THE FAR SIDES : O.C. Is More Than Beaches and Bean Fields; It’s Farm Animals, Bamboo Groves and Possibly a Pyramid or Two

Want to have an out-of-county experience? It’s easy to do, even without psychic powers or some sort of New Age transcendental journey.

Contrary to the stereotypes, Orange County isn’t confined to cookie-cutter developments, glorious beaches and open bean fields; and its anomalies can provide a day’s retreat, alunch-hour escape, or a brand-new way to start the day.

Whether the recession has you homebound, the holidays were too much to bear, or an everyday sameness is dragging you down, there are a few easy antidotes in such nearby sites as a Zen-like sculpture garden; a small farm with friendly cows, pigs and goats, and crops galore, and a shopping center that recalls old Heidelberg. Hop in the car and get mentally out of town on a single tank of gas.

Man Wah Supermarket, Little Saigon: You know you must be far from home when you reach for your favorite TV dinner and pull out frozen octopuses instead. Ralphs and Vons don’t ordinarily offer great buys on beef feet or pork heart, either.

But such delicacies can be found just off the San Diego Freeway, at Man Wah Supermarket in Westminster’s Little Saigon, where the sights, sounds and smells can transport local denizens halfway around the world.

Bigger, slicker, more Westernized supermarkets catering to Asians dot Little Saigon, the roughly mile-long stretch of Bolsa Avenue between Brookhurst and Magnolia streets. But this one, tucked away at the rear of the Today Plaza Shopping Center, seems to have the most foreign, authentic atmosphere.

Opened in 1984, Man Wah was the first of eight Orange and Los Angeles county outlets in the Tawa Supermarkets Inc. chain.

Shoppers are immediately greeted by the pungent aromas of fresh seafood in open buckets or tanks and exotic spices, the sound of Asian singers blaring over the public-address system, and signs written in Chinese and, in smaller letters, English, announcing row after row of colorfully labeled goods.

There are canned quail eggs, jars of pickled mud fish and shrimp paste, cellophane packages of dried anchovies, stringy dried rice noodles and flat rounds of rice paper, and myriad incarnations of plain or sauced-up bean curd, all of it from such far-flung climes as Thailand or the Philippines or as close as Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

In one section, clams and snails are packed on ice, and live catfish, lobsters, crabs and other creatures mill about in gurgling tanks. The lady in front of you pulls a slimy pink squid from a bucket of water to hand it, dripping, to a clerk to weigh and wrap. Beef feet and tendons, pork heart and stomach are displayed nearby.

Spam leads the list of numerous familiar products on hand, and lottery tickets are easy to be had. But ignoring all that, a visit here is a cheap ticket way, way out of town.

Man Wah Supermarket, 9673 Bolsa Ave., in the Today Plaza Shopping Center, Westminster. (714) 531-4666. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Take the San Diego Freeway to Bolsa Avenue. Go north about five blocks. Today Plaza will be on the left.

Dana Woods and Carbon Canyon Regional Parks: It may take a little extra brain work to feel as if you’ve escaped county borders here, but the effort is worthwhile, particularly if you’re pining to spend time among rare, Christmas-tree style evergreens rooted outdoors, not in nursery pots.

This 4.4-acre public park is situated in Dana Woods, a subdivision of largely upscale, well-manicured Dana Point. The park is relatively small but boasts one of the few significant groves of redwoods anywhere in Southern California, says David Lewis, a Capistrano Bay park and recreation administrator.

There are actually two small groves here, each consisting of about a dozen coastal redwoods, scarce this side of Eureka because they thrive in damp, chilly weather. In fact, these young, 12-year-old, 50-foot-tall trees tend to look dried out because of the local arid climate, Lewis says.

Still, sit within the deep shade of one of the clusters, listen to the soothing breeze blow through the boughs, and crunch the needles beneath your feet. You’ll begin to forget about the close-by, fenced-in homes, patio furniture and swimming pools and feel as if you’re roughing it in the mountains, surrounded by enduring conifers, readying a fire for roasting marshmallows and thinking up a good ghost story.

In north Orange County, an even older stand of redwoods exists in Carbon Canyon Regional Park, where the stretch to feel out of town isn’t as far, mentally.

Planted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1970s when they were building a nearby reservoir, the grove has about 150 redwoods standing up to 75 feet tall. The county has taken over the care and feeding of these young giants, supplying them with piped-in water.

The park has a spectacularly bizarre landscape, particularly during the summer when these coastal redwoods stand out in stark relief against the burnt gold of the surrounding hillsides. But walk among the trees, and even at this early age they will envelope you as though you’re hiking within Northern California forests.

A few hundreds yards away, the scenery changes drastically. Follow a small hiking trail along the back of the park and soon you will enter the dark world of a bamboo forest.

Here, the bamboo grows so thick that tunnels tall enough to walk through have been carved into the groves. In some places, it is almost completely dark. In others, thin fingers of light break through the bamboo to illuminate the undergrowth with an eerie glow. It’s downright spooky and lots of fun to roam through.

Dana Woods Park, roughly between Dana Sequoia and Dana Teak streets off Dana Woods Street, Dana Point. Follow Pacific Coast Highway into Dana Point, go north on Street of the Golden Lantern, then west on Dana Woods Street.

Carbon Canyon Regional Park, Carbon Canyon Road at Valencia Avenue, Carbon Canyon. Take the Orange Freeway to Lambert Road. Go west. Lambert turns into Carbon Canyon Road at Valencia.

There is no admission charge at either park.

Sherman Library and Gardens: Steps way from car-crammed Pacific Coast Highway in the heart of Corona del Mar with its chichi boutiques sits a quaint, grassy courtyard surrounding a placid lily pond filled with lush blossoms, presided over by a gangly flamingo and a pert otter.

“Welcome to the Sherman Library and Gardens,” the playful sculptures seem to say.

This flower-filled oasis is a 2.2-acre constellation of colorful gardens connected by walkways, two balmy greenhouses, an outdoor cafe and a research library devoting some 15,000 books, pamphlets and other documents to the history of the Pacific Southwest.

Red brick, Spanish tile and wrought iron make up its early California architecture, the tidy spot further beautified by rose beds, hanging baskets of bright, dangling fuchsias, a patch of prickly cacti and other flora representing more than 1,000 plant species. Spanish moss hangs like an old man’s beard in a humid tropical greenhouse, its gold and white koi swimming beside a small, mossy waterfall and its broad palm fronds drooping from above and beside delicate potted orchids.

The facility, which opened in 1966, was named after Moses Hazeltine Sherman, a land baron active in the West whose heirs were the initial funders of the site, now supported by the community and run by administrators unrelated to the heirs.

Birds chirp loudly as visitors stroll about, browse the garden-themed gift shop or stop for refreshments in the restful, fountain-side tea garden cafe. Just hope your meter never runs out. Here, rejoining the traffic couldn’t be farther from one’s mind.

Sherman Library and Gardens, 2647 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (714) 673-2261. Garden hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; library is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $2. Educational programs and lectures in history, horticulture and the arts are offered, as are docent tours for students and community groups. Take Pacific Coast Highway to Corona del Mar. Site is slightly south of MacArthur Boulevard.

California Scenario: The moniker “California Scenario” may sound like a Hollywood back lot, but it couldn’t be more conceptually remote from jet-set glitz.

This 1.6-acre sculpture garden, completed by the late Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi in 1982, can quickly take the edge off over-shopping syndrome (it’s across the street from South Coast Plaza) or everyday 9-to-5 stress with its Zen-like, calming effect.

Framed by two towering office buildings and two 40-foot-high white walls, it’s sequestered from urban hurly-burly, a serene, orderly landscape of rock, plants and waterways. A quiet streamlet meanders through an open, sandstone plaza, where a tidy cactus garden grows upon a mound of gravel, a granite, pyramid-like sculpture looms at one corner, and a grassy spot at another leads up to a bench inviting visitors to rest within a shady enclave of tall evergreens.

Elsewhere, there’s a narrow, 30-foot-tall, triangular sculpture that houses a steep waterfall and 15 bronze, rounded stones are piled and fitted together to form “The Spirit of the Lima Bean,” a sculptural homage to C.J. Segerstrom & Sons, the Costa Mesa development firm that commissioned the garden as a joint venture with the Prudential Insurance Co. of America.

California Scenario, South Coast Metro complex, 611 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 435-2100. Admission is free. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Take the San Diego Freeway to Bristol Street exit. North to Anton Boulevard. West on Anton.

Silverado Canyon: There’s no mail delivery in Silverado Canyon, but that’s OK with folks here. The trip to the Post Office is seen as a social occasion, a chance to meet the neighbors and catch up on the local gossip.

Silverado’s small post office sits in the town’s commercial hub--along with a market, a cafe, a restaurant, a real estate office and a tiny but always busy branch library. A second market, the Shadybrook Country Store, is just another mile or two up the canyon.

Thanks to a fortuitous marriage of history and geography, Silverado has managed to retain the feel of a small, tightknit mountain community, with many of the homes dating back to the 1920s, when this was a popular weekend destination.

New homes are scarce, thanks to the steep canyon walls. The old wooden homes, converted cabins, rest amid the sycamores and oaks on small country lanes with such names as Thisa Way, Thata Way and Hunky Dory Lane.

For visitors, there’s not necessarily a lot to do in Silverado. The attraction lies in the scenic beauty of the canyon and the unforced rustic quality of the town--no cute shops or other strained attempts at quaintness here.

Past the town itself, there’s a one-lane road that winds steeply into the canyon. The parking lot at the base of the road, near the fire station, is a nice spot to have a picnic (Silverado Creek flows nearby) or start a walk or a bike ride.

Pack a lunch. Enjoy the silence. Afterward, head back down the canyon and stop in at the Pali Cafe for a cup of coffee and small talk. Walk along some of the side streets. Pet a dog. And try to forget that suburbia lies just beyond that line of hills in the distance.

Silverado Canyon, Silverado Canyon Road. From the Costa Mesa Freeway, take Chapman Avenue east through Orange, and stay with it as it turns into Santiago Canyon Road and begins its winding climb into the Santa Ana Mountains. Watch for the signs--the turnoff for Silverado Canyon is on the left, about nine miles past the last housing tract. The canyon proper begins as you pass the dilapidated coops of the old turkey ranch. Drive slowly--kids and dogs are everywhere.

Centennial Farm: A pop quiz:

1) What is a baby pig correctly called?

2) Do kiwis grow on leafy vines like grapes or in bunches like bananas?

3) When you munch corn on the cob, what part of the vegetable are you eating?

Answers to those questions and more can be found in a visit to Costa Mesa’s Centennial Farm, where fruit and vegetable crops grow alongside friendly barnyard animals, all situated practically in Pacific Amphitheater’s back yard.

The farm, which exists largely to educate children, grows such county common staples as lima beans. But there’s also kiwi, yellow and purple eggplant, asparagus, peanuts, kohlrabi, okra, acorn squash and bright red chili peppers.

You can see flies co-mingle on a sleepy, 700-pound sow named Strawberry Shortcake, hear cocks crow and chickens cackle, inhale the hardy scent of hay, and see cows, goats, rabbits, ducks, turkeys, a peacock and a ragtag army of scarecrows wearing flannel shirts and blue jeans.

A fairgrounds employee parking lot until it was converted into an educational tool by fair officials who run and fund the nonprofit venue, this place can provide a peaceful respite. Don’t animals somehow soothe the savage human beast?

Proprietors, who have led children on tours for three years, encourage picnics on nearby tables or merely an afternoon walk among the stalls, through the rows of vegetation and past the 1937 green John Deere tractor. It’ll all take you back to a time when, as a sign says, the credo was, “When tillage begins, other arts follow.”

By the way, the answers are: 1) A piglet. 2) On leafy vines. 3) The seeds.

Centennial Farm, southwest corner of the Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 751-3247, Ext. 22. The farm is open to the public, but it is suggested that individual visitors come after tours (after 1 p.m.) Tuesday through Friday or all day Saturday through Monday. Closes daily at 5 p.m. Take the San Diego Freeway to Fairview exit, then go south.

Environmental Nature Center: A tranquil, wooded wonderland moments away from busy 17th Street in Costa Mesa is just the place for a morning constitutional or a lunch-hour escape from work tensions. Called the Environmental Nature Center, this is a 2 1/2-acre arboretum where tall trees all around keep out the sights and (most) sounds of close-by civilization.

Opened some 17 years ago, the nonprofit center, supported by local residents and groups and guided by a board of directors, boasts several California plant communities. There’s a cacti-filled desert, redwood forest and oak woodland, and it’s a fine spot for bird watching, too. The center is a popular destination for school field trips, but anyone may go and enjoy the ruddy scent of fresh earth or the musky smell of eucalyptus, walk along trails or watch a stream trickle past or a trapdoor spider weave a web. Go before 9 a.m. (the place opens at sunrise) and your chances of finding solitude and a bracing morning chill are good. Glorious wildflowers bloom in the spring.

Environmental Nature Center, 1601 16th St., Newport Beach. (714) 645-8489. Open daily, sunrise to sunset. Tours available. Admission is free. Take Newport Boulevard to 17th Street. Go south, then turn right on Irvine Avenue, and right on 16th Street.

Old World Village: OK, so it may be a bit like Disneyland, with jolly, piped-in music, ersatz cobblestone walkways and impish ceramic dwarfs cavorting about. But Old World Village shopping center in Huntington Beach has the feel of a German Alpine hamlet, replete with gingerbread house-like pubs, a bakery with white lace curtains and frosted pfeffernuss cookies, and live oompah-pah bands.

Built in 1978 in an attempt to combine retail and residences, the center has about 40 shops above which live several of the outlets shopkeepers, many of them German. There are also several eateries, a motel, a chapel where Sunday services are held in English and German, and each fall the center hosts the county’s largest Oktoberfest celebration. Old-fashioned hanging signposts adorn quaint storefronts, and bucolic murals with scenes of old Berlin or horse-drawn buggies dot the buildings.

During the day, browse through gift boutiques stocked with cheery, noisy cuckoo clocks, fanciful beer steins and colorful dirndls. Stroll down winding walkways, past wrought-iron-gated courtyards and old-fashioned street lamps to the Old World Bakery Cafe and enjoy a Black Forrest ham sandwich with sauerkraut, noshing alfresco or indoors.

Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave., Huntington Beach. Information: (714) 898-3033 or (714) 897-2229. Most shops are open Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Take the San Diego Freeway to Beach Boulevard south. Make an immediate right onto Center Avenue.

Free-lance writers Rick VanderKnyff and Frank Messina also contributed to this story.