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Last Saturday at around 11am Matt and I were drinking coffee and thinking up something fun to do that day. Somehow we quickly went from talking about local parks and museums to packing our bags for Laguna Beach. This time of year the temperature is about 10 degrees warmer “down the hill” from the high desert where we live and we wanted in.
“Get out from your house
from your cave, from your car.
From the place you feel safe
from the place that you are.
Get out and go running
go funning, go wild.
Get out from your head and get growing, dear child.”
(These words from Dallas Clayton have become my motto. Because every day needs a little more #funning.)
Neither of us had even been to Orange County before and I quickly found a great fit for a hotel on Travelzoo. The Pacific Edge Hotel is located on the beach (with free chairs / towels) and has a couple small pools. The Travelzoo promo included free valet parking (which saved us $30) and a bottle of champagne at check in. #score. Here is a link to the promo we booked in case you are looking!
TRAVEL TIP: I want to take a minute to share my thoughts on Travelzoo. I have mentioned before that I enjoy shopping around when it’s just a quick overnight trip. I often find that Travelzoo has some fantastic promos (incentives, extra perks, comps, discounts, etc) but the dates and promos often sell pretty quick. So, I usually do check them first to see if there is something available in the area that I am looking. Then I usually compare the rate with a quick search of some other sites and then book.
So, we got their by 1pm, threw down our bags and went to check out the beach. It was so great and super clean. And not too crowded at all! We got our shoes wet (LOL) and then went to change. We spend the afternoon out there with our champagne and it was good my friends. We had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant and watched the sunset and then Matt and Abby hit the sack at about 8pm while Jake and I went to the hot tub for a bit.
We all woke up refreshed, went back to the pool and then walked around a bit. We found the best little restaurant called Orange Inn just a half a block from our hotel. It’s been a landmark for 82 years and boasts the best coffee around. And I have to agree! Plus, they had these ham and cheese croissant breakfast sandwiches that were incredible. Next to the Orange Inn is Cheney’s Point where we walked down a long flight of stairs to sit on the rocks and watch the waves. The tide pools along the rocks house some of California’s most precious underwater ecosystems.
Next we hit the road and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to Crystal Cove State Park. Pay the $15 Day Use fee and gain access to several incredible places to hike, bike ride, relax or beach it. We weren’t prepared with our swimsuits or chair but the kids played for hours. Collecting shells and just basking in the sun. I love taking photos of them just enjoying themselves. They are so at peace with the ocean.
We stopped to check out Balboa Island in Newport Beach after that and holy cow it looked fantastic. It was a bit crazy being a beautiful Sunday so we didn’t get out of the car but I want to go back. It was like a little Key West! We had a fabulous afternoon brunch at Bayside Restaurant just off Balboa Island and made it home before sunset.
Whew! And it was amazing.
“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch – we are going back from whence we came.” John F. Kennedy.
PS: I was excited to bust our some of the kids new Spring 2017 Bobo Choses. This new collection is fantastic!
WHAT THEY WORE:
Day 1: Both kids wore Bobo Choses. Abby’s swimsuit is PopUpShop and Jake’s is by Paper Wings. Abby’s purse is by Mini Boden.
Day 2: Abby wore a Bobo Choses top and coulottes. Over it we layered a Nico Nico skirt and a Haberdash Soul Kimono. Jake wore Mini Rodini shorts and a Tuck Life tee.
