Laguna Beach Area

[Donald is #1]

Hi everyone! My oldest nephew has just started his junior year in HS and it dawned on me that my last chance of taking him on vacation is rapidly approaching. So, I asked him if he wanted to go on vacation with me next summer and to my surprise (How many teenagers want to go on vacation with their middle aged aunt?) he said yes. So I asked him where he wanted to go and he said that he always wanted to go to California and go to Laguna Beach.

I was talking with my sister, his mother, we were talking about maybe spending a few days at Laguna Beach, then maybe drive the coast a bit and maybe spend a few days in San Diego. My nephew isn't into amusement parks that much so he doesn't want to go to Disneyland or Universal studios.

So fellow DISers, can you give me some advice here? When should we go: February, April, or during the summer? What should we do there?

 

[LavenderPeach]

I used to live in that area. It's a very nice part of Orange County. If you go in the summer they have the Sawdust Festival (art festival) and Pageant of the Masters. Pageant of the Masters is "living pictures". It's basically a show where people dress up in elaborate costumes with elaborate backdrops and they look like exact replicas of the art. I'm not sure if I explained that very good so i'll add the link to their site in case you're interested: http://www.pageanttickets.com/

There are also little shops and restaurants in Laguna Beach. If you drive a little bit south you will get to Dana Point. The Dana Point Harbor also has shops and restaurants and you can catch the ferry there to go over to Catalina Island. I think there are other boat trips there (like maybe whale watching?) but I've never done any of them so I don't know for sure. If you go a little further south from there you can go to San Juan Capistrano where you can see one of the California Missions.

Not sure if those are the types of things you want to do but those are the things I thought of off the top of my head. Laguna Beach isn't a huge town so there isn't a ton of stuff there but maybe someone else knows of some other fun things to do there.

 

[Donald is #1]

That sounds awesome! My nephew and sister love pottering around shops.

 

[roxydotty]

If you want to swim and lay on the sand, I would go in the summer. I love Laguna. You can stay in a hotel in town and you don't need your car. Walk to the beach, restaurants, shops. Of course if you want to visit another nearby beach you can drive to Huntington Beach or Newport Beach. South of Laguna on your way to San Diego there is Dana Point, San Clemente, lots of other little beach cities. What kind of things would you guys like to do?

 

[Donald is #1]

Personally, I am a sightseeing type person. But this vacation would be for my nephew. He loves to go to the ocean up here in New England. So I am sure that he would want to spend some time at the beach. The trick will be to keep them from wanting to spend all their time at the beach so that I can maintain my sanity. I have driven some of the California coast up by San Francisco, but I have never been to southern California. So I would love to spend a day or 2 driving along the coast, enjoying the scenery and checking out some of the beach towns.

I would love to see at least one of the California missions. However, if I can't fit it into this trip, I will fit it into the DL trip that I am planning next year also.

I will have to find out from my sister if my nephew has tried surfing. I bet he if he hasn't he would love to try it. The trick for me is to come up with some ideas plus to get my nephews wishes without having my sister decide for him. I do think that I will drag him to Sea World and the Zoo because I want to see them in San Diego. That will be the cost of me taking him on vacation.

My sister has already mentioned going to Mexico for a day. But I will have to think about that. Tijuana has never been high on my list of places to go. Acapulco on the other hand.... But that would be a different trip.

 

[Leoscrp27]

If you can make it out to the mission at San Juan Capistrano, it is truly beatiful, the area there has a lot of great little shops and restaurants as well. and it's failry cheap to boot. that's one of my favorite things near Laguna Beach.

 

[LavenderPeach]

I wouldn't recommend that you go down to Tiajuana. Maybe it's just me, but I find that town a little scary. If you drive in to Mexico you have to get special insurance and you would never want to get in an accident down there(that would be very, very bad). Also, it can take a really long time to drive back over the border into the US all the while having people run up to your car trying to sell you stuff. Not fun, IMO. I guess you can park and walk over but i've never done that so I'm not sure how that is. If you want to see Mexico, I think you would be better off doing a separate trip where you could go somewhere further down that is less scary.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I wouldn't recommend that you go down to Tiajuana. Maybe it's just me, but I find that town a little scary. If you drive in to Mexico you have to get special insurance and you would never want to get in an accident down there(that would be very, very bad). Also, it can take a really long time to drive back over the border into the US all the while having people run up to your car trying to sell you stuff. Not fun, IMO. I guess you can park and walk over but i've never done that so I'm not sure how that is. If you want to see Mexico, I think you would be better off doing a separate trip where you could go somewhere further down that is less scary.

Amen.

If you HAVE to do TJ (and you don't) park and walk across the boarder. Don't drive. It is stinky and a lot of suffering people beg in TJ. I cried for them the last time we went and we ended up waiting over 3 hours to walk back across the boarder. If you HAVE to go and you do walk, do take up the offer of renting a bike to bike back into the states. I wish we did that as it would have saved us three hours of standing in line.

 

[blue donkey]

I'd go in the summer if your nephew wants to spend time in the ocean. The water is pretty cold here. I'm a whimp & am in a full suit most days even in the summer when I get to go out. But... summertime is also the most expensive & crowded.

I'm also one that would skip TJ. Been there, done that. Not one to be repeated. If he wants Mexico, then maybe save it for another trip altogether. You can tell him that Mexico offers much nicer places than TJ, plus it may be more enjoyable for the both of you to go visit Mexico when he is of drinking age.

 

[Donald is #1]

I wouldn't recommend that you go down to Tiajuana. Maybe it's just me, but I find that town a little scary. If you drive in to Mexico you have to get special insurance and you would never want to get in an accident down there(that would be very, very bad). Also, it can take a really long time to drive back over the border into the US all the while having people run up to your car trying to sell you stuff. Not fun, IMO. I guess you can park and walk over but i've never done that so I'm not sure how that is. If you want to see Mexico, I think you would be better off doing a separate trip where you could go somewhere further down that is less scary.

Amen.

If you HAVE to do TJ (and you don't) park and walk across the boarder. Don't drive. It is stinky and a lot of suffering people beg in TJ. I cried for them the last time we went and we ended up waiting over 3 hours to walk back across the boarder. If you HAVE to go and you do walk, do take up the offer of renting a bike to bike back into the states. I wish we did that as it would have saved us three hours of standing in line.

I'd go in the summer if your nephew wants to spend time in the ocean. The water is pretty cold here. I'm a whimp & am in a full suit most days even in the summer when I get to go out. But... summertime is also the most expensive & crowded.

I'm also one that would skip TJ. Been there, done that. Not one to be repeated. If he wants Mexico, then maybe save it for another trip altogether. You can tell him that Mexico offers much nicer places than TJ, plus it may be more enjoyable for the both of you to go visit Mexico when he is of drinking age.

Thanks! You three are reconfirming my position in TJ. Actually it isn'y my nephew that wants to go to TJ but his mother, my sister. I think that it is time for me to start trying to change her mind.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

TJ can be a pit. You can't access Rosarito or Puerto Nuevo without a car and you don't want to go to Mexico just to see TJ.

The entire coast from Long Beach south is a lovely drive along Highway 101. You'll have to use the 5 feeeway to head into San Diego county from Orange County, but that hugs the coast, as well. Mission San Juan Capistrano is the nicest and most complete mission in the region, but Alcala is San Diego is nice, too. Point Loma lighthouse is a great place to visit, as is Old Town in San Diego. So much to do in SO CA. You'll be amazed.