Katie and Boomer's Guide to Fountain Valley

Shopping. I don't get to shop very often, and my sources are limited at home, so this is my "not always annual" treat, to head west and shop, shop shop. My favorite spot is Fashion Island, which is just gorgeous, as long the weather is good since it's outdoors. Even if you don't buy anything there, its just so pretty it's worth a stroll through.

Quick Tips:

Fountain Valley is in Orange County and not far from some of the highlights of Southern California like Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and San Juan Capistrano. Most of the chain motels are here, but not at the inflated prices of the beach resorts, and all are easily accessible from John Wayne Airport (Orange County) which has improved and expanded greatly since the last time I was here.

Best Way To Get Around:

The almighty automobile still rules here, I'm afraid, and is about the only way to get around.

Boomer’s recommended this one too. Another strip mall restaurant, this one is a New York style deli with great bagels in flavors I’d never heard of, like the Hawaiian bagel with coconut and pineapple. Boomer is fond of this one, but being from New Mexico, I needed my chile fix and opted for the jalapeno bagel. (Boomer appreciated the leftovers.) More adventurous the second day, I went for the cranberry bagel (no leftovers). To wash it all down, we ordered their large coffee mocha, the best I’ve had in a long time (sorry, Starbucks). Silly girl behind the counter asked us if we wanted whipped cream on our mochas. Isn’t whipped cream the primary reason for ordering coffee mocha?

The ultimate in gift shops. If you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist. This is Katie and Boomer’s day job. Officially, they are supposed to welcome customers, but they are more likely to be lying around taking up floor space. I was assured they didn’t bite and to just step over them. Since Boomer weighs in at a hefty 75 pounds, it’s a big step. If they feel like it, they might guide you around the store, but your best bet is to ask their boss for assistance. She knows a lot more about the newest items, what’s on sale, and that "just right" gift you’ve been looking for.

I was there in early November, so the walls were decked for Christmas. By my count, there were eleven theme trees to browse through (including an underwater theme with mermaids and fish which caught by Pisces eye). All the ornaments are clever and quite out of the ordinary. Stuffed bears live on a shelf by the counter and there was a whole love seat overflowing with creatures (I fell for a very fat, very soft snowman), cabinets and tables are crowded with collectibles, candles, sachets and, everywhere you look you’ll find the specialty of the house: custom silk floral arrangements. Don’t miss the little room in the back, next to the sales counter. There are more goodies in there definitely worth a browse.

If you are in a quandary about what to do with all the stuff you couldn’t resist, the pooches’ boss can switch to her Interior Designer hat and help you find the right wall color to match your new teddy bear, or redesign your whole house.

Katie and Boomer salivate at the thought of going to the Park. All that grass. And those lovely trees. After all, it's not that far, just across the street from the "office".

More geared to people than pooches, the huge park (after all it is a square mile) and is the only public, multi purpose open space parkland in Orange County. Among a myriad of sports-related areas within the park’s confines are golf courses, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and even a little lake for fishing. If you want, you can land your plane out there, as long as it's radio controlled.

Those of you who live in the big cities might not understand this, but being from a fashion-challenged area, getting to a Big mall like this is one of the highlights of my year. I flip through magazines and catalogues. I see something I like. I check out the list of store locations. Is there one in New Mexico? No. Is there one at South Coast Plaza? Of course.

So, I save up pennies and nickels and put together my list of “Things I Can’t Find at Home” and head out to LA, the shopping capital of the West. Besides visiting Katie, Boomer and their people, I make a pilgrimage to two centers: Fashion Island in Newport Beach and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. I have been doing this since I left La La Land eons ago. At first, it was such a thrill to see catalogue merchandize in person. To touch, feel, and try on, so if it doesn’t fit I don’t have to pay postage to send it back. The catalogue stores are still there, but the designers have moved in. Nitsy little boutiques with five dresses on the rack which you know probably cost half your annual salary. Fortunately, if you time it right, the department store sales are great.

Wear your walking shoes, the Plaza sprawls. The location map covers three double pages (and they even have a website). Besides the shops, there are art galleries and restaurants. Thirty-three restaurants to be exact, ranging from McDonald’s to Wolfgang Puck Café.