Best of 2019 – Winners

Best Amusement Park Ride

Haunted Mansion

For the past 50 years, the dark side of Disneyland has called the Haunted Mansion home. The eerie estate at the edge of New Orleans Square greets all who enter its chambers with a mixture of frights and delights from the stretching room to the final departure scene in which a ghost tags along for fun. Narrating the harrowing journey is Paul Frees, the late legend whose rich (and creepy) voice greets visitors with the classic line “Welcome, foolish mortals.” A ride not based on a film, the Haunted Mansion gives Disney some of its most enduring characters in Madame Leota, the Hatbox Ghost and, of course, the trio of Hitchhiking Ghosts. Cue the jazzy graveyard jam “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” and it’s easy to see why this ride has become a spiritual center for Bat Days—though you don’t have to be a Goth kid to enjoy a spin in a doom buggy!

disneyland.com
1313 Disneyland Dr.
Anaheim – 714.781.4636

Best Angels Player

Tommy La Stella

At the end of June, Tommy La Stella, obtained during the winter for “future considerations,” was one of the biggest surprises in Major League Baseball. He had hit 16 home runs, nearly twice as many as he’d had in his first five years; amassed a .495 slugging percentage; and been chosen as a reserve second baseman for the American League All Star team. Not bad for a 30-year-old guy who’d mostly been a pinch hitter for the Braves and Cubs. But then he fouled a 97 mph fastball off his shin on July 2, fracturing his right tibia. He hasn’t been seen since. Not the biggest heartbreak to befall the Halos this year (that would be Tyler Skaggs’ death and the fact that Albert Pujols’ contract doesn’t expire until after the 2021 season), but still unfortunate.

Best Beach

1000 Steps Beach

At the bottom of a steep, lengthy stairway awaits the perfect Orange County escape. With more than 400 yards of pristine white sand, this beach is a favorite year-round. At low tide, visitors can explore a number of creature-filled tide pools. And if the tide is right, beach dwellers can check out a popular cave located on the far end of the shore.

31972 Coast Hwy.
Laguna Beach

Best Boot Camp

Burn Boot Camp

No matter what stage you’re at in terms of fitness, it’s hard to find a workout routine that is sustainable and prevents burnout from doing the same boring exercises over and over again. At Burn Boot Camp, all your calorie-burning needs can be satisfied via fun yet intense, fast-paced workouts. In addition to the 10 boot-camp classes held throughout any given weekday, there are also “focus meetings” with trainers to discuss nutrition habits and personal milestones.

burnbootcamp.com
2675 Irvine Ave.
Costa Mesa – 949.423.7249

Best Bowling Alley

Concourse Bowling Alley

Though Concourse Bowling Alley has been around almost three decades, its owners keep things modern, offering great food, thanks to the renowned chefs creating the menu, and a full bar, with special beer-appreciation nights involving local breweries. For traditionalists, Concourse also offers league bowling on its 40 synthetic lanes, but the family-owned alley is really just a great place for birthdays, private parties, and rocking and bowling with friends.

concoursebowling.com
3364 E. La Palma Ave.
Anaheim – 714.666.2695

Best Day Trip

Salton Sea

Depending on where exactly you live and what time you decide to jump on the freeway, it will take you about three hours to get to the Salton Sea. It’s worth it, though—not because you’re journeying to a lush, desert oasis (you’re not), but because you’re embarking on an expedition to another world. The high-salinity lake (which is also full of agricultural runoff) was formed accidentally in 1905 and is now home to many birds, fascinating geology and park rangers, which is good because you’ll likely have a ton of questions, including: “What’s that foam on the water?” “Why are there so many dead fish on the shore?” “How can people live here?” Nearby is the International Banana Museum (housing more than 20,000 banana-related items!), the massive art sculptures of Borrego Springs and the brightly painted rocks of Salvation Mountain.

North Marina Drive and Sea Garden Avenue
Salton City

Best Dive Shop

Orange County Scuba Center

Offering gear, lessons and a Dive Club that meets monthly, Orange County Scuba Center is most surprising in its location not being steps from the sea, but rather miles. Other than the ocean, everything you need is there, including air fills, dive equipment to buy or rent, and a professional team with more than 50 years of combined diving experience. These dive masters can get you properly fitted to ensure you are comfortable in and out of the water—and then certified to dive. The shop even charters trips down the freeway or to far-off shores.

ocscubacenter.com
360 S. Tustin St.
Orange – 714.997.5506

Best Dog Park

Peters Canyon

It’s not a dog park per se, but the regional OC Parks’ wilderness area does allow pooches so long as they are on a leash that is at most 6 feet long. Once hitched up and mirroring the pace of the human being walked, Fido can marvel at lush greenery and wildflowers; well-maintained trails; and a lake lined with graceful willows, towering sycamores and rare black cottonwoods. There are poop bags and water troughs near the ranger station and spots for both canines and humans to grab seats along a 2.5-mile loop. But be aware that snakes live within Peters Canyon’s 354 acres, as do coyotes, bobcats and even the occasional mountain lion.

ocparks.com
8548 E. Canyon View Ave.
Orange – 714.973.6611

Best Ducks Player

Rickard Rakell

You had to go back to when the Ducks were so bad they still had Mighty in their name to find a team that was worse offensively than last year’s 196-goal squad. And considering the 248 goals allowed were the team’s highest this century, as well as the third highest in franchise history, not much went right. But that didn’t stop the Swedish-born Rickard Rakell from pacing the squad in goals for the two consecutive years. Yes, the 18 were his lowest in four years, but with longtime winger Corey Perry’s departure to Dallas and a bunch of prospects waiting in the wings, franchise cornerstone center Ryan Getzlaf may be looking even more for the dependable Rakell this season.

Best Garden

Fullerton Arboretum

Located on the northeast corner of Cal State Fullerton, the Fullerton Arboretum offers 26 acres of beautiful botanical gardens. In additon to the California-native foliage, there are plants from all over the world, cared for by a knowledgeable staff, college students and local residents who have run out of (or have no) garden space. Several events are held at the large facility, including yoga nights, brew nights and free nature tours, and volunteer options are always in bloom.

fullertonarboretum.org
1900 Associated Rd.
Fullerton – 657.278.3407

Best Golf Course

Dad Miller Golf Course

This venerable course is definitely the best place to walk in the steps of a legend. And we’re not talking Tiger Woods, who grew up playing here. We’re referring to Harold George “Dad” Miller, a Kentucky native who worked for years for the electric company before retiring during World War II. He convinced some friends in the city to build a course on some flat land northwest of Disneyland, and in 1961, Anaheim Municipal opened. Nine years later, Miller (whose son designed the course), aced the par-3 10th hole at age 93, becoming the oldest man to ever officially record a hole-in-one. Five years later, the course was named after him, and he is reported to have played it right up to his death in 1979 at age 102.

dadmillergc.com
430 N. Gilbert St.
Anaheim – 714.765.3481

Best Gym

Equinox Irvine

Whether your fitness goals are to achieve marathon-readiness or just to take a few classes each week, Equinox Irvine is your place. The 120,000-square-foot facility includes a full-sized basketball court, a rooftop training center and a 25-yard swimming pool, plus there are poolside cabanas to relax in after your workout, a fully equipped spa and a café. Though membership is on the pricey side—starting at $180 per month—it is well worth it for everything offered, including 122 different classes per week. Equinox has several sports clubs throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, but the Irvine location exceeds all gym-rat expectations.

equinox.com
1980 Main St.
Irvine – 949.975.8400

Best Local Skater

Omar Hassan

Omar Hassan has been inspiring everyone in the skate world for as long as most of us can remember with his no-holds-barred approach to pools, streets, parks and whatever else is in his way. Despite suffering from some of the worst slams in skateboarding history—Google “Omar downtown showdown”—Hassan continues to push himself and the rest of the industry. Born at Newport Beach’s Hoag Hospital in 1973, he’s long been loyal to local companies Vans, Volcom, Black Label, Jokers Skate Shop and more. When he isn’t touring the world or finding a new spot to skate, you can probably find him surfing off 45th Street in Newport Beach. Give him a beer and a high-five for us.

Best Local Surfer

Courtney Conlogue

Santa Ana’s Courtney Conlogue came thisclose to becoming a back-to-back Vans U.S. Open women’s champion in August. Alas, she was edged out by Ventura’s Sage Erickson. But the showing proves Conlogue remains at the top of her game. Maintaining a strong work ethic, gritty determination and acceptance of nothing short of perfection has kept the 26-year-old atop leader boards for more than five years. Of course, that’s old hat for the 5-foot-8 blonde, who at age 11 became the youngest athlete ever selected to the USA Junior Surf Team.

Instagram: @courtneyconlogue/

Best Martial Arts Studio

North Orange County Martial Arts

Intense workout. Self-discipline. Focus. Respect. Learning how to beat someone’s ass (and protecting your own and others’). You’d find that at any decent martial arts studio, but what separates North Orange County Martial Arts (NOCMA) from your neighborhood McDojo (where volume and making money is the main gig) is scale. Its membership usually hovers around 35, and classes rarely top 10 students. That means personalized attention for everyone in the kids’ kung fu san soo and MMA classes, as well as adult MMA and Brazilian jiu jitsu classes. (Intensive 30-minute boot camp sessions are also offered.) Speaking of kids: NOCMA is one of only two facilities in OC certified by the organization that runs youth-competitive MMA-style (known as youth Pankration) tournaments in California.

nocmartialarts.com
3241 Associated Rd.
Fullerton – 888.508.5758

Best Nature Trail

Back Bay Loop

This 10.5-mile trail around Upper Newport Bay is a beautiful hike, though you’re never really out of sight of expensive homes. Here, the freshwater from San Diego Creek mixes with the salty Back Bay, sustaining a huge variety of plant life, which in turn supports more than 200 species of birds, many of which are endangered (and may soon become extinct now that the Trump administration is gutting the Endangered Species Act). You can find ospreys, ducks, grebes, black skimmers, western sandpipers, marbled godwits and great blue herons in Upper Newport Bay. The trail is also rather tranquil, unless a jet’s departing from John Wayne Airport, in which case the noise is ear-splitting. Even in the summer, it’s not too hot, and we’ve always thought walking by the water is more pleasurable than in the mostly dry mountains and canyons.

600 Shellmaker Rd.
Newport Beach

Best Neighborhood Park

Eisenhower Park

Thanks to several shady spots throughout the large grounds, Eisenhower Park is a great place to look at nature and spend time with your family. Beautiful foliage offers wonderful spots to pose for photos, and there’s even ducks, multiple bodies of water and other features. Fish for (and release) catfish or giant bass that have lived in the lake for years, or get close to a crawdad or turtle. Two playgrounds create a fun place to bring kids, while several hills make hikes more challenging.

cityoforange.org
2864 N. Tustin St.
Orange – 714.744.7274

Best Nonprofit

Dayle McIntosh Center

More than four decades ago, some of Orange County’s most unheralded civil-rights heroes set out to establish an independent-living center for people with disabilities. When they did so in 1977, the Dayle McIntosh Center, named for one such activist who passed away before its opening, ensured the county would become more accessible curb cut by curb cut. Brenda Premo, an early leader, played a pivotal role in advocating for the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. These days, the Dayle McIntosh Center in Anaheim is headed by Paula Margeson, a seasoned veteran of the disability-rights movement. The peer-based nonprofit offers weekend youth classes at the Anaheim Accessibility Center in addition to several other services in the realms of advocacy, transition and skills training. The Dayle McIntosh Center continues to echo the slogan “Nothing about us without us!”

daylemc.org
501 N. Brookhurst St., Ste. 102
Anaheim – 714.621.3300

Best Place to Play Pool

McFadden Square

There are about 62,729 places to play pool in Orange County—four of which are located within McFadden Square in Newport Beach. Since they’re practically next door to each other at the beach, if you get hustled, you can always go outside and soak up some of that salty Newport sea spray before moving on to the next table. If you’re looking for something classy, there’s Stag Bar, but if you’re not, head to Beach Ball; Blackie’s and Mutt Lynch’s fit kind of in between.

beachballbar.com
Beach Ball, 2116 W. Oceanfront
Newport Beach – 949.675.8041
blackiesbar.com
Blackie’s, 2118 W. Oceanfront
Newport Beach – 949.675.1074
muttlynchs.com
Mutt Lynch’s, 2300 W. Oceanfront
Newport Beach – 949.675.1556
stagbar.com
Stag Bar, 121 McFadden Place
Newport Beach – 949.673.4470

Best Pub Trivia

Huntington Beach Trivia Pub Crawl

Trivia lovers, rejoice! Presented by Trivia and We Love Pub Crawls, this event offers a night of bar hopping, fun games and prizes. Crawls happen on an almost monthly basis and are themed to various bingable TV shows such as The Office and Parks and Recreation. Throughout the night, participating bars along Main Street offer drink specials that match the night’s theme. Free souvenir tees are given out, but costumes are encouraged (and there’s a contest at the end). A special lanyard allows you to connect to other trivia crawlers using your smartphone. Three rounds of 25 questions are hosted at various bars, with first-, second- and third-place prizes given to winners. The night closes out with ’80s or ’90s dance parties.

triviacrawl.com
welovepubcrawls.com
cruiserspizzabargrill.com

Best Sportscaster

Phil Hulett

Sure, a public-address announcer isn’t a sportscaster in the sense the voice doesn’t get out of the building, but considering Phil Hulett has called every goal and player’s name—even the legendary Maxim Balmochnyk’s in 2000—at nearly every Ducks’ home game since 1996, his voice has certainly been cast to a broad audience. And it’s not limited to Anaheim; for 16 years, Hulett worked at the now-defunct KFWB news radio, spent 2017 to ’18 as a traffic anchor for KNX, is currently a national news anchor for NBC News Radio, and—get this—was the promo voice and DJ Philphy Phil at KNAC-FM 105.5, Long Beach’s (and Dominguez Hills’) memorable run at a heavy-metal radio station from 1986 to 1995.

philhulett.com

Best Surf Spot

The Wedge

To us, the Wedge was always the star of Endless Summer. “The dirty old Wedge,” narrator/filmmaker Bruce Brown calls it in the film, “where you catch waves you didn’t even want.” The Wedge was legendary even back then, as the late Brown makes more than clear in the 1966 documentary. “Few people ride belly boards at the Wedge,” Brown says. “Body surfing is bad enough because when you get wiped out, it feels like your arms, legs and head are all going different directions. Add a belly board to that mess, and it’s like an extra piece of shrapnel in a hand grenade.” Maybe we’re just nostalgic. Or maybe we like watching people jump headfirst into a washing machine, not really knowing what the spin cycle will do to their spines. Or maybe we just miss our friend Chris, who was in the water at the Wedge so often it qualified as a second home. RIP, Chris.

Best Yoga

Spectra Yoga

Do you even Vinyasa, bro? If you think you can get your chakras aligned just right at just any yoga place, think again. The folks at Spectra Yoga are trained to soothe sore and achy muscles, but they also know how to make each session challenging enough for a sweaty, good workout. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or just bought your first yoga mat at Daiso, you’ll feel the burn and decompress away the stress. Spectra also offers the most types of yoga, from aerial to hot yoga to full-body workouts to something called yogalates (dance-themed yoga set to house or funk music). Whatever your jam, the place leaves you pumped to take on more in life. Namaste, indeed!

spectrayoga.com
2701 Harbor Blvd., Ste. E-1
Costa Mesa – 714.436.0576