Hi,

Due to wanting to be near a family member who is in Hoag (sp?) hospital in Newport Beach, looks like we're quickly trying to change our east coast vacation plan into a west coast one. Just looked at some vrbo places and am wondering, if a place is a few minutes walk to the tidal pool area of Laguna Beach, would the sound of the surf be right there as well (or walking distance) and enough sandy beach to put a chair out to sit and read?

Also, know nothing at all about Newport Beach...is there any part of it we should be aware would NOT be walking distance to beach with sound of surf and some restaurants/shops?

Thanks in advance!
Laura

...is there any part of it we should be aware would NOT be walking distance to beach with sound of surf and some restaurants/shops?

Hoag Hospital is not within walking distance of restaurants or shops. It sits on a bluff, overlooking the bay. I doubt very much you can hear the sounds of the surf there.

Newport Beach is a large town. It not only skirts along miles of beaches, but goes miles inland. So you have a choice as to how close to the beach you want to stay.
Laguna Beach is a rocky coast several miles long with numerous coves of sandy beaches. Tide pools by definition are rocky, not sandy. Within a few minutes walk from the shore, you will hear waves at night. During the day you are likely to hear the sounds of traffic overwhelm the sounds of waves. Laguna has a lot of traffic in summer and holiday times.
If you rent through vrbo it's best to phone the owner before you pick a place to ask them exactly what sandy and rocky beaches are in walking distance from their place and how far. These things will vary greatly depending on which place you pick.
Newport beaches are all wide sandy beaches--if that is what you want, that's your best bet.

Thank you very much for the help!

Go laura what time of the year are you talking about? Soon? Laguna is a MAD house in the summer months - a LOT of traffic. I would see if you can find a last minute VBRO in Newport Beach for being close to HOAG - it could take a considerable amount of time to get from Laguna to HOAG due to traffic.

I had a friend at HOAG for the last month or so. It is one of the best hospitals in the area. I hope all is well for your family. You cannot hear any sound of the surf from HOAG but you can see a lovely view. If you post the VBRO in Newport I am happy to assist you as it can be confusing because Newport "beach" is pretty big. To be closer to HOAG you want to be on the north side.

Thanks so much. Yes, we're talking soon - in a couple weeks. We're actually not sure if my sil still be in the hospital, or will be back home recuperating, which then would be in Huntington Beach. She said they were going to keep her a month, but I didn't think they keep anyone a month these days! So we wondered if that was the morphine talking and they just maybe meant out of work for a month, but we'll know more about that probably within a few days. (thank you for the well wishes and assurances about the hospital; she apparently came thru the surgery well but will be in ICU til at least sometime tomorrow. best to your friend too!).

At first glance anything in Newport or Huntington beaches did not look affordable, but I may have missed something so I think I will check again. We actually thought that if she's still in the hospital, we'd spend the first week staying at her place and visiting her, and then see the second week as more of a vacation, so Laguna could be ok for that part, we'd probably only go back up once or twice by then (assuming all is well of course)

If I come up with anything on Newport I will take you up on your offer of posting the vrbo number. Thanks again!

In terms of affordability in those areas, in general the farther away from the beach you stay, the more affordable it will be.

Sorry, I forgot to say that my previous post refers to hotels, not houses.

Laguna Riviera..love this place..
Surf and Sand resort is wonderful but pricey.

www.lagunariviera.com
www.surfandsandresort.com

I stayed at the Best Western in Laguna - it is right across the street from the Surf & Sand - it was fine. Clean, comfortable - great location - we dined twice at the Surf & Sand and it was at least 1/2 the price.

Keep us posted.

That is a great alternative MomDD!!

Thanks for all the suggestions...

We've ended up taking vrbo # 193551 for a week. We'll first stay at my sil's apartment in Huntington Beach for 4 nights, because she will indeed still be at the hospital. That will be our main time visiting her and other family. Then we will look forward to the jacuzzi, fireplace, beach and art galleries!

I'm excited. It's not where we can hear the surf from the place itself, and the place is small - but we don't need more, especially with all those amenities - and it was just $900 for the whole week! Of course it's vrbo so there's a bit of risk...but we've done well with them before, so it's a risk we're willing to take.

that looks fabulous Laura. Wishing your sil the best. When you get to Laguna - remember the free trolley that takes you all over town - it will come in handy.

Cafe zulu is fabulous - funky laguna place with amazing food.

Las Brisas - not the best food but great on the patio for apps and margaritas

Splashes great for a lunch right on the water -

French 75 - sit at the bar - really cool service - fun piano bar and cool vibe/food.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the suggestions, we will look for those!

Laura,
Parking might be tough there, you wont hear the surf unless there is a swell, but it looks ideal for all that you want to do. If I could add to MomDDTravels good advice-try Javiers on PCH(on your way back from Hoag) its excellent, also you have a restaraunt called the cottage you can walk to for breakfast(be prepared to wait as its always full)

Yes, Javiers is awesome as is the cottage - great additions.

Wow, the Magnolia Cottage looks great. I go to Laguna Beach several times a year, so I'll have to check that out.

Crystal Cove is a fun place to hike, and so picturesque with beach cottages and history of the early Laguna scene. http://www.crystalcovebeachcottages.com/html/index.php

I really like the art museum, and my reciprocal membership gets me in free. I always enjoy both the new exhibit, and the excellent collection of early Laguna Beach art. http://www.lagunaartmuseum.org/

The Pageant of the Masters is fun, but tickets may be hard to come by. http://foapom.com/site/pageant_theme.asp The Sawdust Festival across the street is the quintessential California art fair. http://www.sawdustartfestival.org/ The first Thursday evening of the month in Laguna is the Art Walk, where galleries are open and generously laden with delicacies and wine. http://www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com/content.htm

The movie theater in town usually has better than average films.

Heisler Park is so beautiful, and it really motivates me to take lots of walks. Down on the beach you'll see couples posing for engagement pictures, and up above you'll see families enjoying life with picnics, card games and frisbees.

Walking or driving through Laguna neighborhoods is enjoyable, as the architecture is quite charming and whimsical. There is very nice tile store at the north end.

Lots of fun shopping. I don't usually go to restaurants cause I'm solo in Laguna, but I like Zinc http://www.zinccafe.com/locations.htm for casual & healthy, and pick up food for picnics at the Whole Foods/Wild Oats.

Wonderful suggestions, getting even more excited, reading about these places!

MomDDTravel, does mentioning to remember the trolley as it will be helpful, mean you think we'll be far from things? The woman who owns the place said we won't likely need the trolley because we can walk to everywere, the beach, the galleries in town, etc. I hope this wasn't a misrepresentation, tho' if we need to take the trolley it certainly won't be the worst thing.

Frank, luckily we have an off street parking space, apparently there is a little back alley behind the house. Actually the cottage is behind the owners' house on the street...with the gardens in between the two properties.

Kailani, and anyone else...if you feel like it, could you say a little more about Pageant of the Masters? I went to the site and there are tix available, but it was one of those things that I have a feeling hearing about it, might help me understand what it is, more than reading about it on the site.
Also, is parking at Crystal Cove an issue?

I'd actually planned originally to only ask about areas to stay in, but your suggestions have been so great that I decided to ask a little more Thanks again all!

For Crystal Cove, you have to park across the street, pay $10 and then walk along a path under PCH. I think there is a shuttle as well.

There is a fun restaurant there too... The Beachcomber. You can have your parking validated if you eat there. http://www.thebeachcombercafe.com/_c...ove/index.aspx

There is a great restaurant in Laguna that is a little slice of Belgium... Brussels Bistro. http://www.brusselsbistro.com/

Morning - No, I did not mention the trolley because you are "far" from things but if you want to go down a little more south and check out the Montage - have a cocktail there - it is amazing... you will want to take the trolley perhaps instead of your car etc. - if you want to go to a few things - it can be a little bit of a walk - nothing "un" doable but you may want the trolley.