Enjoy great rides and attractions for the little set, and fun thrills for the older crowd too.

Theme park fans take note: Here’s a longtime SoCal favorite that makes a special effort to appeal to young families, but doesn’t cut back on the adrenaline-rush rides that older kids love. On acreage that was once a real berry farm in the heart of The O.C.,
Knott’s Berry Farm offers gentler rides for younger children (ages 8 and under), as well as the super-popular Camp Snoopy—what kid wouldn’t want a hug from everyone’s favorite Peanuts beagle? Want more of a rush? Tweens, teens, and roller-coaster fans will love the park’s newer attractions, like the 300-foot-tall WindSeeker ride, where you soar and spin in two-person gondolas. Rides here are also notorious for getting you really, really wet—awesome on hot summer days. Another nice touch—your ticket can include a special Joe Cool’s Backyard BBQ (including Mrs. Knott’s famous fried chicken) at the Knott’s Picnic Center.
 

The annual "Summer Giant Blue Whale Migration" brings hundreds of blue whales each summer/fall to the waters off Newport Beach, where over 1000 whales were viewed last summer! Giant blue whales were once considered quite rare off southern California, but over the last five years this has changed dramatically. These giants of the sea reach lengths of 100 feet and are the largest of all animals. Along with viewing these giants, the second largest whale in the world, the finback whale has also taken to the waters of southern California during the same months as the blue whales. Giant pods of common and bottlenose dolphin are also very common with pods numbering a thousand or more dolphins!