DISCOVER ORANGE COUNTY

* Looking for a new neighborhood to explore? Here are a few suggestions, culled from recent stories. Complete stories can be accessed at https://www.calendarlive.com/go/discover.

Balboa: Stroll, Eat, Ride the Ferris Wheel

One evening when my daughter, Caitlin, was about 2 years old, we decided to go exploring. We ended up at Balboa, and there she led me on a walk that has become a tradition. The stopping points and spontaneous diversions she pursued along our original route are revisited each time, perhaps to recapture the magic of our first journey.

Last year the walk became part of our holiday tradition after we saw the area transformed for Christmas. The Balboa Pavilion, with its cupola fashioned into a blazing Christmas tree, is a spectacular sight.

Park in the lot next to the pier (rates are 50 cents for each 20 minutes, up to $7 maximum). From there, it’s a short walk to the Fun Zone, but you may want to stroll along the pier first. The original, constructed in 1906, was destroyed by a hurricane and rebuilt in 1939. At the foot of the pier, there’s a children’s play area and a public restroom next to Peninsula Park, a favorite kite-flying spot. Head inland away from the pier to walk along the peninsula’s tree-lined Main Street. The corner pharmacy, a bakery and a post office serve as a reminder that this is a real town, not just a tourist area.

From Main Street, turn left on Edgewater Avenue and make your way to the Fun Zone, a waterfront carnival and arcade area that has delighted young and old since 1936. There’s a carousel, bumper cars, an arcade, laser tag, the Tin Man, a ride similar to Disneyland’s spinning teacups, and a Ferris wheel with a fabulous view of the harbor. Tickets are $1, but most rides require at least two tickets. (Winter hours are noon to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays.) Rides close earlier on nights when business is slow.

At this point, we are usually in need of refreshment, and there are plenty of eateries from which to choose. Bay Burger ([949] 675-0660) has fish and chips ($4.75 with coleslaw), stuffed baked potatoes ($3-$3.75) and hamburgers ($2.50-$4.25).

Getting there: Take the Costa Mesa Freeway south to where it ends and becomes Newport Boulevard. Continue on Newport, following signs to Balboa Pier. Turn left on West Balboa Boulevard. Turn right on Palm Avenue to enter the Balboa Pier parking lot.

* A new Discover Orange County will run next Sunday in the Orange County Calendar.