Laguna Art Museum - Things to Do in Orange County 73

Ever feel a bit artistic with the need to want to be creative? Orange County's art scene is most prominent in Laguna Beach. There, you'll find all kinds of galleries that you can visit to get inspired. And if the art itself is not enough, just visit the beach right by to get some inspiration from the West Coast's best beaches.

Also in Laguna Beach is a little museum called the Laguna Art Museum. It's not a huge museum. You can probably look through the entire museum in about 30 minutes if you rush it.

Oftentimes, the Laguna Art Museum showcases art created by local artists in Orange County. When I visited, they had the "Art Shack" exhibition. It showcased little shacks that were artistically created. I personally loved the exhibition.

The cool thing about the Laguna Art Museum is that it changes around its exhibitions pretty often, thereby allowing you to enjoy all sorts of art. If you're a local, it maybe a place where you may want to consider getting an annual membership so that you can stop by every so often to check out their new exhibitions. It'll also give you a reason to visit Laguna Beach.

I'm not sure if this is a common thing lately, but the Laguna Art Museum had an iPhone and iPod Touch App where you can download to get a more detailed explanation of the exhibition going on. I didn't try it out, but seemed like something pretty cool thing to be able to try.

Well, next time you feel like seeing some art to get inspired in OC, I recommend the Laguna Art Museum.

Laguna Art Museum

Website

307 Cliff Dr
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-8971

Admission: $12

Parking: Meter Parking on Street

The Montage Resort and Spa - Things to Do in Orange County 40

Enjoy the Ultimate Resort Experience in Orange County – Montage Resort & Spa

As residents or visitors of Orange County, we are blessed with many of the beautiful places that OC has to offer. In the City of Laguna Beach, you can go visit a world class resort, the Montage Resort and Spa. The Montage is one of the up-and-coming hotel resorts in Orange County and even in the world!

The Montage is located off Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, but it is a bit hard to find because they try to be secluded from everything.

You don’t have to be a hotel guest to visit the Montage Resort. You can visit the resort to eat at their highly popular restaurants or enjoy a relaxing day at their spa facility. You can also visit the Montage to enjoy some of their unique cocktails in the lounge area. Or you can visit the resort simply because it’s such a beautiful place.



The Montage has three critically acclaimed restaurants, with “Studio” being one of my personal favorites. “Studio” is like a little beach house facing the ocean where you can enjoy great food that some of the top chefs in Orange County has prepared for you. It is highly recommended for that special day with that special person!

There is a beautiful walkway between the hotel and the beach where you can enjoy one of the best walks in Orange County. You’ll see the Pacific Ocean right in front of you with spectacular views of the cliff and rocks in the area. It’s one of those perfect walks you can have on a perfect day.

The pool is open for hotel guests only, and it offers a private bungalow where you can relax with friends and family.

Spa Montage is also a very popular destination for the locals and visitors that frequent the Montage. Ocean themed treatments like the water therapy and the hydro therapy are very popular here. They also offer group therapy for parties of up to six people as well as therapy for couples. It is one of the ultimate spas in Orange County today.

If you feel like enjoy a surreal day filled with beautiful things and great pleasures, Montage Resort & Spa is the place to be!

Montage Resort & Spa Laguna Beach
Website
30801 Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 715-6000

Valet Parking
Visitor: $10 a day
Hotel Guests: $30 a night

Heisler Park - Things to Do in Orange County 25

Enjoy a View that’s “Priceless” at the Heisler Park!

Laguna Beach is a city filled with European influences, and it is known by the locals as a place to relax and enjoy art. Laguna Beach is not well known to tourists, so it’s a great little place visit in Orange County.

The main beach in Laguna Beach is always a lively place, but there’s actually another park called the Heisler Park a bit up the hills. And this is a secret little place only locals know about. The view from the Heisler Park is absolutely one of the best in Orange County. Heisler Park can be accessed by going North on PCH then making a left on Cliff Drive. You should see the park on the left hand side.

For some reason the beach that you can see from Heisler Park seems more “blue” compared to other beaches in OC. The waves will come crashing into the shore to splash up in emerald green colors.

You can enjoy a barbeque or a picnic at the park, and has great facilities on the premise. The view is excellent, and you can also get to the shore by using the stairway down. I recommend that you go down to see the beach from the shore as well.

There are a lot of sea shells down on the shore, and I even found some very pretty blue mussel shells. There are other marine animals that live down in the beach too. Just be careful not to bring them with you because you’re not allowed to take any of the marine animals from the beach.

And as I was leaving I came across a herd of pelicans. They were huge!!

Next to the Heisler Park is one of Orange County’s best Sunday Brunch place called Las Brisas. It is one of the best fresh Mexican food restaurants around, and if you’re going to visit Laguna Beach, this place is a “must go.”

Enjoy the priceless view and maybe a picnic at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach soon!

Heisler Park
375 Cliff Drive
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Parking Meter: $0.25 for 15 minutes.

Festival of Arts & The Pageant of the Masters - Things to Do in Orange County 23

The Annual Festival of Arts & Pageant of Masters in Laguna Beach is a Must See for all Artists

The art capital of Orange County is the beautiful city of Laguna Beach. In Laguna Beach, you’ll find many art galleries near the coast, and many of Orange County’s best artists live in the area. It is one of the most, culture rich cities in OC.

Every year, Laguna Beach hosts the Festival of Arts, and last year it was their 75th Anniversary. This is an art festival where you can enjoy the finest artwork from over 140 artists locally in Southern California. It is the best summer art festival hosted in Orange County! The Festival of Arts is held from early July to the end of August every year.

The Festival of Arts is divided into several sections, and each of the sections showcases great many pieces of artwork. At the Festival of Arts, you’ll find paintings, sculptures, ceramic, and other handmade accessories which are all very inspiring. It is always interesting and delightful to see all the different pieces of high quality art made by local artists at this festival.

One of the biggest attractions at the Festival of Arts is the Pageant of the Masters. This is truly a unique show where on stage, actual people imitate famous paintings and sculpture to make it look like the real thing. It’s a bit difficult to explain in words, so it’s best to see the picture on this post. You’ll see that the two real women are disguising themselves to be the actual painting. It’s a unique balance of color, lighting, and the actor’s patience that perfect the live artwork!

The Pageant of the Masters is an extremely popular event, so I would recommend you buy tickets well in advance to be able to experience this unique event. I would also suggest you bring a pair of binocular so that you can experience the live paintings in front of your very own eyes. It does become a bit difficult to see when you are sitting in the back.

The Festival of Arts and the Pageant of the Masters is a premier summer art event in Orange County. It’s fun to browse through some of the best artworks made by local artists. I’m looking forward to getting a front row seat to this year’s Pageant of the Masters!! I hope you get a chance to visit Orange County’s best summer art festival this year too!

Festival of Arts
650 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
http://www.foapom.com/index.asp

Admission: Adult $7, Students & Seniors $4
Parking on Laguna Canyon Road

Crystal Cove State Beach - Things to Do in Orange County 14

A Beautiful, but Quiet Orange County Beach – Crystal Cove State Park

For this post, I went to go visit the Crystal Cove State Beach, located in between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. The Crystal Cove is one of the most beautiful beaches in Orange County, and it is extremely quiet given how beautiful it is. Getting to the Crystal Cove is a sheer pleasure as you’ll need to drive down a very scenic route down the Pacific Coast Highway to get to the beach.

Crystal Cove has been the talk of the community for several years on whether or not to develop this natural sanctuary. In recent years, there have been numerous developments around Crystal Cove, and it now houses a shopping center and million dollar luxury homes in the area. Fortunately, the state beach and the park area have been untouched, and it is still filled with nature for you to enjoy.

Parking at the Crystal Cove State Park is $10 per day or $125 annually. It may be a bit pricy, but the cool thing about this parking pass is that you are able to park at other state parks using this permit. I’m not sure how many people are willing to go to three or four different beaches and state parks in a given day, but it sure is available if you have the urge to do so!

After you park your car at the Crystal Cove State Park, you’ll go on a 15 minute trail walk to reach the beach. The trail has a few scenic areas where you can sit down, so I decided to bring a picnic here to enjoy. Eating out in the sun with a beautiful beach in front of you is truly a luxury that we Orange County residents can enjoy! :) And after the trail, you’ll find one of the most beautiful beaches of OC.

When visiting the Crystal Cove State Beach, remember to bring your beach gear – hats, sunglasses, and beach umbrella. Also, since Crystal Cove does not have any food stands, be sure to bring your own food and drinks to enjoy your time there! This beach is surely one of the best around in Orange County, so I truly hope you have the chance to visit here!

Crystal Cove State Park
The park is located off Pacific Coast Highway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach, California with easy access from I-5, 405 and 73.
http://www.crystalcovestatepark.com/