Orange County, the endless summer lives on in Newport Beach and other beach towns

We are revisiting a long-loved destination, Orange County and, specifically, Newport Beach, CA, in our search for nearby warm-weather destinations for touring and sun-worshiping.

Long recognized as “California’s Riviera,” sun-worshipers and Hollywood discovered this sun-kissed 42-mile stretch of sandy beaches 100 years ago, offering respite to young and old. We’ve been heading down that way for over 20 years in winter or early spring to recharge our batteries after chilly days in northern California following our late winter/early spring Sierra blizzards and valley rain.

Beach-goers will find the county is also home to Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, the LA Angels of Anaheim baseball team, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks hockey team, a variety of other sports teams, museums, community theater, and many other attractions, but it’s the beachfront towns we are seeking. So pack your beachwear, hiking shoes, and bicycles, and explore sunny Huntington Beach down to Dana Point with us!

We’ll start in Newport Beach, where our Marriott Newport Coast resort beckons us almost every spring. The city claims the world’s largest small boat harbor, two walkable piers, the Balboa and Newport Piers, along a sandy beachfront and active bike path. Take the Balboa Island Ferry (pedestrians and bikes welcome) for an all-too-short voyage between Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula, connecting two lovely communities of waterfront cottages, boutiques, and restaurants. 

Stroll the broad walkway around Balboa Island, lined with $2 to $10 million waterfront “cottages.” Make time for a famous Balboa Bar, ice cream on a stick dipped in chocolate and covered with your favorite toppings, popular since 1945, or find chocolate-covered berries near the ferry. Take the inexpensive ferry to the Balboa Peninsula and explore south to the Newport Beach harbor entrance. You’ll spot Corona Del Mar State Beach, one of the most popular beaches along this sunny stretch, across the harbor entrance.

The 1905 Balboa Pavilion on the peninsula offers harbor and whale-watching tours and Santa Catalina Island cruises. The lovely town of Avalon is only 26 miles and about an hour and a half by ferry, so it's well worth the voyage if you’ve not been there. Newport offers plenty of upscale restaurants (favorites include Beachcomber at Crystal Cove State Park, Wallys at the Wharf, which has great food but is quite noisy, the Crab Cooker, Rusty Pelican, and Billy’s at the Beach).

Don’t miss our long-favored destination, Crystal Cove State Park, running three miles along the Pacific at the south end of Newport Beach. The park has beautiful hiking trails along and above the ocean. Within the park, the old beachfront town of Crystal Cove preserves refurbished cabins, renting for the low $200s to more a night, perfect for family reunions.

Plan a sunset meal at Beachcomber’s Restaurant, anchoring the old beach town, and tour the small museum that tells the story of the many movies shot here in the 1930s to '80s, including "Beaches" starring Bette Midler, "To Have and Have Not," starring Bogart and Bacall plus "Herbie the Love Bug," "Treasure Island," "Son of Tarzan" and many more. The park also offers the Moro Campground on a bluff overlooking the ocean, a bargain if you can book a spot.

Explorers will find the northern edge of Orange County interesting. It is home to Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge and Hennessey’s Grill, a great place for breakfast or lunch. The beachfront cycling trail connects with the San Gabriel River Bike Trail and continues south down the Huntington Beach Bike Trail.

Huntington Beach is ‘Surf City USA’, featuring three beaches: Huntington City Beach, Huntington State Beach, and Bolsa Chica State Beach. These beaches are popular for surfing, volleyball, fire rings, and even beachfront camping. Just across Highway 1 is Bolsa Chica’s almost 1500 acres of wetlands, the largest saltwater marsh between Tijuana, Mexico, and Monterey Bay. The city features the International Surfing Museum and the Surfing Walk of Fame along Main Street. 

The Santa Ana River separates Huntington Beach from Newport Beach. The lovely Santa Ana Bicycle Trail follows the river about 25 miles inland, through urban vistas, past the Los Angeles Angels ballpark and the Honda Center, home to the Ducks hockey team, and up into the foothills east of Los Angeles.

Heading south of Newport Beach, Laguna Beach offers additional sandy beaches, as well as the Laguna Art Museum and Laguna Playhouse (we have delighted in community theatre from the Newport Theatre Arts Center, where we just took in the delightful musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, to the Cabrillo Playhouse in San Clemente).

Main Beach Park is located across from the quaint downtown, which is packed with shops, restaurants, and boutiques—perfect for people-watching. Las Brisas Restaurant, on a bluff overlooking the town, is a fine dining option. 

Further south is Dana Point and its busy harbor, popularized by Richard Henry Dana, who wrote the 1840 masterpiece “Two Years Before the Mast. " Tour the harbor, featuring well over 2000 boat slips, home to the Ocean Institute and Maddie James Seaside Learning Center, featuring the Spirit of Dana Point, a replica of a 1770s privateer used during the American Revolution (unhappily, a sister ship, the historic brig Pilgrim, sank in 2020). 

There’s more to see, like Mission San Juan Capistrano just east of Dana Point, founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1776, and San Clemente, home of Nixon’s Western Whitehouse, but we’re out of time.

Contact Tim, tviall@msn.com; happy endless summer travels!

Information

Dana Point, visitdanapoint.com; Huntington Beach, surfcityusa.com;Laguna Beach, visitlagunabeach.com; Newport Beach, visitnewportbeach.com; Orange County Visitors Association, visittheoc.com.