New to OC.. questions on fun and furniture (San Diego, San Francisco: sales, rent)

[JJ11]

Just moved to Orange with the bf, in my 20's, looking for advice on fun things to do in the area. I know its huge and so much to do but specifics would be great. Also, looking for good places to buy furniture... The bed I want new but everything else I would love to find used for cheap. Thanks

[Coldjensens]

If you want fun with furniture, buy inflatable furniture. You cna take it out of your living room go to the beach and float around on it.

Ages agao we found a really neat bed at the OC swap meet at the fairgrounds. It was a huge (9') beanbag pillow with a headboard. If you want good furniture that you can afford, then you really need to buy it used. New means junk and it is still overpriced. Used furniture is very cheap. Try craigslist and the newspaper. Go to Salvation Army (Goodwill not recommended - too expensive). The only one I can think of is in Orange on Tustin Ave just south of Chapman. There was a big St. Vincent D'Paul store in Orange as well (SE quadrant of the Old town circle, right along the RR tracks). I am not sure if it is still there, but they had some good bargains. If your pride does nto prevent you, you can just drive aruond some of the nicer neighborhoods on trash day and find really nice furniture out at the curb. You have to go early to beat the crowds. A friend found a very nice leather sectional couch this way. It had a broken board on the bottom that took him about half an hour to repair. Ten years later he still has that couch and it still look new. He now has plenty of moeny to buy a couch, but he likes that couch (and I think he likes the story).

[Coldjensens]

There are lots of other fun things to do in the area, but not many of them can be done with furniture.

However if you leave out the furniture, you can:

Go to Balboa Pier and the Fun Zone, rent roller skates, bikes, canoe, motor boat, or a kayak and explore.

Hiking or Mt. Biking in the Cleveland National Forest from Silverado Canyon.

Whale Watching excursion (this time of year). Leaves from Balboa. Wear a coat.

Hike to Holy Jim falls (nice short hike, very difficult drive to get there).

Look in tide pools and find neato seadwellers a tthe tidepool beach just north of Laguna.

Take your dog to dog beach in Huntington Beach

Go to the pound in Orange and buy a dog to take to dog beach. (We once found a purebred Harelquin Great Dane there for less than $100).

Hang out at the Irvine Spectrum or the Block of Orange (Dave & Busters at both places).

Sawdust festival/pagent of the masters in Laguna Beach.

Spend an afternoon poking around art Galleries in Laguna Beach.

Hike or mountain bike at Whiting Ranch/Red Rock Canyon

Bodysurf the wedge (not really, this is very unsafe - fun but crazy dangerous)

Take the train down to San Clemente and spend a quiet day at the beach.

Shop at Fashion Island, catch a movie at the big newport theater and have a beer or three at the irish pub next door.

Take a day or overnight trip out to Catalina island and go snorkeling or diving (if you can dive). Leaves from Balboa or Long Beach. Try to go during flying fish season.

Stand in line and sweat at Disneyland.

IN LA County

HIke to the bridge to nowehre (all day hike arrive at 6 a.m. you probably need someone who has bene there before in order to find the bridge).

Spend a day at the Getty Museum.

Visit Venice beach and watch wierdos and muscle men.


Visit the queen mary and/or the aquarium in Long Beach.

Visit Hollywierd. Not sure what people really do there, not much of interest. Manns Chinese theater is kind of neat. You can buy a map and look at bushes and gates that supposedly belong to movie stars.

UNiversal Studios Tour (Touristy Kitch, but fun once).

Magic Mountain (Thrill rides).

Rafting on the **( brain Pffft I have forgotten the name, just north of LA county Merced maybe? It is a class 5 river and impassible part of the year so be careful).

Shop in the garment district or the jewlry district downtown.

Eat in Chinatown, Korea Town or at Phillipes French Dip.


In the mountains (Big Bear).

Minorly Lame Skiing in the winter.

Lots of decent camgrounds ont he back side of big beat.

Great hiking. Fresh water lake with a small beach you can access for a reasonable fee. You can camp rihgt on the lake too if you have reservations.


IN San Diego:
Sea World
San Diego Zoo
Wild Animal Park
Coronado Island
Old Town San Diego.
Ride the Light rail and explore.
Tour an aircraft carrier or whatever else is in port (if they still do that on Sundays).

Nice weekend trips include:

Winter skiing at Mamoth Mountain (quite good skiing), or go int he summer and hang out at the lake.

Joshua Tree Natnl. (Forest, Park Monument whatever it is now called). Camp there. Climb rocks, explore, hike to an oaisis.

Kings Canyon/Sequoia Ntl Forest. Camp there. See giant trees, tour a marble cave, find indian pertoglyphs.

Yosemite Natnl Park. Stand in line to see various waterfalls. Meet lots of nice Japanese people. Inhale exhaust. - or go off season, or anytime to hike the back side of the park (away from the spectacular waterfalls and pavement) and really enjoy the park.

Las Vegas Gamble, see a show tour neat casinos, visit the zoo, etc.

Zion National Park (Utah) Beautiful place. Every changing. Fabulous hiking.

Spend a weekend in Santa Barbra.

Visit San Francisco, Carmel, Monerey (Aquarium)

Go Sea Kayaking over night at the Channel Islands (boat leaves from Ventura).

Death Valley - Nothing there, but don't you want to say that you have been there?

Palm Springs. Ride the tram up the mountain and go hiking. Otherwise it is basically a golfing and shopping place.

Waterskiing on the Colorado River. (Need a friend who has a boat).

[proudmommy]

Originally Posted by JJ11

Just moved to Orange with the bf, in my 20's, looking for advice on fun things to do in the area.



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everything else I would love to find used for cheap. Thanks

Orange County Swingers - Signup





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Ikea

orange county furniture - all classifieds - craigslist

[robbybee]

CJ should be a tour guide! Great list. I have lived in Orange County my whole life and even I got some good ideas from that post! Well done.

And Mommy... *tsk, tsk, tsk*

[pacific2]

You can get some nice, but inexpensive pieces at Cost Plus World Market. It’s also a fun place to just browse around for unusual, or funky imported accessories. I sometimes go there to buy interesting gifts for people.

Home Decor and Decorative Accessories | World Market

[Farmergrl]

I LOVE to find old junk and re-purpose! I hit all the yard sales and try to get there BEFORE the Overloaded-Mattress-Truck-Headed-For-Mexico-Guy does.

I also hit the swap meet at Orange Coast College, any flea markets or outdoor sales sponsored by churches or schools.

I LOVE to go to Kobey's Swap Meet down in San Diego at the Sport's Arena- excellent junk (unlike the OC Swap Meet- they have a "yard Sale" area!!) And don't miss the Long Beach Vet's Stadium Vintage/Antique Swap Meet! A MUST!!

Thrift stores can be hit or miss, but are sometimes worth it.

As for fun stuff to do- Coldjensens seems to have that covered! Although I'm cracking up at the Swinger's thing! Proud Mommy, indeed!

[native56]

Go to the swap meet at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Huge and fun.

[pacific2]

You can get antique pieces and unique accessories at The Old Barn Antiques Mall in San Juan Capistrano. Most of them are very reasonably priced.
Old Barn Antiques Mall, San Juan Capistrano, CA - a set on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosbysherm/sets/72157603677264640/ - broken link)