How to Enjoy Your Time in Irvine, CA
One of Orange County's largest and most well-known cities is Irvine, a suburban, Southern California city that, in certain areas, has the feeling of a bustling metropolis. So feel free to take the day to explore its many parks, restaurants, universities and shopping centers.
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Instructions
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Grab breakfast at a fast-food joint, coffee shop or donut/bagel shop and enjoy an early morning picnic in Heritage Park. McDonald's, Burger King, East Coast Bagel Co., Bruegger's Bagel Bakery, Starbuck's and It's a Grind Coffee House are all in close proximity. Be sure to pick up some bread wherever you stop so you'll have something to feed to the ducks at the pond.
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Visit the Irvine Fine Arts Center inside Heritage Park and check out its exhibit.
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Travel North on I-5 and exit Sand Canyon, where you can catch a glimpse of Old Town Irvine. The restaurant and hotel used to hold a blacksmith and general store, and though the tenants are now different, the building's facade remains relatively the same.
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Drive one more exit down the freeway and visit the Irvine Spectrum. Have lunch at one of its many restaurants, including Cheesecake Factory, Johnny Rocket's, Red Robin and Dave & Buster's. Do some shopping, read some books or magazines at Barnes & Noble, take in a movie at Edwards Cinemas or play some arcade games at Dave & Buster's. Be sure to check out the Ferris Wheel and carousel. Even if you're not planning to ride either of these attractions, they're very nice to look at. The Ferris Wheel also lights up at night.
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Visit the Irvine Museum inside one of Irvine's many office towers at 18881 Von Karman Ave. Admission to the museum is free, and includes many paintings and work detailing the people who developed Irvine and Orange County.
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See the various flora and fauna at the UCI Arboretum, which is just west of the main UC Irvine campus. There are many different types of plants and, if you're lucky, animals to see. Frogs, swans, geese and various species of rodents all make frequent appearances at the arboretum.
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Enter the campus through the new student center, and check out the new tower, which has an anteater (the school's mascot) that lights up at night. Get in a little exercise by walking the nearly one-mile circumference of Ring Road, a path that takes you around the entire campus. Cut through Aldrich Park between the Biological Sciences and Humanities schools to check out a few small sculpture gardens and enjoy some shade. Pick up any school-related merchandise at the UCI Bookstore. Pick up a paper that details that week's events and head to the Anthill pub, where you can see what nighttime events interest you.
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You'll find a brewery inside the University Towne Center, across from the UCI campus, a Boomers for people who enjoy family fun centers, Irvine Lanes or Verizon Amphitheater for those wishing to take in a musical act, the Irvine Improv at the Irvine Spectrum or a plethora of sports events, lectures and other cultural activities.
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Tips & Warnings
Irvine offers a plethora of amenities and activities, which don't necessarily need to be completed in any particular order.
Even though Irvine is a fairly small city, its windy streets can get confusing. Make sure to print out a map or program your navigation system so that you don't get lost.
There are many animals, including rabbits, raccoons, opossums and mice that frequently run across the road on Campus Drive near the UCI Arboretum (right by a nature preserve), so use caution when driving on this road, especially at night.
Resources
- Photo Credit pictureninja.com
