Laguna Beach CA.

[captenuta]

Were going in early August for 4 days any thoughts or suggestions!

[Pepe T. Pirate]

Hey, I'll be down in Laguna on August 12. The CA State Parks System just bought an entire neighborhood of beach cottages built in the 1920's - 30's and they are restoring them and are just starting to rent them out! If you're into seeing what the CA coast was like when the Beachboys were on the charts, this is definitely a place to check out. The cottages are so popular, you really have reserve one way ahead......so, alas, I'm camping, not renting a cottage. Sniff.

Anyway, someone who used to live there and worked to save them from becoming another highrise condo gives tours once a month.......August's tour is on the 12th. But it's a park and it's at the beach so you can check it out any day, you don’t have to take a tour.

If you're gonna be in Laguna on the 12th, let's hang out!

Here's a website to check out:

http://www.crystalcovealliance.org/hist ... ttours.php

[ladyparrothead]

Lots to do in Laguna. Pagent of the Master is a very cool thing. http://www.foapom.com/

Las Brisas - very nice resturant overlooking the ocean http://www.eltorito.com/lasbrisas/framespage.html

Sawdust festival http://www.sawdustartfestival.org/

They used to have a little trolley type bus that went up and down PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) that you could get on and off of. Nice way to see the "main drag", then decide what you want to see.

http://www.lagunabeachinfo.org/

I'm sure I'll think of more

[captenuta]

Hey, I'll be down in Laguna on August 12. The CA State Parks System just bought an entire neighborhood of beach cottages built in the 1920's - 30's and they are restoring them and are just starting to rent them out! If you're into seeing what the CA coast was like when the Beachboys were on the charts, this is definitely a place to check out. The cottages are so popular, you really have reserve one way ahead......so, alas, I'm camping, not renting a cottage. Sniff.

Anyway, someone who used to live there and worked to save them from becoming another highrise condo gives tours once a month.......August's tour is on the 12th. But it's a park and it's at the beach so you can check it out any day, you don’t have to take a tour.

If you're gonna be in Laguna on the 12th, let's hang out!

Here's a website to check out:

http://www.crystalcovealliance.org/hist ... ttours.php

Thanks for the info on Crystal Cove I'll have to check it out. Were going to be there Aug 6th thru Aug 10th.

[captenuta]

Lots to do in Laguna. Thanks for the info on Crystal Cove I'll have to check it out. Were going to be there Aug 6th thru Aug 10th
is a very cool thing. http://www.foapom.com/

Las Brisas - very nice resturant overlooking the ocean http://www.eltorito.com/lasbrisas/framespage.html

Sawdust festival http://www.sawdustartfestival.org/

They used to have a little trolley type bus that went up and down PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) that you could get on and off of. Nice way to see the "main drag", then decide what you want to see.

http://www.lagunabeachinfo.org/

I'm sure I'll think of more

Thanks for the info. We already have tickits for the Pagent of the Master.
The trolley sounds great we'll check it out.

[Pepe T. Pirate]

Don't think we'll be connecting. I'm driving down the coast from Santa Cruz to Malibu on the 10th. Hoping that the sky is clear and the surf is up while you're there! Have fun!

[Missing B'dos]

You might like Zinc or the Shore House better than Las Brisas, but Las Brisas is good for a drink at sunset or a stop while on the bluff walk. (Check out the people all in white lawn bowling on the top of the cliff near Las Brisas also. ) Laguna Beach is very crowded in the summer.

Pageant of the Masters is rather strange but worth doing once, but go early because the Art Show that your ticket also lets you into is almost better than the Pageant. You'll need at least an extra couple hours to walk it. You can get a glass of wine while you walk around, also.

In South Laguna, there is a Ruby's Diner right on the PCH with classic cars. Also, if you can find a place to park near Montage Resort, there is a super cliff walk with stairs to the pocket beaches and a park all along the top, all at Treasure Beach, and there's an arch rock. Longer stretch of beach running down to Aliso Creek SB also. There are also two good places to eat in South Laguna, the Coyote Grill and Eva's Caribbean Kitchen, call ahead and reserve if you decide on either.

good luck... there are 27,000 people in line already in front of you for a night in one of the 14 Crystal Cove cottages... but even if you can't stay, you CAN visit the park and walk in the historic district. And up on the PCH above, it is a must thing to stop at the little Shake Shack and have a thick shake and one of their very good sandwiches overlooking the sea. Make sure you are in the right lane headed south and pull in cause there's no turning back. The cottages... well seen the movie "Beaches"?

Laguna's all beaches but if you really want to see dolphins, head just a bit south to Dana Point harbor and take a Dana Point Sportfishing trip, that's the name of the company as they do sportfishing also, but they do great dolphin trips... last time out, we went through a pod of about 1000.

In Laguna, walk on Main Beach, then on up the PCH to the galleries and restaurants. Avoid the 2 or 3 streets in the immediate downtown, unless you really LIKE ice cream cones dumped on your feet, and the same old, same old expensive shops you'd find anywhere. There ARE a lot of artists living there and the galleries are the thing.

If you can get tickets, understand 'Shear Madness', the summer showing at the famous Laguna Playhouse, is a hit. For surfing go out to the Balboa Peninsula up on Newport or better, down to San Clemente, HQ of the Surfriders. If the tide is out, from Main Beach you can walk a LONG way south (the bluff walk and more pocket beaches are north).

We love Laguna, just not usually in the summertime! Have fun.

[Midnight Flyer]

A couple places to add...

Splashes: The bar in the Surf and Sand hotel. Window open right on to the beach. The waves splash in at high tide. Small and can be crowded in the evening but good bar food, drinks and view.

Madison Square Garden and Cafe: Kitty corner from the Laguna Art Museum which is right next to Las Brisas. Great place for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant is in an old house and the tables are all outside in the garden that surrounds it. The owner is usually there and very friendly and fun to talk to. Kids and dogs are very welcome.

Ti Amo: South Laguna on the PCH. Expensive but very good Italian food. This is one of the restaurants that has a good chance of a celebrity siting. It is very intimate with excellent food and service.

The Chart House: This is south in Dana Point. It is on the cliff above Dana Point Harbor and on a clear day you can see all the way to Mexico (literally!). The food is pretty good, the drinks are good, but the view...magnificient!

It looks like I'll be in town that week. PM me if you'd like to meet for a few 'ritas somewhere...

[captenuta]

You might like Zinc or the Shore House better than Las Brisas, but Las Brisas is good for a drink at sunset or a stop while on the bluff walk. (Check out the people all in white lawn bowling on the top of the cliff near Las Brisas also. ) Laguna Beach is very crowded in the summer.

Pageant of the Masters is rather strange but worth doing once, but go early because the Art Show that your ticket also lets you into is almost better than the Pageant. You'll need at least an extra couple hours to walk it. You can get a glass of wine while you walk around, also.

In South Laguna, there is a Ruby's Diner right on the PCH with classic cars. Also, if you can find a place to park near Montage Resort, there is a super cliff walk with stairs to the pocket beaches and a park all along the top, all at Treasure Beach, and there's an arch rock. Longer stretch of beach running down to Aliso Creek SB also. There are also two good places to eat in South Laguna, the Coyote Grill and Eva's Caribbean Kitchen, call ahead and reserve if you decide on either.

good luck... there are 27,000 people in line already in front of you for a night in one of the 14 Crystal Cove cottages... but even if you can't stay, you CAN visit the park and walk in the historic district. And up on the PCH above, it is a must thing to stop at the little Shake Shack and have a thick shake and one of their very good sandwiches overlooking the sea. Make sure you are in the right lane headed south and pull in cause there's no turning back. The cottages... well seen the movie "Beaches"?

Laguna's all beaches but if you really want to see dolphins, head just a bit south to Dana Point harbor and take a Dana Point Sportfishing trip, that's the name of the company as they do sportfishing also, but they do great dolphin trips... last time out, we went through a pod of about 1000.

In Laguna, walk on Main Beach, then on up the PCH to the galleries and restaurants. Avoid the 2 or 3 streets in the immediate downtown, unless you really LIKE ice cream cones dumped on your feet, and the same old, same old expensive shops you'd find anywhere. There ARE a lot of artists living there and the galleries are the thing.

If you can get tickets, understand 'Shear Madness', the summer showing at the famous Laguna Playhouse, is a hit. For surfing go out to the Balboa Peninsula up on Newport or better, down to San Clemente, HQ of the Surfriders. If the tide is out, from Main Beach you can walk a LONG way south (the bluff walk and more pocket beaches are north).

We love Laguna, just not usually in the summertime! Have fun.

Thanks. We weren't going to rent a car put with so much to do maybe we should.

[captenuta]

[quote="Midnight Flyer"]A couple places to add...

Splashes: The bar in the Surf and Sand hotel. Window open right on to the beach. The waves splash in at high tide. Small and can be crowded in the evening but good bar food, drinks and view.

Thanks. We will have to check this out.

[Missing B'dos]

Just wanted to add that they are opening an actual beach restaurant August 1 in the Crystal cCve historic district.

Also, we did go to the Festival of the Arts, which is held outside the Pageant grounds, Saturday afternoon from 2-4 and there is some pretty beautiful stuff this year.
Walked around town a bit too... lotsa people. We had parked up at Myrtle and Coast Highway in North Laguna, so as to make our getaway, and walked down into town. If you are staying in a downtown hotel, you should be OK, because you will have parking there. Once it gets near Pageant time, all traffic into town practically stops dead because there is so much of it.
A Festival of the Arts poster, $10, is a great souvenir and cheap, too!! You can buy it at the Pageant.

I would say we would be around, except we are going to Catalina 4-6th and having guests from Connedyicutt 11-16th, so we really won't be.
Have a great vacation!

[captenuta]

Just wanted to add that they are opening an actual beach restaurant August 1 in the Crystal cCve historic district.

Also, we did go to the Festival of the Arts, which is held outside the Pageant grounds, Saturday afternoon from 2-4 and there is some pretty beautiful stuff this year.
Walked around town a bit too... lotsa people. We had parked up at Myrtle and Coast Highway in North Laguna, so as to make our getaway, and walked down into town. If you are staying in a downtown hotel, you should be OK, because you will have parking there. Once it gets near Pageant time, all traffic into town practically stops dead because there is so much of it.
A Festival of the Arts poster, $10, is a great souvenir and cheap, too!! You can buy it at the Pageant.


I would say we would be around, except we are going to Catalina 4-6th and having guests from Connedyicutt 11-16th, so we really won't be.
Have a great vacation!

Thanks

Is there a trolly car that we ride from place to place?

[Brown Eyed Girl]

A couple places to add...

Splashes: The bar in the Surf and Sand hotel. Window open right on to the beach. The waves splash in at high tide. Small and can be crowded in the evening but good bar food, drinks and view.

Madison Square Garden and Cafe: Kitty corner from the Laguna Art Museum which is right next to Las Brisas. Great place for breakfast or brunch. The restaurant is in an old house and the tables are all outside in the garden that surrounds it. The owner is usually there and very friendly and fun to talk to. Kids and dogs are very welcome.

Ti Amo: South Laguna on the PCH. Expensive but very good Italian food. This is one of the restaurants that has a good chance of a celebrity siting. It is very intimate with excellent food and service.

The Chart House: This is south in Dana Point. It is on the cliff above Dana Point Harbor and on a clear day you can see all the way to Mexico (literally!). The food is pretty good, the drinks are good, but the view...magnificient!

It looks like I'll be in town that week. PM me if you'd like to meet for a few 'ritas somewhere...

I second Madison Square Garden. YUM. MF took Jellocannoncrew and me there after the Sunday after the Irvine show. I could have stayed there all day...but we had some drankin' to do!

We tried to go to the Chart House but it was closed for a private party and our invites must have gotten lost in the mail. We ended up some place in San Clemente I think...drankin' 'ritas on the deck and watching a dolphin frolic around.

He's told me about Splashes too, but I've never been. What dates are you going to be in town? If there's a mini phlocking I want to know!

[Pepe T. Pirate]

Mini-flocking???????? Sounds fun! As previously mentioned , I'll be in Laguna August 12th. But, I'll be hanging around in Malibu, Venice, etc. for several days afterwards and could easily come back down any time. Except on Sunday, the 13th............... priority that day is antiquing at the Pasadena Flea Market. (A girl's gotta shop, you know!)

Splashes or MSG, anyone? It would be too cool to meet some of you guys!

[Capt Garry]

A little note about the Surf and Sand Hotel and Splashes the bar. Jimmy and the band would stay there each year when they played Irvine. A few years ago Jimmy moved elsewhere (Four Seasons?)

[Missing B'dos]

Yes there are free trolleys that go all over the Arts Route. And there are also regular trolley buses to the beaches, even the small pocket beaches. And there is also a very local only in Laguna regular transit system. And there are the OCTAbuses run by the OC. And the walking is easy if a bit hilly (but don't worry it is not SF kind of hilly), which is why it is best to leave the car in one place while in Laguna proper and walk, or take the trolley.
If you happen to stumble on Victoria Beach, just around the corner at the north end of the beach is an amazing tower that looks like an Irish funerary tower. We think it is likely a beach stairway from a 1930's house, but it is an amazing sight. Oh, and the little Crescent bluff park, at the end of Crescent Street in North Laguna? It has Seal Rocks just offshore, which has a usually noisy crowd of sea lions that hang around it. this is the only place we know of here where the sea lions aren't in the boat harbors or on buoys and you can see them. Usually they are there.

[captenuta]

Yes there are free trolleys that go all over the Arts Route. And there are also regular trolley buses to the beaches, even the small pocket beaches. And there is also a very local only in Laguna regular transit system. And there are the OCTAbuses run by the OC. And the walking is easy if a bit hilly (but don't worry it is not SF kind of hilly), which is why it is best to leave the car in one place while in Laguna proper and walk, or take the trolley.
If you happen to stumble on Victoria Beach, just around the corner at the north end of the beach is an amazing tower that looks like an Irish funerary tower. We think it is likely a beach stairway from a 1930's house, but it is an amazing sight. Oh, and the little Crescent bluff park, at the end of Crescent Street in North Laguna? It has Seal Rocks just offshore, which has a usually noisy crowd of sea lions that hang around it. this is the only place we know of here where the sea lions aren't in the boat harbors or on buoys and you can see them. Usually they are there.

Thanks! This is great to know becuse we don't want to rent a car.

[captenuta]

Hey, I'll be down in Laguna on August 12. The CA State Parks System just bought an entire neighborhood of beach cottages built in the 1920's - 30's and they are restoring them and are just starting to rent them out! If you're into seeing what the CA coast was like when the Beachboys were on the charts, this is definitely a place to check out. The cottages are so popular, you really have reserve one way ahead......so, alas, I'm camping, not renting a cottage. Sniff.

Anyway, someone who used to live there and worked to save them from becoming another highrise condo gives tours once a month.......August's tour is on the 12th. But it's a park and it's at the beach so you can check it out any day, you don’t have to take a tour.

If you're gonna be in Laguna on the 12th, let's hang out!

Here's a website to check out:

http://www.crystalcovealliance.org/hist ... ttours.php

Were back from Laguna Beach. Had a great time sitting on the beach "soak'in up ray's". Crystal Cove is great almost like new. You can scuba dive 5 miles out. The Beachcombers resturant just opened up. Don't bother with the $8 4oz drinks. This would be a great place to stay, your on the beach you can have your own food and drinks. The cottages look nice did not get to go inside any of them. Your close to Laguna for all it has to offer.

[Pepe T. Pirate]

Back from Laguna.....weather was great! I managed to forget to put sunblock on one of my feet, so I was Pepe T. Lobsterfoot for a few days there!

The Beachcomber looked cool. Put my name at the bottom of a long waiting list and then I discovered the Date Shake stand at the top of the cliff..........YUM! So I ended up having 3 date shakes and shined the reservation. Wonder why Jimmy hasn't written a song about Date Shakes? Or are they just a S. CA delicacy?

Met a guy who had been a lifeguard at Crystal Cove in the '60s......many great stories. And saw this snorkeler come out of the water carrying the biggest halibut I have ever seen (over 2 feet long)......he had speared it just outside the surf zone.

[Pepe T. Pirate]

Oh, the Crystal Cove campground is supposed to open in about a year. It will be on the inland side of the PCH.