Laguna Beach, California is a small little town housing some of the best restaurants, shopping and entertainment on the beach side of Orange County. For the visiting tourist, here is a taste of what you have to look forward to:
Let’s start with the basics of visiting Laguna’s Main Beach, located right in the heart of downtown and offering a wide variety of activities for all ages. There are three volleyball courts positioned along the boardwalk, which have produced some of the best talent on the west coast. For any admiring fan, you will notice that the players range from teen to elder, but all equally gifted and bring a lot of local color to the sand. Wannabees can take lessons on Saturdays at 9am and 11am with Kirk Morgan, . Other activities include, more relaxed hobbies such as playing Frisbee, Smash ball and bocci ball to really diving in the ocean with skim boarding, paddle boarding and surfing.
If hitting the beach is not on the to-do list, downtown Laguna Beach is full of wonderful shopping to meet any weather needs and get you in the spirit of the town. Toes on the Noes, Diane’s and Hobie Surfboards will satisfy any lounging wants from warm weather to water activities. Make sure to stop by Bubbles to cover all of your skincare essentials and pick up some of the finest chapstick in the world along with some coconut oil to soothe you skin. There are many other shops full of different eclectic tastes.
The food in Laguna Beach is unbeatable, varying from small taco stands to fine dining, here is a taste of where to go. The true beach bums tend to hit the local taqueria, which is fondly known as Taco Loco. If pizza is on your mind, Gina’s is the place to go with a location in both north and south Laguna. Nick’s and Watermarc serve up classic dishes with a little added signature flavor. Night life has just as much to offer from dancing at Ocean Avenue Brewery or late nights at Brussels Bistro, to grabbing a beer at the White House. No night is ever complete without a visit to the Sandpiper Lounge, also know as the “Dirty Bird”.
Laguna Beach turns out some of the most outstanding artistic geniuses from famous to undiscovered. Laguna-born prodigy and sea life artist Robert Wyland is most well known for his outdoor wall murals of whales and has created hundreds over the world. His art gallery is located on Pacific Coast Highway, which also showcases one of his first whaling walls. Local artists show their work at the Sawdust Festival, situated in Laguna Canyon, where different varieties of art are displayed such as basic paintings, jewelry, ceramics and glass blown art. The summer festival starts June 29th and ends September 2nd. The festival of living pictures also known as the Pageant of the Masters has its summer series starting July 2-August 31. Another fun way to experience the art in Laguna Beach is on foot. Join in on First Thursday’s Art Walk on the first Thursday of every month to see what new masterpieces have been created and snack on wine and appetizers at most of the galleries.
