Disneyland just one drawcard in Orange County

By JASON COLLIE

Orange County, though home to some of America's happiest characters, is also the birthplace and resting place of one of its most controversial.

Yorba Linda, 12km and a hefty $US25 ($50) cab fare from Disneyland, was the home of Richard Nixon. Now it houses his presidential library, museums and video theatres.

Not only can tourists see the memorials to the former president and his first lady, statues of world leaders and their gifts to the couple, but also Nixon's study "as it was on the day he suffered his fatal stroke," says the promotional flyer.

The attitude to the disgraced former president from people around Anaheim seems to have softened in death, and he is regarded with a certain fondness.

Anaheim is spending $US3 billion in a bid to keep the tourist dollar in the area for longer, instead of the city being just a brief stopping-point for Disneyland.

A lot of that money is being spent on roads, which provide a good preparation for the rides waiting within Disney's boundaries.

As in much of America you will need a car to spend a few days in Orange County, which is about 48km south-east of downtown LA.

The area has the typical laid-back Southern California feel to it. Accommodation should not be a problem with almost 50,000 rooms in the county.

Although overshadowed by Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm is also in Orange County and the the Discovery Science Centre will provide an educational hour or so for even the biggest kids.

Just outside Orange County's boundaries is the excellent Long Beach Aquarium. Although the main tanks do not offer quite the same experience as our own Kelly Tarlton's, it has a much wider variety of fish and marine life on display, including otters, seals, sea-lions and large jelly fish.

The most interesting are the bat-rays, sort of miniature sting-rays, which are kept outside in a shallow pool.

A couple of them regularly lift the front of their heads out of the water to have their snouts patted by people, much like a cat or dog.

You can use only two fingers and you must be careful not to scratch the rays, but it is an amazing experience to have a marine creature come up to you without the lure of food.

The aquarium is part of the new-look Rainbow Harbour, which now houses several eateries and bars - including the Yard House, a bar with 186 different beers on tap.

The Queen Mary liner is permanently docked as a 365-room hotel and casino.

The Bowers Museum, in Santa Ana, is about as big a step culturally away from Disney as you can get. From now until the end of September there's an interesting display of treasures from China's Forbidden City.