from
WorldWeb.com Travel Guide
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Old
Orange County Courthouse1 |
With a name like Santa Ana, the Spanish influence on one of the largest cities
in Orange County is
obvious. Home to over a quarter million Hispanic people, Santa
Ana boasts a
unique Spanish-American culture that is reflected in the city's shops, restaurants,
markets and traditions. Located near the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by the Santa
Ana River—one of the largest rivers in southern California—the
city is a delightful spot for holidays.
ORIENTATION
Santa Ana is located in California, which is bordered by Arizona
to the southeast and Nevada
to the northeast. The city is located 33 mi (53 km) south of Los
Angeles and approximately 10 mi (16 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean.
Famous beaches in Orange County such as Dana
Point, San
Clemente, Seal
Beach, Laguna Beach
and Corona
Del Mar are all convenient to Santa Ana.
HISTORY
Santa Ana was discovered by Spanish expedition leader Don Gaspár de Portolá
who named the area in honor of Saint Anne in 1769. In 1810, a land grant called
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was given to the area's oldest families. In 1869,
William H. Spurgeon rode through Santiago and purchased 74.2 acres (30 ha) of
the rancho, establishing a town on 24 blocks and naming it Santa Ana. In 1886,
Santa Ana was incorporated as a city and Spurgeon became the first mayor. Santa
Ana has always been the main political center of Orange County, which resulted
in the city becoming the county seat. The next year, the city was reincorporated
under the Municipal Corporation Act, which increased the population from 2,000
to 2,500 in a few months. Santa Ana expanded and continued to develop throughout
the next years.
Most of Santa Ana's community leaders were famous for their community involvement
and attempts to formulate an identity for the city. This was evident in the
pursuits of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) ladies who collected
books to develop a library and kept them in a downtown office for public use.
Another group, the Ebell Society, was formed in 1894 and its affiliates worked
towards launching the Carnegie Library, which was built on land donated by mayor
Spurgeon. There has also been an opera house in Santa Ana since the early years.
With the keenness of its pioneers, Santa Ana thrived culturally and socially,
and many settlers moved to the growing city, especially from Mexico.
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|
Month |
Avg.
Daily Temperature |
Average
Rainfall |
|
Min |
Max |
| Jan
|
45°F
(7°C) |
68°F
(20°C) |
78
mm |
| Feb |
46°F
(8°C) |
69°F
(21°C) |
73
mm |
| Mar
|
48°F
(9°C) |
70°F
(22°C) |
55
mm |
| Apr |
51°F
(11°C) |
73°F
(23°C) |
24
mm |
| May
|
55°F
(13°C) |
75°F
(24°C) |
5
mm |
| Jun
|
58°F
(14°C) |
78°F
(26°C) |
1.8
mm |
| Jul |
62°F
(17°C) |
83°F
(28°C) |
0.25
mm |
|
Aug |
63°F
(18°C) |
84°F
(29°C) |
1.8
mm |
|
Sep |
61°F
(16°C) |
84°F
(29°C) |
6.1
mm |
|
Oct |
57°F
(13°C) |
79°F
(25°C) |
8.4
mm |
|
Nov |
50°F
(10°C) |
74°F
(23°C) |
34
mm |
|
Dec |
45°F
(7°C) |
69°F
(21°C) |
45
mm |
|
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Climate
data from the
Southeast Regional Climate Center |
Santa Ana has one of the highest Hispanic populations in the United States, with
more than 75% of the city's population coming from this cultural background. Due
to the proximity of Mexico to the United States, thousands of Spanish-speaking
people immigrated to the United States, which diversified the make-up of the American
culture. This Spanish influence is reflected in many of Santa Ana's attractions.
The influx of people to Santa Ana kept increasing and the population expansion
changed the city's nature, especially in the downtown area. By the 1980s, Santa
Ana experienced the rise of corporate buildings and high-rise apartments. Many
churches moved from downtown to less crowded areas and continued their social
and community work to improve the internal and social challenges in the city.
CLIMATE
As one of California's southern cities with a dry, hot and sometimes dusty
climate, the city of Santa Ana has earned the nickname Devil's Breath. The city
experiences Santa Ana Winds, which are dry, warm winds blowing in from the desert
regions of southern California and Arizona. The Santa Anas have the potential
to cause damage as the hot and fast winds dry out vegetation and increase the
possibility of wildfire.
Generally speaking, the climate in southern California is dry with modest precipitation
throughout the year, however, wet seasons in the winter between November and
March can flood the Santa Ana River and temperatures can drop to 45 ºF (7 ºC).
The flooding is the result of heavy precipitation over a period of one or two
days. In July and August, summers in Santa Ana are hot and dry with a temperature
peak of 84 ºF (29 ºC). Santa Ana experiences a relatively warm spring between
April and June and a mild fall between September and October.
TRANSPORTATION
Santa Ana has the John
Wayne Airport, a hub that features a number of airlines with direct
flights to Denver, Chicago,
Houston, San
Francisco, San Jose,
Las Vegas and many other
major American cities. Once in the city, car
rental agencies and taxi companies are available for ground transportation.
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) offers convenient bus service
and the Metrolink
is a rail service offering a regional train system that includes traveler and
passenger services.
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| Charles
W. Bowers Memorial Museum2 |
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FEATURED ATTRACTIONS
Museums
The Charles
W. Bowers Memorial Museum is one of the largest museums in Orange County.
Due to its convenient location on major freeways and only 4 mi (6 km) south
of Disneyland, the museum is a popular destination for visitors to the area.
Permanent exhibitions include the Art of Adornment, which displays a collection
of tribal arts and artifacts from the world's indigenous people. California,
The Golden Years is an exhibition that includes a collection of works crafted
by California artists between 1875 and 1955 with a focus on 56 landscapes, figure
pieces and still-life artworks.
Built in 1898 and designed by Hiram Clay Kellogg, the Centennial
Heritage Museum features the Kellogg House, home to a collection of
artwork, including a wreath made from human hair. In the Victorian period, hair
work was quite popular. Hair was a token of a person that was easy to carry
and that remained long after a person passed away.
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Church
of the Messiah3 |
Located on the corner of Sycamore and Civic Center Drive, the
Dr.
Howe-Waffle House was built by two prominent physicians in Orange County,
Alvin and Willella Howe. Willella established herself as a prominent doctor in
what was a male-dominated profession at that time. The Dr. Howe-Waffle House is
one of the finest examples of a Queen Anne Victorian home in the city.
The Old Orange County Courthouse Museum presents both temporary and permanent
exhibits relating to local and interpretive history. This museum is located
in Old Orange County Courthouse, one of the many historical places to visit
in Santa Ana. Architect C.I. Strange received the commission to build the courthouse,
where he constructed a landmark made of Arizona red sandstone. This building
is considered the oldest county courthouse in southern California and has been
used as a set for numerous television shows and movies.
Church of the Messiah
Located downtown and built in 1889, the Church
of the Messiah is the oldest public Santa Ana building still in use.
The church includes many architectural pieces such as the chapel's red glass
sanctuary lamp that was acquired from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
Christian symbols and signs are depicted on decorative and carved wood panels
throughout the church.
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| Discovery
Science Center4 |
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Discovery Science Center
Santa Ana's
Discovery
Science Center is a place to discover more than 120 hands-on exhibits
and participate in interactive science experiments. The center offers many fun
activities such as playing a virtual volleyball game and composing music with
laser beams on a laser harp. Other exciting adventures at the Science Center include
generating a 19-foot-long tidal wave in a wave tank, lying on a bed of 3500 real
nails, climbing a rock wall and witnessing the eruption of an indoor geyser.
Santa Ana Zoo
Home to 50 exotic monkeys and many endangered species, the Santa
Ana Zoo occupies 25 acres (10 ha) and hosts more than 270,000 visitors
every year. Rubber plants and banana trees from the jungles of South America
are found in the zoo's botanical garden. The zoo offers Zoofaris, which are
guided tours, as well as many educational programs for students of all ages,
from children to grandparents.
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Quinceanera Celebrations
While Santa Ana is an American city, the majority of Mexican locals
still retain some traditions from south of the border. One in particular
is the Quinceanera, the traditional Hispanic celebration of a girl's coming
of age on her 15th birthday and an acknowledgment of her transition into
the adult world, where she must prepare for additional family and social
obligations. A girl's Quinceanera is not only a fun celebration, but also
a reaffirmation of religious faith and family values.
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Shopping
The city's dominant Spanish culture makes shopping in historic downtown Santa
Ana a different and interesting experience. The most popular and in-style shops
are stores selling wedding gowns, hoop-skirt gowns and formal dresses for the
Quinceanera—the traditional Hispanic celebration of a girl's coming of age on
her 15th birthday. Many stores have lavish, embroidered gowns. The
Main
Place Shopping Center features many stores, dining options and movie theaters.
Tourists can also find many services such as foreign currency exchange, one-hour
photo developing, shoe repair, nail salons and full-service hair salons at the
shopping center.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- Old Courthouse Museum; Old Orange County Courthouse; Santa Ana, CA, USA
- Charles W. Bowers Memorial Museum Bowers Museum; Bowers Museum Main Entrance;
Santa, Ana, CA, USA
- Church of the Messiah; Episcopal Church of the Messiah; Santa Ana, CA,
USA
- Discovery Science Center; Santa Ana, CA, USA
