BrooklynBlueJeans

My boyfriend and I are heading out to California for 6 days. We are still in the early planning stages. I have reservations in LA for our first 2 or 3 nights; then we plan on heading down to San Diego for two nights.

We'd like to pick a spot along the coast between the two cities to stay for one or two nights (still trying to decide how many nights to devote to LA vs. San Diego).

We're willing to splurge on the hotel---but would also not mind staying in a simpler spot. Great views of the water are a priority.

Any ideas for towns to narrow my search to? I've been searching through some trip reports for ideas but I thought I'd go ahead and ask.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kailani

My crystal ball says....

Crystal Cove Beach Cottages.

http://www.crystalcovebeachcottages.org/html/index.html

I love Laguna Beach (lived in the area for college). There are many luxury and budget accommodations, and prices are more affordable during the week.

Has anyone been able to get reservations at these Beach Cottages? (Where the movie Beaches was filmed.)

mlgb

It's almost impossible to get reservations at Crystal Cove. Maybe with a cancellation in the dead of winter.

Jen_P

Hello fellow Brooklynite,

I second the motion for Laguna Beach! There are plenty of places to stay there and it's a terrific town. It's also a good halfway point, driving-wise.

The ultimate splurge would be the Montage resort. The hotel is atop a bluff and there's a little curl of beach in a scenic rocky cove below. However, it's not within walking distance of cafes, shops etc. --- it's a self-contained luxury destination. Even if you don't stay here, you could come for a swanky dinner or a few hours in the gorgeous spa.

The Hotel Casa de Camino has a rooftop terrace that's great for gazing at the water. Hotel Laguna is very central and has its own private beach. You'd also be right by Main Beach, the movie theater, the main shopping streets etc.

If you'd like to see the cottages (and they are neat, literally on the sand), just head to the Crystal Cove beach for a stroll. You can get a date milkshake at the snack stand at the top of the bluff... delicious.

And I just have to put in two cents about my new favorite Laguna store, too. Laguna Beach Books, right on the PCH, has a terrific selection and a lovely, helpful staff.

BrooklynBlueJeans

I already looked at Crystal Cove---looks amazing...but is fully booked.

I was thinking about Laguna Beach actually... it's not completely like the show right? Does look beautiful.

Thanks for the detailed advice!

Dayle

Laguna Beach like the show? I saw a few minutes of the show once and nearly laughed my head off. You don't really think "reality TV" is real do you?

Laguna is a very nice place.

ncounty

Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel and Dana point are all great. I love the Ritz in Laguna. Marriott in Dana point is also nice but not AS nice as the Ritz and there is a gorgeous five star hotel across the street from the ritz and I can't remember the name.

cat111719

I don't usually get to really chichi la la places, but I did have a memorable time at the St. Regis hotel in Dana Point. It was gorgeous!

ncounty

Cat,
that's the place I just mentioned that I couldn't remember the name of! I think it is the St. Regis Monarch Bay. Gorgeous place with beautiful stylish rooms.

ncounty

BBJ- if great views are a priority, I would go with the Ritz or the Marriott, Ritz is better but definitely a splurge. I would do one night only at that price point; and make sure the view is requested.

dawnnoelm

My son is spending his wedding night at the St. Regis before heading up to San Fran... (is that off topic?? LOL)

Brooklyn - are you from NY? I have a ton of family coming out from NYC in June for my son's wedding and have recommended all the places on this thread - other then the Laguna Cliff Marriott because there is really no "beach" other then State Beach Doheny for them to go to if they stay there (and I like Dohney and I like Marriotts just not that one so much - I find the location akward).

I have never seen anyone ever be able to stay at the Crystal Beach cottages.. .impossible to get reservation.

Montage is over the moon nice and $$$$.

I would stay in downtown Laguna - oh I do not think anyone recommended the Surf and Sand? Love it there...

ncounty

I've heard great things about the surf and sand; never stayed there. Dawn: do you know about the san diego gtg on March 30? I'm a maybe for it.

Jen_P

Don't worry, Laguna Beach isn't like that ridiculous TV show!

Laguna is scenically beautiful and there are plenty of posh homes and art galleries, but there's a low-key, welcoming atmosphere that makes it a wonderful place to relax.

If you drive down Laguna Canyon Road from the 405 freeway, you'll go through a beautiful coastal canyon. The Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, part of this canyon, is a terrific place to go for a morning hike.

At the Main Beach you can walk on the short wooden boardwalk, watch people play pickup basketball or beach volleyball, or wander over the tidepools.

The main downtown streets have plenty of shops and cafes; there's also a great newsstand. Candy Baron is a neat old-fashioned sweets spot, filled with barrels of saltwater taffy. If you head north, up the hill, you'll find the art museum and some of the fancier galleries.

Will you be there in summer? If so, look into the Pageant of the Masters (www.foapom.com). This is a quirky but exquisitely done staging of tableaux vivants, something the whole town has pitched into for generations. Truly unique!

dwooddon

Another great choice, a little less pricey than the Ritz, Montage, etc. is the Blue Lantern Inn in Dana Point. It is on a bluff overlooking the Dana Point Marina and has a superb marina and ocean view. You can just google its name to find their web site.

Your post did not indicate what time of year you are traveling. When I lived in that area, I tried to avoid Laguna Beach in the summer time. It is a charming and scenic place to visit but, during high summer, traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway is impossible from the north end of LB to the south end of the downtwon area. That's a 4-5 mile stretch of road and it has literally taken me almost an hour to get through it. It's not always that bad but I was never able to predict when it would or wouldn't be.

Mambo_

The Today Show this morning featured hotels under $150 in major cities in the U.S. They featured the Casa Malibu Inn, which looks great. You might try it in L.A.

I'd also suggest Laguna Beach or Newport Beach, for your stop between L.A. and San Diego.
>-

BrooklynBlueJeans

Thank you so much!!!

The trip is actually really soon (April)---we are just very last minute planners due to his hectic work schedule. Rereading my first post it probably sounded like the trip was next fall or something. Perhaps I should have been more specific! The one good thing about last minute is that we did nab a good deal for LA that we found on travelzoo. I have never found travelzoo to be helpful so that was a nice surprise.

katyhotr

We are staying at vacation Village, Laguna Beach, in July. Any recommendations on this property? Is this within walking distance to main activities?

BrooklynBlueJeans

Thank you everyone for your earlier help.

My boyfriend and I will be flying in and out of LAX leaving on a Sunday night red-eye flight (it's at 10).

We'll be staying Saturday night in San Diego.

We rented a car and planned to just drive from San Diego to LA to catch the flight on Sunday afternoon. Friends living in Southern California recommended that we drop the car off somewhere in San Diego and then take the train up to LAX on that Sunday. They said that the traffic on Sundays can be unbearable.

Would you recommend we do this? I'd prefer to just keep it simple and drop off the rental car back where we rented it (LAX). Is the train really the way to go?

d_claude_bear

Amtrak doesn't go to LAX. There are ways to get from the closer Amtrak stations to the airport, but it is not particularly easy. Perhaps someone who lives nearer to LAX can provide ideas about how to do that. However, driving there on Sunday in April or May should not be too bad as long as you go earlier or later than the heaviest northbound traffic.

lvk

No, the train is not the way to go for your itinerary. The train goes from San Diego to Union Station in Downtown LA. You would then have to take the Fly-away bus from Union Station to LAX (about 30-40 minutes).

In addition to the cost of the train and bus, you would probably have to pay an extra fee for dropping off your rental car in SD when you rented it at LAX.

The traffic is not that horrendous on a Sunday. I live in LA County and have made that drive many times.