Explore Beautiful Southern California: Laguna Beach

• Walk along the well-maintained beach walk. In the heart of downtown Laguna Beach, there is a well-maintained wooden beach deck that curves along the natural coastline. It places you steps away from the sand and fresh ocean breeze, without you having to necessarily get sand in between your toes.

• Explore the tide pools. If you are looking for something educational and you want to get curious little minds thinking, there are some fantastic tide pools at the point. It is a short walk from the main beach. This will also allow you to get in a good walk along the beach.

• Let the Kids Play in the Nautical Themed Playground in the Sand, Main Beach has recently (within the last 10 years) had a nautical-themed playground installed for children on the sand and away from road traffic. So great for kids to explore, and as a bonus, the public restrooms are adjoining.

• Walk the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Canyon. It is a short drive from downtown Laguna, and look for a unique gift or artwork to decorate your home from the local vendors at the stalls.

• Explore the Various Art Galleries on Foot in town. Laguna Beach is home to a real artsy culture, and one can find art of all sorts stationed around town and within galleries.

• Watch a play at the Laguna Playhouse.

• Hike, there are hiking trails accessible from Laguna Canyon that are very popular with locals.

• Rent a Car and Visit Disneyland and California Adventure. Laguna Beach is only around 25 miles from Disneyland and California Adventure. It has easy access to major highways and provides an excellent home base for day trips such as this.

Day trip:

• Disneyland

• California Adventure

• Universal Studios

• Temecula Wine Tasting

• San Diego Downtown and Gaslamp District

• San Clemente Beach

• Nick's Laguna Beach: This restaurant serves an excellent breakfast with a Bloody Mary loaded with fresh vegetables and whole bacon strips. Locals drive down to the beach for these on a weekend. Lunch and dinner are also excellent here with American style elevated gastro-pub food.

• The Deck: This restaurant you will find is in an amazing location, as the name suggests. You can literally sit out on an open-air deck right by the sand and ocean. Perfect for a fine day.

• SkyLoft: Excellent cocktails and while the view of the ocean is set back, the open-air experience and sunset views are amazing. Central to downtown Laguna and easily accessible on foot in town.

• Carmelita's Mexican: While this is a smaller location than some of the local sister locations, it is central to the downtown area of Laguna. The food is very fresh and full of flavor without feeling too heavy. The Tostada salad is something to not be missed.

• Mastros Ocean Club: Just a short drive along PCH, this steakhouse always delivers amazing food with an open-plan feel and indoor and outdoor seating.

• South of Nick's Laguna Beach: Nick's Laguna Beach's sister restaurant offering amazing Mexican food with some of the best carnitas around.

• Broadway by Amar Santana: Owned and run by Amar, who featured on the Top Chef series on many occasions as a contestant and judge. Everything is delicious here, and if you are looking for a more refined and elevated meal, this is your place.

• Dolce Gelato: By far the best gelato in town. It is walkable from the main downtown area and features really fun seasonal menu items related to themes such as Star Wars or Wicked. Vegan options and no artificial food dyes.