For many out-of-town vacationers, the days leading up to New Year's Eve last month might have seemed like the end of the world: Disneyland, because the park was packed, turned away visitors.
But unlike Clark Griswold, the long-suffering hero of "National Lampoon's Vacation," no one forced his way into the park at BB gunpoint.
A crisis was averted because there is much more to Anaheim than Disneyland and Disney's new California Adventure. Anaheim is home to two professional sports teams, a burgeoning music scene, delicious regional and international cuisine and a lot of alternative attractions as well.
Major Leagues
For more than three decades, Anaheim has been home to major league baseball. The Anaheim Angels play at Edison International Field (2000 Gene Autry Way, [888] 796-4296), formerly Angels Stadium. Although the team has never been to the World Series and has won only three division titles, its roster has carried Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Frank Robinson, Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew and Don Sutton. The field underwent a $118-million renovation after the Walt Disney Co. bought the team in 1996. Tickets run between $6 and $22. Within walking distance of Edison Field is the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (2695 E. Katella Ave., [714] 704-2500), home ice of the Mighty Ducks. With stars such as Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, the Ducks are exciting to watch . . . even if they are in last place in the Western Conference's Pacific Division.
Soloists to Spectaculars
Many music fans and musicians refer to anything within the county border as being "behind the Orange Curtain." But with more than half a dozen venues, plus the addition of the House of Blues, Anaheim easily dispels this myth.
When the Irish rock band U2 swings through Southern California, it stops at Edison Field. Among the dozens of national acts that have played the Arrowhead Pond are the Rolling Stones, No Doubt, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Ricky Martin, Limp Bizkit, Eminem, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. The Pond is also host to shows such as the KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas, the Power 106 Back to School Powerhouse, and Reventon Super Estrella, the country's largest Spanish-language concert.
The Sun Theatre (2200 E. Katella Ave. [714] 712-2700) also sees its share of national acts, but in a more intimate 1,200-seat, dinner theater venue. Musicians such as Aimee Mann, Randy Travis and Peter Frampton have performed at the Sun, as have premier comedians such as George Carlin and Andrew Dice Clay.
