INTRODUCTION Most of us know the stereotypes and are familiar with the frequent characterizations of Orange County. It’s supposedly culture-less and even somehow history-less. Anyone who’s spent any time in Los Angeles has no doubt heard the same hollow, bafflingly ignorant observations made of about that richly cultured city yet sadly, many Angelenos (who ought … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A South Orange County Primer
SHE HAD ORANGE RIBBONS IN HER HAIR — NORTH ORANGE COUNTY It comes as something of a dismaying surprise to me how casually many seemingly intelligent Angelenos freely dismiss Orange County. Iv’e grown used to (if still somewhat surprised by) the out-dated chauvinistic attitude of New Yorkers and San Franciscans. But while those widely and … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A North Orange County Primer
INTRODUCTION 2019 is the sestercentennial of San Diego‘s founding. It’s also the vigintennial of my moving to Southern California — and yet, in those twenty years, I’ve probably visited San Diego no more than a dozen times. Why haven’t I visited California‘s second-largest city more often? Certainly not out of any of the sort of … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A San Diego Neighborhoods Primer
INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN ORANGE COUNTY Today, Orange County is widely recognized for its prominent Asian-American population. There are significant numbers of of Vietnamese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Filipinos, Indians, Japanese, Cambodians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Thais, Indonesians, and Laotians living there, as well as many smaller groups. Metro Los Angeles (which includes Los Angeles and Orange counties) is in fact home … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Orange County’s Lost Chinatowns
San Luis Obispo County is a county in the northwest corner of Southern California, located along the Central Coast. The Central Coast refers to the roughly 600 kilometer coastal region between Point Mugu in the south and Monterey Bay in the north. In Southern California, only Imperial County has a smaller population and no community presently … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A San Luis Obispo County Primer
San Bernardino County, along with Riverside County, comprise the Southern California region known as the Inland Empire. Before 1914 (the earliest recorded use of the term “Inland Empire”) the region was known as “The Orange Empire.” Both San Bernardino and Riverside counties are inland — the nearest point in San Bernardino County to the sea is … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A San Bernardino County Primer
In 2007, California Fool’s Gold began exploring Los Angeles County one community at a time. In 2010 I expanded my adventures into Orange County. It’s now 2015 and I would like to turn my sites to Riverside County. ***** Riverside County is one of the ten counties of which Southern California is comprised. At 146,366 … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A Riverside County Primer
WHO WOULD FLOAT ME TO MY ISLAND DREAM? — THE CHANNEL ISLANDS On planet Earth there are at least two archipelagos known as “The Channel Islands.” Frankly, I’d be somewhat surprised if there aren’t more. One is located in an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates France and the UK known in English as “The … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A Channel Islands Primer
INTRODUCTION Until the visit that Una and I took to San Clemente this past weekend, I don’t think that I’d ever visited the place. I’m not entirely sure because nearly all of my trips south on the 5 have ended in Mexico and the stretch of freeway between South Orange County and San Diego County has blended … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — San Clemente, The Spanish Village in Orange County
INTRODUCTION Irvine skyline For a while now Irvine has shared the top spot on my poll (see the end of the post to vote) but I’ve put it off because of the time required to explore such a sprawling, distant city. There was also a time when most of my blog’s non-Los Angeles fans … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Irvine, Orange County’s City of Innovation
Eric Brightwell 