Ride the Great Balloon for Free at the Irvine Great Park - Things to Do in Orange County 83

Time always flies so fast, and though I always promise myself to post an article at least once a week, a month or two usually flies in between my Things to Do in Orange County, CA blog.

Well, this post is a really cool one.

Do you ever feel like riding on a hot air balloon? And what if I told you that the flight up is free? Hey, well in Orange County, this is possible to do.

At the Great Park in Irvine, you are able to ride on a hot air balloon Thursday through Sunday for FREE!!

Though this hot air balloon is free, there is also a catch. One is that it's popular, so if you go during the weekend, it can get difficult to secure a ticket. Two is that since it goes up to 400 feet, any kind of strong wind condition will stop the balloon from flying.

It actually took me three chances to finally get on the Great Balloon. First time it was the wind, second time it was packed, and third time was a charm. Your best bet is to call them before you go to see if they're flying, and if there is a lot of people waiting or not.

Upon arrival to the Great Balloon, you will enter the office to fill out a liability form. After you fill it out, you will get the ticket to the Great Balloon for free!

We went during the day on Thursday, and it was great. Perfect weather, and there were only 7 of us that flew on the balloon. So we got to walk around and talk to the other people on the balloon.

As I mentioned, this balloon goes up 400 feet, so it's pretty high. The view is wonderful from up there, so don't forget your camera. They also do a night flight, and the view up there at night must be very nice too.

All in all, this balloon is an awesome deal. It takes you up 400 feet above Orange County, and all expenses are paid for. The ride is about 10 minutes long, but that should be enough for you to enjoy the ride, and appreciate the beauty of the OC.

The Great Park Balloon

Webpage

Perimeter Rd
Irvine, CA 92614
(866) 829-3829

Thu-Fri 10 am - 3 pm
Thu-Sun 7 pm - 10 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 3 pm

85℃ Bakery Cafe - Things to Do in Orange County 57

You may have heard about this place by now.

85℃ Bakery Cafe is an awesome Taiwanese bakery joint in Irvine. For those of you who already know about 85℃ Bakery, you know how good this place is. For those of you who haven't, you need to stop what you are doing, and go check this place out right now.

The 85℃ Bakery Cafe in Irvine is hands down, the best bakery around in Orange County.

I guess this place is suppose to be a hot franchise in Taiwan, but this store in Irvine is the first one over in the US. Their baked goods start at around $1 each to about $3 for the more hearty ones with cheese, custard, and meat. Whatever is on top of it, you would want to buy all of them since they are all just sooooooooo good.



Some of my friends go here, and they tell me that his co-workers are just addicted to this place, and they go here everyday. So if you go at the wrong time, the lines are pretty bad. But as long as you avoid the peak hours, you can take your time to pick out your little pleasures for that day.



From what I have read and heard, they are also known for their "Salted Coffee." I've never tried one myself, but it's suppose to be pretty good. Instead, I tried the coffee jelly iced tea while I was there, and it had very nice twist to the usual boba drinks that I like to get. Little coffee jelly instead of the baba.

Anyway, this place is a must if you love bakery goods as much as I do. If this place was within walking distance from my house, I'll probably live here since it's so good. It's like Taiwan's version of Krispy Kreme. Just a little bit healthier... maybe.



Better go check it out.

85℃ Bakery Cafe
Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center内
2700 Alton Parkway, Suite # 123
Irvine, CA, 92606

MON - THUR 7AM - 10PM
FRI - SAT 7AM - MIDNIGHT
SUN 8AM - 10PM

Irvine Farmer's Market - Things to Do in Orange County 56

Ever wake up early on a Saturday morning trying to figure out what to do?

Well, here's a prefect little place to start off your weekend. Visit the Farmer's Market in Irvine.

Since I love farmer's markets, I've been to one all around Orange County. But this one in Irvine is probably one of the best. It's filled with people, music, and you got a lot of vendors here. The farmer's market takes place inside the parking lot of the University Center next to UCI.

The farmer's market has all sorts of fruits and vegetables with a lot of free samples. If you're a hard working student at UCI that's been living on instant ramen all week, this is a great place to revitalize on your Vitamins by eating a lot of the free orange and apples here. :)



On top of all the great things about the Irvine Farmer's Market, since there is a Lee's Sandwich, Le Diplomate Cafe, or a Trader Joe's in the same plaza, visiting these places after the market will enhance the experience even more.



Definitely worth your time on a Saturday morning to go and check out.

Irvine Farmers Market
Irvine Center on the corner of Bridge and Campus (across from UCI)

Free Parking and Admission
Every Saturday
8AM~2PM~

Le Diplomate Cafe - Things to Do in Orange County 54

Here's an awesome chicken sandwich place that I found right by UCI. I've always walked by his place, but never been inside it until someone told me that the sandwiches they serve here are addicting.

I went in to try out the Chicken Dijon and the Chicken Bacon Club sandwich when I went in last week.



I got to tell you, this place is true when people say that they put crack in their sandwiches. It was awesome. The chicken subs are served hot, and they got these garlic sauce in them that makes everything blend together into one awesome harmony.



You got to try one out here. It's very good if you're craving a good chicken sandwich or if you're just in the area.



Le Diplomate Cafe
4237 Campus Dr
Ste B161
Irvine, CA 92612
(949) 854-5161

Mon-Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

The Batting Cages @ Boomer's - Things to Do in Orange County 40

Stressed Out?? Go Visit a Batting Cage to Smack Around a Softball!

In Orange County, you’ll find batting cages around town. One of my personal favorites when it comes to batting cages is the one at Boomers. The place has a nice casual atmosphere, and you can go there with friends, family, or even solo.

Once you arrive, the first thing you’ll need to do is to get your helmet and bat at the counter. You’ll need to pick if you’re going to swing at a softball or baseball since they have different bats for them. Just let the Boomer’s guy know what you want, and they’ll let you borrow it free of charge. You are also welcomed to bring in your own personal gear if you have one.

After you get your gear, you’ll then need to exchange your money into Boomer’s tokens to go swinging. At the Fountain Valley Boomer’s, it cost 2 tokens ($2) for 30 pitches. Each location has different rates, but be willing to spend a few bucks to get rid of your stress! :)

At Boomer’s, you’ll need to choose how fast you want your pitches to be. You can choose from “Very Fast,” “Fast,” “Medium,” or “Slow” for a baseball. The “Very Fast” pitches are about 70mph, so they are actually very fast indeed. For softball, you’ll need to chose between the slow pitch or the fast pitch.


Once you decide what cage to challenge yourself on, put your helmet on, insert a couple tokens, and you’re ready to go swinging!

Aside from all the people trying to relieve their stress at the batting cages, you’ll frequently see little leaguers here practicing their swings. You’ll be amazed how good some of these kids are.

Boomer’s also has Go Karts, miniature golf, arcade, and a restaurant area. They are great for kids, dates, and at times, when you’re stressed to just go and have fun. Go visit your nearest Boomer’s today to have some fun!

Boomers

Boomer’s in Irvine
Web Site
3405 MICHELSON DRIVE @ HARVARD

Boomer’s in Fountain Valley
Web Site
16800 Magnolia Street, Fountain Valley, CA 92708

Irvine Regional Park - Things to Do in Orange County 15

Enjoy the OC Zoo and a Little Train Ride at the Nature Filled Irvine Regional Park

If you drive North on Jamboree Road, you will drive through the mountain and come across the Irvine Regional Park in the city of Orange.

Irvine Regional Park is a huge park in Orange County where you can enjoy a picnic, BBQ, ride on a pony, or cruise along on the mini-train that goes around the park. With a lot of nature surrounded by ponds and trees, the park is a great place to relax with your loved one, or enjoy with your entire family.

Inside the Irvine Regional Park, you’ll also find the Orange County Zoo. Admission to the zoo is $2 for children and adults over 3 years old, and free for children 3 and under. You’d be surprised to see that there’s a big grizzly bear inside the zoo. You’ll also see other animals such as an eagle, fox, goat, and coyote, amongst many others. Since it’s a zoo without too many visitors, you can enjoy the nice, quiet atmosphere there.

After leaving the zoo, there is a nice little trail filled with nature that you can follow. With all the daily hustle and bustle, I’m sure the trail and the nature will help you to refresh a bit. It’s a great feeling go out to get some fresh air out in the park!

There are other activities at the Irvine Regional Park. Some of the fun ones are renting a boat to float across the lake or renting a bicycle to explore the park even more. With so many activities that you can enjoy at the Irvine Regional Park, you can fill your whole day here. Enjoy a day of soothing relaxation with a beach blanket and a book here, or you can bring your whole family along for a BBQ party!

It’s a great park in OC, and I hope you can enjoy the Irvine Regional Park soon!

Irvine Regional Park
1 Irvine Park Road
Orange, CA 92862
(714)973-6835 or (714)973-3173
http://www.ocparks.com/irvinepark/default.asp?Show=Introduction


Parking: $3 weekdays, $5 weekends
Open: Nov. 1 - March 31, 7:00am to 6:00pm.
Open: April 1 - Oct. 31, 7:00am to 9:00pm.
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri., 7:30am to 3:30pm.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Things to Do in Orange County 13

A OC Picnic Concert under the Stars at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater!

In Orange County, the premier venue for music is the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater located in Irvine. At the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, you can enjoy all types of concerts ranging from Gwen Stefani, The Who, to classical music from the Pacific Symphony.

During the summer, one of their fun events is the Picnic Concert under the Stars. Richard Kaufman or Carl St. Clair will conduct through an evening of great classical or pop music for you. The seats at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater are designed so that you can get an actual seat, but better yet, for this concert you can setup and enjoy a picnic while you listen to live music on the lawn seats.

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater permits you to bring in your own wine and food to the picnic concert, so that means a lot of fun! Bring along your friends, family, or loved ones for a nice little evening in OC. I personally recommend you setting up 2 hours before the concert if you have a reserved seat or half hour to an hour before if you are going to sit in the lawn area to enjoy the picnic while listening to music.

The picnic concert does get a bit cold at night, so I always bring a blanket with me. You may also want to bring another blanket for you to sit on since the grass does get a bit cold. Be sure to bring a bottle of wine and some good food, and you’re in for a very memorable night.


Of course, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater has other great concerts all year long, so be sure to visit their website for more information. It is truly Orange County’s premier outdoor music venue!


Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
8808 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine CA 92618
http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/262/

Irvine Spectrum Center - Things to Do in Orange County 10

Dining, Shopping, Movies – The Entertainment Mecca of OC, Irvine Spectrum!

Massive Entertainment Center – That is the best description for the Irvine Spectrum, located on the south east edge of the city of Irvine.

Irvine Spectrum is the landmark entertainment center for the local South Orange County residents. The architecture of the mall is based on the Alhambra in Granada, Spain, and it is very inspiring to walk around because of it. Inside the Irvine Spectrum, you will find movie theaters, retail shops, restaurants, arcade, and department stores amongst other things. The Irvine Spectrum is great for those who is tired of the regular malls because it has a different feel from others due to its massiveness and choices of retailers at the location.

The 21-Screen Movie Theater was the largest in the United States when it was first built in 1995, and includes the 3D IMAX theaters as well. There are also four huge screen theaters where you can watch movies on a gigantic theater. I recommend you watch your next action movie here on the giant theater screens to get all of your money’s worth!

The dining experience here is also great where you can pick anything from fast food, sushi, or a yard of beer. It’s always difficult to decide what to eat here with so many choices. After dinner, or even for dinner, you can visit Dave & Buster’s to enjoy the food and the games here. Hang out with your friends or with your family at D&B for a night of fun!

The Irvine Spectrum seems to expand each year with different stores and concepts. Be sure to visit this Entertainment Mecca of Orange County soon!

Irvine Spectrum Center
71 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/

Retail
Sun-Thur: 10am-9pm
Fri & Sat: 10am-10pm

Restaurant & Entertainment
Sun-Thur: 11am-9pm
Fri & Sat: 11am-11pm