What to do around Newport Beach, CA?
 

We have a chance to spend a week in Newport Beach, CA. in January. How is the weather then? Is there a &quot;rainy&quot; time of year?<BR><BR>Mostly I would like to know what kind of things there are to do. We love to hike and kayak and do active things - not sit on the beach types. Will there be plenty for us to do? Any day trips? Thanks!

LA area doesn't get much rain, Newport Beach is about the same. It will be in the 60s and maybe low 70s that time of year. You can take a day trip out to Catalina, drive up to Big Bear for a day trip to go skiing or snow boarding (plus they offer a lot of hikes and snowshoeing in that area).<BR><BR>I believe there are plenty of hiking trails off Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica State Park (not sure of this name at all) area. <BR>Those hikes will take you along some coastal mountains.<BR>Take a day trip to San Deigo to Balboa Park for the museums and Zoo.<BR><BR>Lots of stuff - certainly no shortage of options. I am not from LA although I live in the area now. I may be a little &quot;off&quot; on some minor details of the above info, but I'm sure some locals can help out.<BR>Anyone?

i think whale watching excursions have started 1/2 day trips. go to laguna beach for a few hours and waunder around. you can rent bikes out on catalina which would be a nice day trip (although it may be chilly in january). if it's chilly and you want some warmth, head out to joshua tree national park for the day. great hiking &amp; climbing. dinner in palm springs and then drive back. about a 2 hour one way drive i think. january is the rainiest &amp; coldest month usually in california but can stil have some nice warm sunny days.

I recently saw a website with information on kayaking, nature trails, etc. in the back bay area of Newport Beach. I'm sorry I didn't bookmark it, but try a search for &quot;ecotourism, Newport Beach&quot;.

There is an area of Newport called Balboa Island from which tiny ferrys make very frequent trips across the bay to the Balboa fun zone. The ferrys are fun and cheap and you can walk on, take a bike on, or take your car on. The ride across is only 3-4 minutes so it's not like you are taking an ocean trip.<BR> In the fun zone, there are old fashioned kid's rides (ferris wheel, merry-go-round, bumper cars) as well as arcades, cafes, etc. It's a popular place for kids and adults. Right at the fun zone, you can also take various harbor tours and can rent kyaks, motor boats, paddle boats, etc.<BR>From the fun zone, it is less than a five minute walk to the Newport Pier and the beach. The beach is a wide sand beach that is always named as one of the top five southern California beaches in any poll I've ever seen. <BR>My adult kids visit here from Utah and Balboa is always a favorite stop for them and their children, ages 1-10. (Grandpa likes it, too).