Anaheim

Anaheim is located south east of Los Angeles in Southern California, about 15 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Anaheim is the second largest city in Orange County, Southern California. It is the county's hub of sports and leisure and houses Mickey Mouse, the Angels baseball team, and the Mighty Ducks. Disneyland, "The Happiest Place on Earth", is Anaheim’s pride and joy. The city of Anaheim spreads over 114.677 sq. kilometers of land. A group of German immigrants and vintners started the civilization here more than 100 years ago with wine grapes. The settlers addressed the colony “Annaheim.” "Anna" in reference to the Santa Ana River and "heim" is the German word for home. George Hansen was the original surveyor of the 200 acres of land, which are now occupied by the downtown area of the city. The community quickly grew into what was then the state's wine capital. Within 10 years, the German colony boasted of 47 wineries and numerous of vineyards. But in 1870s, a plant disease wiped out the vineyards and killed off most of the grapes.

The residents were dedicated farmers and did not get depressed by the plight of their oranges. They planted orange seeds, which grew successfully in Anaheim. Farmers initially hired Yaqui Indians from Mexico to dig ditches, and then brought in Chinese laborers to work the crops. The Chinese availed the opportunity and made their own community. They settled there and started running businesses as merchants, tailors, barbers and laundry operators. Meanwhile, the locals gave their full support to education and the arts. In 1876, Anaheim was incorporated as city. The first public buildings in Anaheim were a school and an opera house. Gradually Anaheim developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts, and canned fruit. The Santa Fe railroad depot came to Anaheim in 1887 and inked Anaheim with the east, improving the flow of their citrus crops. A great makeover came in the city’s growth and economy with the opening of the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway and the Disneyland Resort, a world-famous grouping of theme parks and hotels. The city immediately started investing into tourism owing to the booming business done by the Disneyland. From then onwards the progress was rampant with no looking back with many more facilities coming with each year. Today, California is the largest and most populated city in Orange County with more than $1 billion in city assets. The historical sites of Anaheim are The Mother Colony House, North Gate of the City of Anaheim, Peralta Adobe, Saint Michael's Episcopal Church, and Site of San Pedro Gate. The attractions of the city are Disneyland, Downtown Disney, Anaheim Angels – MLB team, The Anaheim Convention Center, The Arrowhead Pond, The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and The Anaheim Museum. The city-owned Anaheim Convention center is a regional architectural landmark. The NFL's Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim from 1979 through 1994 before moving to St. Louis.

The newly renovated Edison International Field draws more than 3.9 million visitors annually to the Angel's baseball games, events and concerts. California International Auto Show is an annual event of California and offers from never-before-seen vehicles to America’s favorite vintage cars to the largest array of hybrid vehicles in history. In 2005, the show was presented in the state-of-the-art Anaheim Convention Center. Anaheim, California is home to The Mother Colony House, the North Gate to the city of Anaheim. The tourists also enjoy tours to Dromo One, the Family Fun Center or the Movieland Wax Musuem. Most of them prefer watching Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, The Stadium Promenade or Commerce Casino. House of Victorian Visions Bridal Museum is also a must-see. Another place of interest is Golden Vine Winery. The nightlife is thrilling at ESPN Zone, the House of Blues, The Sopranos Last Supper or Red Cloud Cigars Martini Bar & Billards. The Anaheim Ballet is yet another excellent outlet for recreation. For all the foodie people the best options are Benihana, Café Tu Tu Tango, Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakeries, Rainforest Café, Tony Rama’s, Wofgang Puck Grand Café, Hook’s Pointe & Wine Cellar and the Katella Family Grill. The Chinese, German, and Japanese delicacies also offer excellent dining.