Laguna Beach: A Liberal Lost in Orange County

NorCal Girl in SoCal

When I was 16, my favorite aunt moved to Orange County, CA. I live in Northern California. Throughout my childhood we all, my whole raucous family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, lived in Northern California. You see how northern has a capital N there? Northern California. Because Northern California is its own separate space. Northern California and Southern California are separate universes within the same galaxy. People not from California may not understand this, but we are very different, NorCal and SoCal. When my aunt, along with my grandmother, moved, they may as well have left the state. So how the hell did I, a native Northern Californian end up falling in love with Orange County? And how did I end up vacationing in Laguna Beach? Let me tell you.

I remember one visit to see my aunt when I was around 25. My hair is long, auburn, wild, and unruly. I wear very little makeup. A giant tattoo of a fairy in flames dances on my right shoulder blade. I was, even then, an outspoken progressive. That woman who throws her head back and laughs with her mouth wide open in the middle of a crowded bar or a quite cafe? Yea, that’s me.

Needless to say, I stuck out like a sore thumb.

The Beach

But the beaches are a different story. Dana Point, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Ocean Beach, you name it. The beaches in Southern California are beautiful. I am most at home on the beach.

Sun lovers like me can lay on the beach, eat pizza while looking at the ocean, shop with an ocean view, and fall in love with warm summer nights and breezy fall mornings

Years later, with my own child, I wanted her to experience as a Northern California girl what it is like to visit the other side of our state. So when she was two years old, I began booking one week each year for her birthday in Orange County. This year I booked our stay in Laguna Beach, a thriving artist community with a wide expanse of shoreline.

Pacific Edge Hotel

We stayed in a two bedroom suite at Pacific Edge Hotel about a half mile south of Main Beach, where all the activity is. The hotel is right on the beach, and our room, while not graced with an ocean view, did come with a kitchen with a stove, microwave, and refrigerator. Our balcony overlooked one of two pools and a beachfront restaurant, Driftwood Kitchen, that is part of the hotel.

The room was really adorable. The flooring everywhere except the bedroom is beautiful salmon colored tile. The beds are comfortable, with soft, clean white sheets. The curtains block out the light for daytime naps perfectly. The television had an assortment of channels, and the dining room table was long and spacious.

Room service was incredibly accommodating as was the front desk. All of the people we dealt with at the front desk were friendly and bent over backward to make us happy, sending up kitchen equipment, sending over housekeeping with fresh towels, and recommending good food.

Food

Our first night in we had just arrived, late and exhausted, after four days at the Disneyland Resort. The girl at the desk suggested Gina’s Pizza. She said it was her favorite, and, bonus, they deliver. I rang up Gina’s and ordered Minestrone for Carlos, Spaghetti for Celaya, and Antipasto salad for me. The food was delicious, and it arrived quickly.

For most of the rest of our stay we cooked in our suite. After four days of junk food in Disneyland, I was delighted to cook fresh food. Happily, there is a Ralph’s right across the street from the hotel, tucked into a side street. I stocked up our kitchen our very first morning.

We did visit a fabulous little frozen yogurt shop, Active Culture, a few blocks down. The service was excellent, and the frozen yogurt was superb. We even gave Matilda a few licks off our all but empty spoons.

We also walked down to Main Beach for Starbucks and some baked goods from C’est La Vie.

Main Beach

Main Beach is just what it sounds like: it is the main beach location in Laguna Beach. It offers a volleyball net, a basketball court, a playground, and of course, an open spread of beach. There is also grass for kids to run in. I took the kids down while Carlos was at the gym (our hotel offered free passes to a gym just down the street). The girls played on the structure, Matilda ate sand for the first time (yay!) and Celaya made friends (big surprise). We then walked across the street for ice cream.

City Life

Later that night, we wandered down the street for our last dinner out, at The Cliff restaurant. The Cliff is spectacular. Laguna Beach is most well known for being an art town, and it has earned its reputation. To get to the Cliff, you have to walk from the street through art galleries and jewelry galleries that are open to the air. It is like walking through a fancy flea market. Shop owners are discussing Zuni jewelry and sculptor’s technique. Once you get to what you think must be the beach by now, you are at the hostess stand of The Cliff.

The prices are shockingly reasonable for a fancy restaurant overlooking the beach. We ate dinner on a chilly night, and tall heating lamps with flames shooting up in enclosed glass kept us warm. I had carnitas, Carlos had chiles rellenos, and Celaya had a hot dog. Carlos and I both ordered a beer as well. Our bill came in under $100 with tip. You can’t beat that.

After dinner, we strolled further downtown and meandered in and out of art galleries. We visited Wyland gallery where the artist was actually in house for the night, discussing his latest works. We then headed down to the Kush gallery where Celaya pondered metaphor on canvas.

Finally, I forced my family to hang out in a cute little shoe shop with me while I picked up a couple of deals that I couldn’t resist.

Exercise

I am a runner. When I am too lazy to run, I walk. I like to be outside, and I like to be active. For this reason, if for none other, Laguna Beach is a stellar location. I ran on the beach during our stay. I ran up and down stairways to secret coves. I ran from high tide as it forced me closer to break walls and beaten collections of rocks. By the time I ran/walked the one mile stretch of beach, back and forth for two miles, my legs felt like jelly. Running on the beach is quite the workout.

Spoiled Queen

I also took the opportunity while we were on vacation to get a pedicure and a haircut. I love to check out local services, especially salons, while I am visiting a new town, and I was not disappointed in Laguna Beach.

My daughter and I paint our toes together as a regular weekend mother daughter ritual, but she had never been to a salon for a professional pedicure. Because this trip was really all about her turning five earlier in the year, I booked us mother daughter pedicures at the salon across the street from our hotel, Luxe Elle.

Pedicures

The women treated us like royalty. We soaked our feet in mineral softened warm water foot baths. They gently scrubbed and primped our toes. We were offered drinks on silver trays, and Celaya, of course, spied candy in wide clear glass container. She was indulged. Her pedicurist even painted pretty, delicate butterflies on the nails of Celaya’s big toes.

The pedicures were simple. I found the salon easily. It was beautiful inside and out. It is very important to me to be surrounded by beauty whenever possible. I believe aestheitcs are an important part of how we feel, so if I spend money to get my toes done or my hair cut, I want my surroundings to be beautiful, comforting, warm, and inviting. Luxe Elle delivered.

My haircut was another matter. On my first day out running, I ran past at least ten salons, in a one mile radius. How to decide? I reverted back to my own aesthetic. I wanted to be drawn to the salon. I wanted it to be beautiful from the outside, and I wanted to walk in and feel welcomed but also a little fancy.

One salon, about a half mile south of the hotel caught my eye: Vogue. I walked in, sweaty from running, my hair, that hadn’t been cut since before I had my baby ten months ago, up in a topknot on my head.

Haircut

“Hi!” the front desk girl chirped with genuine welcome. She didn’t look me up and down, she didn’t blink. She was friendly. When I asked if she had any appointments that week for a haircut she looked in her book and asked me “do you want to get your haircut right now?”

“No. No no no no.” I responded.

Then I laughed. No. I was gross and sweaty and hadn’t showered in two days.

No. I wanted to get my haircut and walk out feeling fabulous, not like there was some fabulous woman’s hair on a dirty, sweaty body.

I made my appointment for our last day in town.

Hairsylist

Danielle is easily the best hairdresser I’ve ever been to. She was warm and friendly, she was talkative and inquisitive, authentic and engaging.

I confessed to her that as much as I am a proponent of self care, I take care of my skin, my toes, my sleep, my exercise, my diet, I am horrible about my hair. I get it cut twice a year, maybe, and I mostly wear it up. Then, quite ashamed, I admitted that I wash my and my daughter’s hair with a cheap shampoo.

She recommended Bumble and Bumble Gentle shampoo and conditioner because she said it would work for both me and my daughter. She also sold me Bumble and Bumble Don’t Blow It, which she said I could apply to my hair right out of the shower. I am a wash and go woman. I don’t want to spend time styling my hair. But I want to be able to wear it down without it looking like a hot mess.

I have been using all three products for over a week now, and there is a noticeable difference in my hair. I feel like I love my natural hair for the first time in my life. I always knew this was possible. I always knew the right products would do this for me. But I have just never met the right stylist to make the right match for me. I wear my hair down all the time now, and it looks and feels like silk.

If you are in the area, and you need a haircut, go see Danielle at Vogue Salon in Laguna Beach. I know I’ll plan my next haircut with her in March when we go back.

Stay in Laguna Beach

Go. Stay in Laguna Beach. Eat the food, run (or walk) on the beach, sit in the sun, shop in the shops, gaze at the art, and frequent the salons. I love Laguna Beach. I am already planning my summer trip for a three or four day weekend in Laguna Beach for Pageant of the Masters, Laguna Beach’s summer art festival and show. Because if you love art, and you love the beach, there is no better place to spend your free time than Laguna Beach.