Orange County Blog

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead.  ~Mac McCleary

Yes, patience is a necessity to drive in Orange County.  Also a necessity is the new 511 Motorist Aid and Travelers’ Information System.  Have you heard about this yet? 

511 is a free traveler information service that provides information about traffic, transit and commuter service information in Southern California via a toll-free phone number and website. By calling 511 or visiting Go511.com, all the information you need to make smart traveling decisions is readily available.

Take a look at www.WelcomeToOC.com to get the scoop on the new 511 system!

Seriously, it’s time to fill the gas tank again?  Prices are on the rise and there’s not much we can do about it.  Right?  Well, the answer to that is both no and yes.  No, we can’t do much to lower the price of gas, but yes, we can take steps to reduce the number of times we visit the cost consuming gas station.

Here are a few helpful hints to reduce the frequency of the Needle on Empty Syndrome:

1.  Take care of your car!  Besides the issue with gas prices, a car is a huge investment.  Checking the tire pressure and replacing the air filter on a regular basis will do wonders for improving your car’s efficiency and therefore it’s MPG.

2. Remember that when the traffic light turns green, it’s not a green light to jump on the accelerator – settle down Speed Racer.  Accelerate moderately so as not to waste fuel.  A perfect partner to this hint is to take a tip from the truck drivers on crowded freeways.  They keep their speed constant as they know it takes much more fuel to get a vehicle moving than it does to keep it moving.

3. Try roughing it and turn off your air conditioner.  At lower speeds, you will save fuel.  But on the flip side, at higher speeds the A/C will be more efficient than the open windows because of wind resistance.

4. Resist the urge to “pimp your ride”.  If your tires are wider than the stock tires, chances are they'll create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy

5. So many of us fall into the category of being cleanliness impaired when it comes to our cars.  It takes little to acquire an extra 40-50 lbs. of stuff in our trunks.  Extra weight equals more fuel to burn to get from point A to point B.

6. One last tip for the carpool parent: Avoid Long Idles - The bottom line is idling burns more gas than restarting an engine. If you wait in line at the kids’ school, you know what a long idle means!

Now that you know how to stretch your tank of gas, stretch your gas dollars by learning where the cheapest gas stations are in your area http://bit.ly/47pekN

Spring Break is approaching.  We look forward to spending time with family and friends as we step back into traditions that are lost during the busy year.  But with travels in the near future, have you thought about what you are going to do with your pets?  Pets are such an important part our families, but sometimes for a variety of reasons it just make sense to take them with you.  Happily, there are options.  Some swear by boarding their pets.  Others want the security of knowing their pets are in the comfort of their own homes.  Check out a few benefits of both options at www.WelcomeToOC.com

Are newspapers a thing of the past?  For many of Orange County’s savvy residents, online news is more practical as well as efficient.  We want read the news on our computers and on our phones, at our leisure or when we need our news on the go.  Newspaper content may be shrinking, but internet news is on the rise. Classifieds have declined drastically with the advent of sites such as Craig’s List and Monster.  Online news also makes it easier to find older information or to re-read that article that came out last week. Most of us would rather use a search function than dig through a pile of old newspapers! And don’t discount the importance of going green and reducing our carbon footprint.

Staying up to date on news is imperative to today’s Orange County residents, yet time is always a precious commodity.  For a quick, informative read of the latest in O.C. News, visit http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/oc-news/local-orange-county-news.html  The bullet point style encourages a fast scan of up to date news with the option of learning more as time and interest allows. OrangeCountyResourceGuide.com goes beyond offering the latest news.  Learn what each city offers, search for restaurants, entertainment, business listings, and more.   Stay current on “Everything O.C.” and don’t get left behind.

Orange County is one of the most exciting areas of the country to experience adventurous day trips and exciting weekends. Allow us to introduce you to a few of the many opportunities just waiting for you!

Like that old saying Southern California is famous for‚ "You can snow ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon," allow us to open your mind to even more possibilities that your new surroundings have in store for you.

Whale watching in the morning‚ balloon touring and wine tasting in the evening.

There's a whole other country‚ right next door! Discover the, cottage industry that is Rosarita.

Breezy relaxing Catalina Island one day‚ exciting and invigorating Las Vegas the next.

So‚ what are you waiting for? Southern California is waiting for you!!

Have a look at the Day-Tripping section for intersting ideas for your next Orange County day trip excursion

http://www.orangecountyresourceguide.com/day-tripping.html

If given the choice of living in any state, most Americans would choose California, followed by Hawaii and Florida, a recent Harris poll has found.

When asked what city they would choose to live in, most Americans pegged New York City as the place they most desire to live in or near.

The poll was a nationwide survey of 3,685 adults conducted in August 2006. Florida was followed by North Carolina coming in at No. 4, Texas at No. 5, Washington at No. 6, Colorado at No. 7, New York at No. 8, Arizona at No. 9, Oregon at No. 10, Tennessee at No. 11, Virginia at No. 12, Georgia at No. 13, Pennsylvania at No. 14 and Montana at No. 15.

Seven of the 15 states listed in the poll were in the West and six of them were in the South. The only other states represented were the mid-Atlantic states of New York and Pennsylvania. There were no states from the Midwest or Northeast in the top 15.
 

Following New York City as the top U.S. city people would choose to live in or near was San Francisco at No. 2, San Diego at No. 3, Seattle at No. 4, Las Vegas at No. 5, Honolulu at No. 6, Denver and Atlanta tying for No. 7, Chicago at No. 9, Boston at No. 10, Los Angeles at No. 11, Portland, Ore., and Phoenix tied for No.12, Orlando at No. 14 and Austin, Texas at No. 15.