See This, Skip That: Anaheim

— -- With Disneyland turning 60 this year, thousands of travelers have their eye on Anaheim. The world-famous home to Mickey and friends is, easily, this city’s biggest attraction. But Anaheim, one of the 34 cities that make up Orange County, is in the midst of a tourism renaissance, and there’s plenty to see and do beyond roller coaster rides and light parades.

Anaheim is aiming to position itself as a Southern California visitor hub. Its new breed of transportation options makes day trips a lot easier — north to L.A. or south to San Diego. And it’s working closely with its neighbor cities to highlight the easy access out of Anaheim to attractions in places like Buena Park, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Huntington Beach and beyond. All this helped Anaheim’s visitor numbers surge 16% in 2014, to 21.7 million.

After you’ve hit the Happiest Place on Earth, here are other neat things you’ll find in the new Anaheim.

Skip Harbor Blvd., Descend on Center StreetHarbor Blvd. is an artery that’s tough to avoid here: it’s what’ll link you from hotel to hotel and all the way to Disneyland’s gates. But Anaheim’s new epicenter for all things culinary and entertainment — and a snapshot of Anaheim’s revitalization – is downtown’s hipster Center Street. Flanked by City Hall and brand new residential lofts, it’s a link to one-of-a-kind and locally-owned shops and businesses. Barbeer is an old-school guys’ barber shop where your trim comes with an ice cold brew; men can also shop for vintage-style shoes at Heart & Sole and for hip fashions at the haberdashery they call The Good; dozens of domestic and imported selections make Center Street Cheese Shop a foodie haven; vegans and the health-conscious will find a plethora of food and wine options at 118 Degrees and at Healthy Junk; and the Yoga Mat offers “happy hour” yoga classes for $5. The nearby Rinks Anaheim ICE, the training facility for the city’s popular Ducks hockey team, is open for public skating sessions daily.

After Disneyland, Visit Knott’sA five-minute drive from Anaheim gets you to Knott’s Berry Farm. In the city of Buena Park, this is known as “America’s 1st Theme Park” and as home to the world’s first-ever looping coaster. What started as a farm in the 1920s is now a 160-acre thrill ride mecca and home to the new 4-D interactive Voyage to the Iron Reef attraction, a revamped Camp Snoopy and the 900-seat Chicken Dinner Restaurant. Don’t leave without stocking up on Knott’s jams.

Skip the Game, Take a TourFor native SoCal baseball fans like my father-in-law, Claude Ising, nothing beats watching the Anaheim Angels win a home game. “It’s a Southern California tradition,” he says. But even if these 2002 MLB world champs aren’t on the field when you’re visiting, you can be. Tours of the stadium that’s been home to the Angels for 50 years include a trip to the field, a visit to the dugout and close-up peeks at the broadcasting booth, the press conference room and the Gene Autry Suite. The 75-minute tours take place Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and cost between $6 and $8; kids under five are free.