The Californian city of Anaheim celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Situated in Orange County, 28 miles southwest of Los Angeles, Anaheim is home to the world famous Disneyland, as well as the reigning Ice Hockey champions the Mighty Ducks and Major League's 2002 World Series winners, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Founded in 1857 by 50 German families, Anaheim literally means "Ana's home", named after the nearby Santa Ana River, and the German word for home - 'heim'. The families that founded the city originally hailed from Bavaria. They specialised in growing and farming grapes, as well as making wine. However, in the 1880s an insect pestilence wiped out their entire grape crop. Unable to prevent the destruction of their crop the farmers picked up the pieces and diversified into growing walnuts, lemons and - of course - oranges instead.
Benefiting from the great California climate and steady immigration, Anaheim continued to grow during the 1900s, deriving the majority of its income from farming and finance. But the city underwent its biggest expansion after Walt Disney decided to make his theme park dream a reality and base it in Anaheim. Disney opened their theme park in 1955; the ground upon which it is built consists of 160 acres of former walnut and orange groves, and you can still spot plenty of orange trees dotted throughout the park. The phenomenal success of the Disneyland Park over the last 50 years has led to the Walt Disney Company becoming Anaheim's largest employer. In addition, the city now derives most of its income directly from tourism.
In 2001, the Disneyland Park was further expanded by the addition of Disney's California Adventure. The latest park is a haven for thrill-seekers offering the nail-biting Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the super-fast California Screamin' roller-coaster rides amongst many others. In addition, the Disney Resort also boasts Downtown Disney, which includes the ESPN Zone and House of Blues amongst its attractions. At the ESPN Zone you can take in the latest sporting activities on the big screen while enjoying traditional American edibles and drinks, while The House of Blues frequently attracts big name acts to its illustrious stage.
Many companies choose to have conventions at the Anaheim Convention Center; the biggest on the West Coast of America. The obvious attraction of having Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure on the doorstep means that while taking care of business at the conference, a delegate's family can enjoy the many attractions of the park. Indeed, at many hotels in Anaheim, you will find family parties mixing business with pleasure - a fantastic solution for all involved!
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