Suggestions needed for California trip

Hello,

I%26#39;ll be in Laguna Beach with my wife Nov.30-to Dec.7. This will be a trip part-business (3 days) and part-vacation (the remaining 4 days).

This will be our very first trip to California, we%26#39;re landing at the Ontario Airport, we rent a car and we%26#39;ll head to Laguna Beach where we rented a villa.

For the 3 days I%26#39;ll be working at UC Irvine, we%26#39;ll only have the evenings free (my wife will enjoy the oceanview from the villa, and the beach), so I think we%26#39;ll visit places near Laguna Beach, or the beaches around around themselves. But for the 4 days of ';full vacation';, I was thinking of driving one day to the Los Angeles/Beverly Hills/Hollywood area, one day to visit either Disneyland in Anaheim or Universal Studios Hollywood (I posted about this in the LA forum).

What would you suggest for first-time visitors like us, kinda on a budget? Nice places to see, cool places to eat (budget-like, but with good food)? Good shopping?

Thanks a lot.

Suggestions needed for California trip

I would definitely keep Disneyland in your plans, the park will be decorated for the holidays, it%26#39;s wonderful. We will be there soon ourselves, don%26#39;t miss the ';snowfall'; in Fantasyland, they also have some great Christmas parades this time of year.

Check out the beach in Laguna in back of the Montage Resort, this area is very scenic, there is a walking path that runs along the cliffs and ocean here, a very nice place to catch a sunset also. Enjoy your travels, sounds like fun! :)

Suggestions needed for California trip

Theme parks are expensive, so if you%26#39;re on a budget, check the prices first. If they%26#39;re too expensive, I would recommend skipping them. Both LA and SD has a lot to offer for free. You can take the Warner Bros studio tour instead of spending a day at Universal. You can do studio tour in the morning, then go to the Getty and have lunch there, and then head to Santa Monica Pier and walk around and have dinner there before heading back to Laguna. You can also spend another day near Laguna by going to Newport Beach and taking the ferry to Balboa Island. You can also do a day trip to San Diego on another day. Check out Coronado, La Jolla, and have dinner in either Gaslamp or Old Town, and then head back to Laguna. Of course, devote another day to walking around Laguna itself.

Thanks for the infos!

If you%26#39;ve only got 4 days, and you%26#39;re staying in Laguna Beach, I%26#39;d skip L.A. and San Diego. You will end up spending all your time sitting in the car in traffic on the freeway. Disneyland is about 40 minutes from Laguna (on a good day). A day trip to Disneyland is feasible while still maintaining sanity.

I went to Laguna and Newport Beach from LA this past Sunday. The trip was 1 hour exactly, left at 1:30pm and came back at 7pm. Traffic is only bad 7-10am and 4-7pm on weekdays. Avoid those times, and it%26#39;s an easy 1 hour drive. There isn%26#39;t that much to do in Laguna in 4 days, and why not see the great cities with lots to do that are only 1 hour away?

I second skipping the longer trips (unless its on the weekend when traffic will be managable). Disneyland is close (relatively) and Newport Beach is only 6 miles north. I also second the beach and park at the Montage, it is simply spectacular. As to good places to eat, just about anywhere in Laguna is good. Couple of suggestions: Saphire Laguna, Tabu Grill, Dizz as Is, Romeo Cucina, Mozambique, Royal Thai, The Beach House, Splashes in the Surf and Sand Hotel. Too many others to list. The fine dining restaruant at the Montage, Studio is great but is very expensive. Also at Crystal Cove State Park, between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, Beachcombers is literally right on the beach.

I%26#39;ll second the Studio at the Montage, we celebrated our anniversary dinner there last December, amazing place. It was listed as one of the top 40 restaurants in the country by Gayot recently. The Loft is the less formal venue there, it is also very good with stunning views from the outside patio of the restaurant.

I would love to hear more about Sapphire, we are considering it for one of our meals when we%26#39;re in Laguna Beach next month. :)

Sapphire is nice - less expensive than The Studio - but with a similar menu. There are inside and outside tables. If you opt for outside, you are right on Coast Highway, so you get more car noise than seaside ambience.

Thank again for all these valuable informations!

Fashion Island which is close to PCH is a very upscale shopping center that is beautiful at Christmas. There are wonderful shops, and great places to eat. Unlike most malls is is most not enclosed so it is a great place to go if it is not raining. South Coast Plaza is also fun. The Spectrum is a newer shopping center and a lot of fun and will have an ice skating ring.

The gondola rides in the canals of Newport Beach are fabulous and very romanitc. The homes along the water are really decorated so you can see them best from a boat.

There is a really wonderful restaurant by the peer in Newport called the Sol Grill. Most ly known by locals. Small, friendly owner, candles, music. Wonderful lobster ravioli Then you can take a walk on the pier or on the sidewalk in front of the beach homes.

Rogers Gardens in Newport is beautiful. It is actually a nursery but so decorated that people come long distances to see it. Really pretty at night.

Have fun!

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