Despite the strip malls and tract housing, Orange County has a pretty vibrant past. You just have to know where to look…

• Justin Mason pointed to a whole bunch of exceptional photos and post cards from the early days of Orange County. I don’t want to believe that South Coast Plaza didn’t always have loads of crap around it, but this picture tells a different story.
• For those of you who happen to be geeks of the Disney persuasion, this photo tour of classic Disneyland [see: 50’s and 60’s] is worth going over. It’s assembled from a whole plethora of classic tourist photos that really manage to capture the era.
• Those of you who are hep to the dying artform of Googie architecture know that Anaheim was a hotbed for it from the 50’s thru the 80’s. An archive of Anaheim’s way out [but now mostly demolished] buildings can be found here. The Anaheim Central Library has a great physical archive that you can spend an afternoon losing yourself in.

I’m well aware that I’m only scratching the surface – but I’m a lazy sod who loves audience participation. What’re your favorite virtual and physical manifestations of classic Orange County? Inquiring minds want to know.