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Hot Spots

Parks! Beaches! Bowling alleys!? Seven local destinations that should be on your radar this season.

Christina House/The Orange County Register

1. Huntington Dog Beach
As Cesar Millan has demonstrated, dogs need exercise. In many of our cases, the dog needs more exercise than the owner can bear. Enter Huntington Dog Beach, where Fido is sure to tire himself out frolicking leashless in the waves and making new friends. The canine-friendly stretch of beach is open to the public, but it’s also a nonprofit organization. Members, who can join for as little as $15 per year, help support beach cleanups and insurance for both liability and medical expenses. www.dogbeach.org

2. Irvine Regional Park
The Great Park isn’t quite ready for picnickers, but Irvine Regional Park is. Though it’s actually in Orange, the 37,000-acre park is chock full of activities with bike and equestrian trails, horseshoe pits, paddleboat rentals, volleyball courts, a playground, a miniature train ride, pony rides, and the Orange County Zoo, which is exclusively-stocked with animals native to the Southwest. (714) 973-6835; www.ocparks.com/irvinepark

3. Aliso Viejo Country Club
What’s in a name? Everything, if the words “country club” are involved. What was Aliso Viejo Golf Club (a public course) has re-emerged from a Jack Niklaus redesign as the Aliso Viejo Country Club. The renamed 27-hole course is on its way to being private. Once membership reaches 300, only members and their guests will be allowed to play Fridays through Sundays. A membership of 475 will mean complete privacy, so strike while the iron’s hot. 25002 Golf Drive, Aliso Viejo; (949) 598-9200

4. Doheny State Beach

Songha Lee/The Orange County Register

Even those who live on the beach have a reason to visit Doheny State Beach. It offers the only oceanfront camping in the county. We can all use a night sleeping under the stars and next to the surf. Once you wake up, explore the sea life at the aquarium and its 500-gallon simulated tidepool. (949) 496-6172; www.dohenystatebeach.org

5. The Rooftop at La Casa del Camino
At last, Orange County has its celebrated rooftop back. After months of fighting with the City of Laguna Beach (they wanted to close the rooftop to avoid parking problems in the ‘hood), the rooftop at the historic La Casa del Camino hotel is once again home to the county’s hottest spot. Looks
like word is already out, because it’s as packed as ever. 1289 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2446

Courtesy of Strike Holdings, LLC Strike Orange County at the District in Tustin

6. Strike
Thanks to the upscale bowling “lounges” cropping up in major cities, bowling is cool again. This summer, OC gets two new examples of this unlikely trend. Joining Lucky Strike, which opened in 2003 at the Block at Orange, will be Strike Orange County at the District in Tustin and 300 Anaheim at Garden Walk (a new retail center near Disneyland). Instead of burgers and dogs, menus will include such options as crab cakes, sushi, seared ahi, and pistachio-crusted sea bass. And forget the plastic cup of Bud Light. These days bowlers get their buzz on with martinis and mojitos. www.bowlatstrike.com

7. Downtown Santa Ana
Santa Ana is finally starting to feel like the “Downtown Orange County” it claims to be thanks to a burgeoning nightlife scene. Despite the city’s super-stingy dance permitting process, chic hole-in-the-wall Proof (215 N. Broadway; www.proofbar.com) has become a DJ-driven hotspot. Funky yet functional décor (wall-mounted retro boom boxes as sound system!), dressed-up comfort food (gourmet pizzas and the $5 “Starving Artist” grilled gruyere cheese sandwich), great bottled beer selection, and nightly DJs all conspire to make the brand-new The Crosby lounge, restaurant and book store (400 N. Broadway; www.thisisthecrosby.com) an instant classic. Also be sure to stop into the neighboring Rags (454 N. Broadway; 714-836-7247), a quintessential urban newsstand with a great selection of international newspapers and magazines, and gourmet chocolates. An evening in downtown Santa Ana wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the venerable Memphis at the Santora (201 N. Broadway; www.memphiscafe.com), with its award-winning menu of contemporary Southern comfort food and roster of top-notch DJs.

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