I'm like a lot of people who thought Anaheim was just the Swedish word for Disneyland. But it turns out that 1) Anaheim is a lot more than that and 2) it's not even a Swedish word! Anaheim is the center of Orange County (or as the locals call it The OC) which include 34 cities and 42 miles of amazing Pacific coastline. On a whim I stayed at the Annabella Hotel, because it's right across the street from Disneyland . (And, yes, I thought Annabella might be a popular name that Swedish parents name their daughters.) Lo and behold, the Annabella is a Spanish mission-style resort on seven lush, landscaped acres. There are pretty private enclaves throughout the grounds to dissolve into, two really nice swimming pools, and a great restaurant called Tangerine Grill.

And since it's right across from Disneyland, I was able to be (nearly) first in line for the more than 60 rides and attractions including the awesome Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Pirates of the Caribbean (though I was disappointed they don't make Johnny Depp take tickets at least once a week).

Only a short drive away, you can find other fun theme parks like Knottsberry Farm, Universal Studios, and Legoland! (Although I was pretty bummed to find out I was too old to jump on the fire truck and race to hose down a burning building at Fun Town Fire Academy .) And, yes, there are other things to do than eat too much cotton candy and get nauseous on rides, like the very neat Crystal Cathedral, designed with 10,000 pains of glass; and the Mission of San Juan Capistrano where those famous swallows like to gather every year.

Erik Hastings