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.

Skip the Hotel Bar, Grab a BeerBy the end of 2015, Anaheim will be home to no fewer than 12 breweries. Many of these watering holes already have an avid following, and each has a story. Noble Ale, near the Honda Center that hosts the Ducks, reels in the pre-game crowd with its Big Whig IPA and Breakaway Pale Ale. Bottle Logic Brewing hosts rotating food trucks throughout the week so guests can pair a variety of food with their beers. And Anaheim Brewing, in the city’s hopping Packing District, pours at a bar that dates back to 1915, before the tavern that once occupied its location was shut down by Prohibition. Cheers!

Skip the Fast Food, Go PackingThe culinary epicenter of the Packing District is the Anaheim Packing House, a packing facility for Sunkist in 1919 that’s been converted into a gourmet food hall. There are more than 20 purveyors here, doling out everything from fish-&-chips and burgers to sushi and ice cream, and there’s live music all weekend. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. (though the coffee houses here open as early as 9 a.m.) and the bars pour ‘til midnight. Next door, the pretty two-acre Farmers Park hosts a vibrant farmers’ market each Sunday.

Skip the Book, Visit MUZEOWant a little culture while you’re here? MUZEO is the newest museum in Southern California and an interactive showcase of exhibits. An extension of the Center Street Promenade, this complex encompasses the original 1908 Carnegie Library and hosts three different traveling exhibitions each year. Admission costs between $6 and $10 and includes a free 45-minute docent tour. Ask about their self-guided audio podcasts. The Discovery Cube science museum in nearby Santa Ana is also worth a visit.

Skip the Rental Car, Go ARTICARTIC (the Anaheim Regional Transit Intermodal Center) is Anaheim’s transportation hub, linking travelers to myriad options to get around. This unique steel-framed building, which opened last year, houses bike racks and links bus riders to Amtrak’s rails. Want to head to the beach? A one-time cost of $10 will get you the city’s Once Upon a Train service: a shuttle from your hotel to ARTIC, a ride on the train to, say, the seaside town of San Clemente (where you can walk from the train station to the sand), and back. The city’s buses and shuttles system, with more than 18 routes, is also accessed here, which links people between hotels, theme parks and downtown attractions.

Skip Downtown, Catch a WaveMore than 40 miles of glistening Orange County coastline are less than 20 miles from Anaheim, making a beach break quick and easy. You’ve got six classic, laid back surfside communities to choose from, including Newport Beach, where you can go kayaking in the bay, and Laguna Beach, where you can go snorkeling between art gallery visits. Huntington Beach is known as Surf City USA — this place is home to the International Surfing Museum — and is also home to a pier that juts 1,800 feet out to sea.

Skip Anaheim, Visit OrangeAnaheim offers easy access to many of its neighbor cities, too. Jim Hicks, a special education teacher, recommends the nearby city of Orange, where he’s lived for the last year. With charming architecture that dates back 100 years, “the circle in Old Town Orange has great character,” he tells me. “Great little restaurants, shops and bars. Watson Drugs & Soda Fountain is historic. And Rutabegorz is a great healthy restaurant.” Hill also recommends two hilltop steakhouses — Orange Hill Restaurant and Orange County Mining Company — both for the awesome prime beef as well as “great views of Orange County, the coast and Catalina Island.”

Don’t Skip the GymWalking the theme park all day long can be its own workout. But if you’re looking to keep up with your daily exercise routine, check out the health club at the Hilton Anaheim. Located about a mile from Disneyland, this 25,000 square-foot facility is the city’s newest gym and is decked out with state-of-the-art equipment. One-time use is $9 and an all-day pass with in-and-out privileges is $14.

Skip the Flight, Drive the RVQuaint John Wayne Airport is a convenient and cozy alternative to LAX. But RVers can skip flying altogether and just roll in. There are two well-appointed RV parks in Anaheim: Anaheim Harbor RV Park is the closest RV park to Disneyland and has a heated pool, putting green and mini-mart, while family-owned Anaheim Resort RV Park can accommodate big rigs and features a walking area just for dogs.

Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.

Gabe Saglie is Senior Editor for Travelzoo, which features exclusive deals throughout Anaheim and Orange County at www.travelzoo.com.