Sunshine
Ocean
Warmth
Great Eats
and even better Drinks.
This is basically our only criteria when we choose where we are going to go for our annual “Sunshine Trip” as we like to call it, well.. really just me. We have done Scottsdale Arizona, Cruise in the Bahamas and this year we decided southern California!
To wanted to give you guys the best info of all of the awesome places we went I am going to split it up by each location and by category for easy reference. First up….
Laguna Beach
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the best weather while we were in Laguna Beach. Lets just say it was a mix of a rainstorm and gale force winds. I may be being a little dramatic but it was weather we weren’t exactly expecting.
Where to Stay
Let me just start with that Chad always books the hotels, because, well…he freakin rocks at it. He does all of the research and planning on that end and I love it. We stayed at The Inn at Laguna Beach . The number one best thing about this hotel is that it is very central located. Right next to the beach, shops, bars and really everything. If it wasn’t raining we would have walked to dinner. Even with the bad weather the views were incredible. They also have a Starbucks coffee bar in the morning, wine happy hour and milk and cookies at night. I mean….how can anyone say no to coffee, wine and cookies? If you can, you are a monster and we can’t be friends.
image is courtesy of http://www.innatlagunabeach.com
In all honesty we would stay with them again. We weren’t able to get an ocean facing room which stunk, but, we were only there for one night so I wasn’t too bummed. If you plan to stay longer be sure to book in in advance and book an ocean view room because these views are prime. We also weren’t able to have drinks on their rooftop bar because of the weather but from pictures and reviews it looks like a perfect place to catch the sunset.
Where to Eat & Drink
Laguna was our first destination after landing in California and drove straight up from the San Diego airport. Our first stop was lunch when we got to Laguna Beach.
Nick’s at Laguna Beach
Whats the first thing we did? Of course order a drink. At Nick’s I had the Cucumber Collins it was light and refreshing. I recommend ordering a craft cocktail because they use all fresh ingredients and truly craft each drink.
I chose the handmade Black Bean Burger and it was SO DELICIOUS I would absolutely recommend it. Chad got the Fried Chicken Sandwich and was equally delectable. The atmosphere and vibe was happy, laid back and welcoming. Chad actually found this gem and when I started to do some research it was on several local bloggers list of eats.
Driftwood Kitchen
For dinner we went to Driftwood Kitchen which is located right on the ocean. Like I said, we didn’t have the best weather while in Laguna. But, even when it was raining it was still a beautiful view with the tumultuous sea crashing in the background. Chad and I ended up splitting a 3 course meal because we weren’t really super hungry but it was a great decision so we could try a little bit from each piece of the menu. First Course was french onion soup, second course was the crab cake and finally we had the lobster spaghetti.
Driftwood was a really romantic, bright and intimate setting. The cocktail lounge was also a really great place to get a nightcap or pre dinner drink by the fire on a cozy couch.
What to do
Although Chad and I didn’t really get the chance to fully appreciate the town of Laguna because of the weather we braved the winds and rain to get the Laguna experience. I, personally, wasn’t impressed with the shopping options. But, I did love walking around and just stopping in random shops. If you end up at The Inn at Laguna Beach it is so easy to walk everywhere. Chad and I luckily had better weather the next morning so we were able to walk along the beach and it was beautiful.
Laguna Beach, you may have been fighting us when we got there with the weather but it made up for it the next morning with this beautiful sunrise. A plus? The Inn at Laguna Beach is right next to this awesome lifeguard post.
Laguna Beach was a great little town with lots to offer. I wish we could have stayed longer and explored more for all of you. But, I feel like it was a great town for a day trip as well.
Happy and safe travels!
