacific.org), located in Long Beach, California, is one of the largest aquariums in the United States. It covers the Pacific Ocean's three major regions of Southern California/Baja, the Tropical Pacific and the Northern Pacific with 19 habitats and 32 exhibits that highlight more than 11,000 ocean animals from 500 species. Special attractions include the Shark Lagoon, the Sea Otter Habitat, the Shorebird Sanctuary and the Behind the Scenes Tour, which allows guests to see what it takes to run a world-class aquarium. This educational tour also covers a variety of topics ranging from water filtration to animal care and culminates in fish feeding at the Tropical Reef. The aquarium is open every day of the year with reduced rates for children younger than 11 years old.
The Mackeral Flats & Goathill Junction Railroad (ocmetrains.org) is a miniature railroad located in Fairview Park in Costa Mesa, California. Managed by Orange County Model Engineers Inc., the group of model enthusiasts offer public rides on its wide variety of trains on the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. Each train consists of five to six bench cars that each seat approximately six adults or children. The trip lasts about 12 minutes and travels two complete loops of the park over a number of bridges and a variety of terrain. The rides are free but donations are suggested to maintain the upkeep of the railroad.
Newport Landing Whale Watching (newportwhales.com), based in Newport Beach, California, offers daily whale-watching excursions throughout the year on its three vessels: the 70-foot "Ocean Explorer," the 75-foot "Nautilus" and the 85-foot "Western Pride." Each of the vessels include walk-around decks, plenty of seating, a snack bar and two restrooms. Led by any of four captains with an average of 15 years of experience, the 2 1/2-hour tours provides close views of a variety of the region's whales. Each excursion also offers an upgrade to "Captain Seating" (limited to six people), which allows passengers to sit in the wheel house, get to know the captain and learn how whales are located by using technology and migration patterns. At the time of publication, trips are offered two times per day from October to May and three times per day during the peak season of June to September.
The Discovery Science Center (discoverycube.org) is a 59,000-square-foot hands-on museum located in Santa Ana, California. As Orange County's largest nonprofit educational facility, it offers approximately 120 interactive exhibits within a variety of themed areas such as Dynamic Earth, Perception, Quake Zone, Science of Hockey, Space Exploration and DinoQuest. Other activities include playing in a virtual volleyball game, creating a 19-foot-long tidal wave in the Wave Tank, playing music with laser beams, dancing on a musical floor and watching a movie in the 4-D movie theater. At the time of publication, the center is open seven days a week except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park (sdzsafaripark.org) is one of the largest family attractions in the San Diego region. Located in Escondido, the 1,800-acre park consists of 13 different zones and their wildlife that range from the Asian Savanna and Elephant Valley to the African Plains and Outpost. A wide array of family oriented activities are included with paid admission such as the Discovery Station -- a kid-friendly area with animal themed activities -- the Africa Tram Safari -- a guided tour on brightly colored vehicles through the African Plains -- and the Petting Kraal, where guests can pet deer and antelope. A variety of extra safaris (for additional fees) include the Flightline Safari that travels approximately one mile on a zip line and the Rolling Safari, which is a Segway tour of the Asian Savanna. At the time of publication, the park is open every day of the year with extended hours on some holidays.
