Orange County, CA
For many visitors, the main draw is the Pacific Coast and the beach towns along it: Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Newport Beach among them. Families will likely want to include a stop in Anaheim with its amusement parks including Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm in nearby Buena Park. Golfers can choose from many of the country’s best courses and the OC holds some undeveloped corners of Southern California, which can be explored via visits to parks and nature preserves.
Milk & Honey Tip
Balboa Island is encircled by a pedestrian path making it ideal for a harborside stroll before you grab a bite at one of the waterfront restaurants.
Eat
The ladies at Milk & Honey Travels love Trenta Pizza & Cucina for it’s authentic food & the warm hospitality of its Italian owners. A few other personal favorites include Playa Mesa for jalapeno margaritas at their beautiful bar, Puesto (if you just can’t get enough Mexican food) and Lido Bottle Works for its beautiful view overlooking Balboa Harbor.
Play
The seaside town of Laguna Beach began as an artists’ colony, and painters and photographers continue to settle here, drawn by the area’s magical light and the picturesque coastline of tidal pools and coves. Their works can be found in Laguna Beach’s many galleries, and the town also offers visitors some 100 restaurants and 20,000 acres of protected wilderness crossed by many trails. At the northern end of the county’s coast, Huntington Beach is famous among surfers for its consistent waves. Even if you aren’t looking to hang ten, Surf City offers a ten-mile oceanside strand to stroll and explore while Pacific City is a great place to grab a drink, dinner and watch the sunset!
Sleep
Montage Laguna Beach [Luxury]
Set on an oceanfront bluff with sweeping panoramas of the Pacific Ocean and striking Craftsman-style architecture, this 257-room luxury beach resort commands 30 lushly landscaped acres in the heart of the picturesque arts community of Laguna Beach. Each guestroom has a private oceanfront balcony and a spectacular view of the Laguna Beach coastline. The 20,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor oceanfront Spa Montage offers comprehensive programs and a la carte services.
Hotel Joaquin
[Boutique]
The Joaquin’s style, a sort of Arts and Crafts beach bungalow with a French Riviera accent, is the work of Robert McKinley, whose hospitality work includes the Surf Lodge in Montauk, New York. Accommodations range from cozy, subtly luxe garden-side rooms to extravagant, wide-open ocean-view rooms with vast picture windows and deep soaking tubs, but all are swanky in a low-key way and include welcome comforts like king beds and Marantz turntables. There’s a lovely pool with a lively daytime social life, and the beach is two minutes’ walk away; check in with the hotel’s Adventure Outpost for snorkels, kayaks, or surfboards.
The Resort at Pelican Hill [Luxury]
On the coast of Newport Beach in Southern California, The Resort at Pelican Hill sits perched upon 504 acres of sun-drenched hillsides. Inspired by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, the resort village features expansive hotel accommodations with panoramic views of the Pacific. Here, golf, spa and gourmet dining all intertwine. Newport Coast is home to Crystal Cove State Park that features 3.5 miles of sandy beaches and it is also close to all the entertainment and sporting attractions in Southern California.
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