Balboa Fun Zone

If you're heading to California with your family, you should check out Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach. This is one of the oldest and best amusement parks on the California coast and offers plenty of opportunities for adults and children to enjoy themselves and have an ideal family vacation. Balboa Fun Zone is aptly named, as it is situated on the Balboa Peninsula, which lies along Newport Beach. This park gives other major parks like Disney and Seaworld a run for their money with its fun attractions and beautiful location.

In operation for more than 50 years, Balboa Fun Zone is open for extended hours so that you can go there during the day or wait until night when the weather cools off slightly, making it more comfortable to walk around and enjoy the activities. One of the park's major draws was the Rendezvous Ballroom, where visitors to the park as well as residents of the area could hear music streaming into the evening hours.

If you think the Fun Zone is another boring park, think again. There's always something to do whether you're there with your spouse or you have a whole family of kids with you. You can settle on the beach and enjoy the sun or explore all of the areas Fun Zone has to offer. Balboa Pier was built in 1912 as a way to connect Balboa to Catalina Island. If you visit Fun Zone, you can go out on the pier and enjoy the sun and smell of the beach. Luckily, Balboa Pier was one of the few piers to survive the storms that ripped through California in the 1980s. Anyone looking for an adventure will enjoy a trip on the Catalina Flyer. This is a one hour trip to Catalina Island that only costs one dollar. The Fun Zone ferris wheel can't be missed if you visit Balboa.

It's been running since 1936 and has given thousands of people the thrill of riding a huge ferris wheel. The only time this ride can get a little scary if it stops at the very top. If you're not scared when this happens, then you can take in the gorgeous views from the top of the ferris wheel. With major renovations taking place in 1986, the park was rebuilt from the very bottom up and was improved so that the ferris wheel, arcade games, and bumper cars could continue providing hours of fun for kids and adults for decades to come. Once you've ridden a few of the rides, you can enjoy a bite to eat at one of the many concession stands and restaurants in the park. After letting your food settle, take a cruise on the harbor.

If you're planning a visit to California, think about heading to Balboa Fun Zone. Whether you've never been to an amusement park or its one of your favorite activities, Fun Zone will give you plenty of reasons to want to come back. This is one Newport Beach attraction that you just shouldn't pass up on during your vacation.