A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Laguna Beach, United States by TravelPod blogger Gareth.alanna titled "Orange County Laguna Beach" Gareth.alanna’s travel blog entry: "Our next destination was the famed OC, a spot I had wanted to check out since the TV series 'The OC' set in Newport Beach, Orange County, portrayed as a rich, young, beach town with pizazz. On the way we passed through Malibu which to be honest was a little disappointing. The houses are nothing short of impressive but the beach was really small with the tide coming right up to the beach front homes and the town was nothing more than a few shops, gas stations and eateries set along the busy stretch of pacific coast highway. It seems to be built more upon the name than anything else. Not able to spot Pamela Anderson or Jennifer Aniston's pads we continued on through LA and Santa Monica. Keeping up with the tradition of this trip so far where my navigation skills were rarely present, we took the suggested detour via Palos Verdes peninsula and the South Bay which passed through the beach areas of Manhattan, Redondo and Hermosa. Stretching our legs in Long Beach (and to ask for some directions ;-) we were asked "why are you visiting here", which kind of sums up Long Beach. Finally entering the OC, Huntington Beach was a welcomed sight. An interesting combination of oil drills on one side and miles of golden beach with oil rigs off the coastline. It had a great vibe and is a spot loved by ...