Sugar n' Spice - Things to Do in Orange County 87

If you were a fan of The OC a while back, this is one place you can't miss.

Sugar n' Spice in Newport Beach is the famous frozen banana joint that you need to check out at least once when you are in OC.

It is located in a lovely little street on Balboa Island.  The place has been open since 1945, so you can feel a history when you're here.

Though they do have all kinds of ice cream, when you're at Sugar n' Spice, I suggest you try out their frozen banana.  That's what they are famous for.  And that's probably what at least one of you should try out.  When we went, it was $2.50 for a regular, and prices change with the size of the banana.

They'll cover up the frozen banana with chocolate, and all kinds of other goodies as you see fit.  You can choose from Oreo, almonds, chocolate sprinkles, peants, pecan crunch, and many more.

They also had regular ice cream bars and a cheese cake sundae.  The Balboa Bar featured in The OC is a regular vanilla ice cream bar with chocolate topping with peanuts.  It's pretty normal, but they told us it is one of their best sellers.

Well, if you're in Orange County, I suggest you go out for a little taste of history at Balboa Island's Sugar n' Spice.

Sugar n' Spice
310 MARINE AVE.,
NEWPORT BEACH,
(949) 673-8907

Roger's Garden During the Holiday Season - Things to Do in Orange County 74

One of my favorite places to go in Orange County during the holiday season is Roger's Garden. This place becomes pretty magical during this time of year.

Located near Fashion Island in Newport Beach/Corona Del Mar, Roger's Garden is a very classy nursery. It's a place I like to frequent, but during the holiday season is when it becomes spectacular.

You'll see all kinds of cool plants here, and the Christmas decorations that they have on display are very very cool. It's a place where you're suppose to do some shopping, but I like to just go and walk around sometimes because its so beautiful.

It might be a good idea to go at around sunset so that you can enjoy both their nursery when there's some light, and all the lights on their Christmas trees when it gets dark.

As you can see, their Christmas ornaments are very special. You don't find ornaments this special very often.

This one above is a cute little cookie jar that they had.

And you'll see all kinds of Christmas trees decorated differently. This one was one of our favorites.

Roger's Garden is definitely a great place to go when looking for special gifts for your family and friends. Be sure to check it out this Holiday Season.

Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

Roger's Garden

2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd

Corona del Mar, California 92625

949-640-5800

Toll Free @ 1.800.647.2356

http://www.rogersgardens.com/

Open Daily 9am-8pm

Newport Beach Restaurant Week 2010 - Things to Do in Orange County 66

It's that time of the year again. Newport Beach Restaurant Week is starting this Friday.

January 22nd - 28th, 2010.

http://www.newportbeachdining.com/restaurantweek/restaurantweeksplash.asp

I personally love this event. I know that they have the Orange County Restaurant Week, and Dine LA in Los Angeles. But this Newport Beach Restaurant Week just has a special aura to me. You sort of have this sense that it's a local city thing, and its nice to get to know all of the great areas and restaurants around Newport Beach.

Anyway, I just wanted to recommend a few things since this is my third time attending this event.

1. Go for lunch. Lunch is cheaper to go compared to dinner. You spend only $15 or $20 for lunch compared to $25 to $35. If you go with two people, it makes a huge difference in the total bill after you finish eating.

2. If you want to save money, be cheap, and just order water. Drinks tend to add to the total bill, and I'm not sure if you want to do that because part of the fun is being able to eat great food at a great restaurant for a great price. So just drink H2O. It's good for you, and its free.

3. Check out the lunch menu on the online menu feature they have on the event's official website. Some restaurants are a little cheap, or they just didn't want to put the extra effort to put up a good menu for you. They will only give you two courses, or count a soda as your first course. It is a suppose to be three course prix fixe menu, so when that happens, it is a bit disappointing. Of course, some other restaurants are extremely generous on their offering, and that's what I'm going to show you next.

Out of my experience, these are the restaurants that give the best deals for the Newport Beach Restaurant Week. Again, try to go to these places for lunch. Unlike the Dine LA event, the Newport Beach Restaurant Week allows you to reserve during the weekend. So you should be having lunch at these places this weekend.

Anyway, here are my recommendations. All of them are hyperlinks so just click on them to see my review.

• Cannery Restaurant

• The Ritz Restaurant & Garden

• The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove, Part 2

• Tommy Bahama Island Grille

I've tried all of the restaurants above with the exception of Tommy Bahama Island Grille, where I am going to kick off this year's Newport Beach Restaurant Week with. They are all worth your money and time.

Hope you enjoy it too!

http://www.newportbeachdining.com/restaurantweek/participating-restaurants.asp

Plums Cafe - Things to Do in Orange County 64

If you're looking for a nice sophisticated place for brunch in OC, look no further than to the Plum's Cafe in Newport Beach. This place offers very good breakfast dishes with a lot of grace and elegance. Its like a brunch place for adults. At least that's the kind of feel I get.

Once you're here, do not hesitate to get yourself a glass of mimosa. This is a place for a nice morning cocktail. Without it, you won't get the full Plum's Cafe experience.

We got a couple dishes when we arrived here. (Alongside my bloody mary.) I always like to get one plate that's sweet, and one plate that's savory. And we share the two dishes between the two of us. That way we get to enjoy the best of both worlds.

So, we got the Northwest Berry Waffle and the Alderwood Smoked Salmon Hash.

Both were delicious. And as you can see from the pictures, the dishes here all seem to have vibrant colors that enhances your appetite even more. Both were prepared perfectly to my liking.

Plum's Cafe is a popular brunch destination in Orange County, so be sure to make reservations if you are going during brunch hours on the weekend.

Hope you get to enjoy the great food here!

Plums Cafe

Webpage

369 East 17th Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Garlic Jo's - Things to Do in Orange County 61

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather in OC these days!

My post today is for those who are suffering a bit from the summer heat in need of an extra boost of energy.

If you're feeling like you need to get revitalized, here is a nice place to go: Garlic Jo's in Newport Beach.

This place specializes in garlic food, and it said that they get their all of their garlic from the world famous garlic town, Gilroy, CA.

I was able to visit this place for a little celebration dinner since I finished a long overdue project. When we went, we decided to go with the 4 course, $58 meal for two. So here comes the fun.

First course is a Tuna Carpaccio appetizer with a lot of garlic. The two sauces compliment the tuna and the fried garlic very well. The tuna is fresh enough for people that doesn't usually eat raw fish to enjoy without any problems. Really good stuff.

The second course is the garlic pizza. The pizza was square, and it was very thin. It had small shreds of garlic on it, and was very good second course. Throughout all of this, we went on Monday where they have 50% off wine bottles, so we got a nice bottle of Riesling to go with all of our food for about $12~14 for the bottle.

The main course is both the rib eye and the garlic fried rice. You get one portion of the rib eye, and was enough for us to share. It came seared on a hot plate, with their original garlic sauce. You get a very well made garlic mashed potato and roasted garlic along with the steak. The garlic fried rice came in a bamboo shoot, and was extremely well made. Both were awesome.

And of course, you can't miss out on the dessert. We were pretty full by the time we finished our steak, but we saw something on the menu we couldn't resist. Garlic ice cream.

Have to try it.

The garlic ice cream has bits of garlic in a vanilla flavored ice cream. It came with a nicely made cinnamon, fried wonton like container with lots of fruits. Nice way to finish off the dinner with a lot of garlic.

So that was the entire 5 course dinner we enjoyed at Garlic Jo's in Newport Beach. The food is great here, but I do have to warn that after you dine, you will feel like you've had a Red Bull and Monster Energy drink. It kept me up all night long. Garlic power!

Garlic Jo's

http://www.garlic-jos.us/

2332 W Coast Hwy

Newport Beach, CA 92663

The Beachcomber - Things to Do in Orange County 59

Boy, it is getting hot these days in Orange County. Nice beach day everyday here in OC. So for those of you enjoying your summer here, I wanted to post about one of my favorite spots in Orange County.

The Beachcomber restaurant in Crystal Cove is by far, one of the most unique, and beautiful restaurants in Orange County. I will go far as to say this place is one of the most unique places in the world.

The Beachcomber restaurant, is right on the sands of the beach at Crystal Cove. It is secluded from all of the corporate, planned influences of Orange County. Absolutely unique in that it feels like it is the only establishment on a private beach.

We were lucky enough to get the best seats in the house since we went a little late for lunch. You will need to sit in the patio area, and obviously, the best seat is in the front, right by the entrance. You will have an unobstructed view of the entire pacific ocean here while you dine.

The food here is good with large portions considering you're dining beach front. With such a spectacular view, your food will taste twices as good.

Although we dined here for lunch, this would be an excellent place for a romantic dinner. And they do have set courses for sunset dinners.

One thing to note is that parking is hard to find. Why? Because it is on the other side of the restaurant across the street. You will need to go through a tunnel to get over to the restaurant. They will likely validate your parking ticket, although when we went, there was nobody attending the parking lot. They actually have a little bus that can also take you back and forth if you don't feel like walking.

All in all, this is one of the most unique, romantic places to dine in Orange County. When you go, don't forget to bring your cameras!

The Beachcomber

15 Crystal Cove

Newport Coast, CA 92657

949-376-6900（Reservation recommended）

The Beachcomber Cafe - Things to Do in Orange County 47

Last week I've enjoyed the Newport Beach Restaurant Week. I may have enjoyed it too much as I realized how much weight I've gained after one week of dining out. Off to hitting the gym this week.

Anyway, I wanted to post another highlight of mine during the Newport Beach Restaurant Week. After trying out many restaurants in Orange County, I don't think there's anywhere else that has a better location than The Beachcomber Cafe in Crystal Cove.

It was my first time visiting The Beachcomber, and was pleasantly surprised to see how close this restaurant is by the beautiful Crystal Cove Beach. Literally, the beach is in its front yard.

We dined a little late in the day - 2PM - and probably got the best seat in the house. Right on the front edge of the patio, where you are facing the ocean. Beautiful.

Since we did come for restaurant week, we decided to get the three course prix-fixe menu for $20. The food was very good. We got the onion soup and clam chowder for our first course. Both were made very well. 

Then for the main course, we got the tuna melt and the steak sandwich. The tuna melt had a very cute garnish on it, and the steak sandwich was huge. The steak sandwich was one of those All-American Meal with a huge sandwich with generous portions of steak, cole slaw, and fries. We've been trying to keep ourselves disciplined by not ordering any drinks during Restaurant Week since that adds to the total cost of the meal significantly, but here, we couldn't avoid the temptation of ordering a coke to go with our steak sandwich.

For desert, they served the banana boat. A huge portion of vanilla ice cream with bananas, whipped cream, and a tasty hazelnut sauce.

All this with a view that's probably one of the best in Orange County.

The Beachcomber is definitely recommended for all who'd like to enjoy the beautiful view of Crystal Cove in a nice cozy atmosphere. A great place for lunch, brunch, or romantic sunset dinner.

The Beachcomber Cafe

• Phone: (949) 376-6900
• Hours of Operation:
  Breakfast: Monday - Sunday: 7:00am - 11:30am
  Lunch: Monday - Sunday: 11:30am - 4:30pm
  Dinner: Monday - Sunday: 4:30pm - 10:00pm

Balboa Pier - Things to Do in Orange County 46

One of the lovely spots to visit around Orange County is the Balboa Pier. I really love the relaxed atmosphere here. Aside from the Newport Beach Boat Parade, there's the beach, dining, and people hanging around the pier with their bicycles or roller blades.

Anyway, it's January, but it sure feels like Spring or even Summer these days. I got here last weekend, but it was pretty hot. There were people swimming and sun bathing like it was August.

Personally speaking, I like the Balboa Pier over the Newport Beach Pier. I love the fact that you can look to your left, and see the entire coastline of Laguna Beach. It's my picture perfect image of "Orange County" here.

Also, love the fact that you can still get parking here because it is still January. Parking does become much scarce as you move into the summer months. I'm going to enjoy it while I can.

Balboa Pier

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/balboa-beach-pier-newport.html


P.S. If you like ocean fishing, this seems to be the spot for you too. There's always a whole flock of guys fishing at the Balboa Pier.

The Cannery - Things to Do in Orange County 45

For the Newport Beach Restaurant Week, I was able to visit The Cannery for lunch, and 21 Oceanfront for dinner.  Here's a report on The Cannery.

First of all, when you eat out during the Newport Beach Restaurant Week, lunches are usually the better deal.  For only $15 or $20, you get as much food as a dinner course at most places.  The Cannery offered their 3-Course Prix-Fixe for $20.  Here were the choices:

First Course

New England Clam Chowder 

Panko Crusted Crab Cake

Avocado Relish, Mango-Ginger Cream Sauce

Organic Wedge Salad 

Iceberg Lettuce, Tomatoes, Lardons, Port Reyes Blue Cheese Dressing

Entrée

Cannery Seafood Salad 

Young Organic Greens, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, Citrus Vinaigrette

World Famous Pike Place Fish market Wild Salmon 

Chef’s daily Creation

“Brendon’s Filet” Tournedos 

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Mushrooms, Carrots, Asparagus, Veal Jus

Dessert

Chocolate Molten Cake

Valhrona Chocolate Sauce, Cream Chantilly

We decided to go with the Crab Cake & Clam Chowder for appetizer.  The Cannery is known for their seafood, and I got to tell you both dishes were delicious.  The clam chowder was packed with flavor, and it was very creamy.  And the crab cake was generously filled with crab and cooked perfectly.

With our expectations now up with the appetizer, we ordered the filet and the seafood salad for the entree.  

Awesome!  The filet was tender and packed with a lot of flavor.  The veal jus complimented the meat and the roasted vegetables perfectly.  Very well made.  And the seafood salad?  Well, just look at the picture above.  You see that The Cannery is not shy about giving you a lot of good food.  Very generous portions of seafood on the salad.  I was surprised to see that they can offer all this for only $20.

And after our entree was the Chocolate Molten Cake.  It was good, but we were pretty full by then, so we got one for take out, and ate one at The Cannery.  

The Cannery was a great first choice to kick off our Newport Beach Restaurant Week!  It is located in a very cozy location in Newport Beach where you can enjoy little walks after your meal.  For only $20, it is a must go restaurant in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Newport Beach Restaurant Week
http://newportbeachdining.com/restaurantweek/2009participating.asp

Newport Beach Restaurant Week - Things to Do in Orange County 44

So it's that time of the year again!  Newport Beach Restaurant Week is here!

Starting today, a wide variety of restaurants in Newport Beach will be offering Prix-Fixe Menu for us to enjoy.  Price of the menu offerings will be $15-20 for lunch, and $20-35 for dinner.  At this price, you can't afford to miss some of the awesome, world-class restaurants available during the Newport Beach Restaurant Week.

Last year, I was able to eat at a few restaurants for lunch, and at $15~20 a person, it's difficult to go wrong.

For example, I posted this review for The Ritz.  This was during restaurant week last year.  Now, this was an awesome place to dine for only $20.  I did have to pay the valet as well as some tip, but still, dining at the Ritz for about $20 is just amazing.  As you'll see on my review, the food was ex~ce~llent.

I was also able to go to Sage on the Coast for lunch last year too.  For only $15 a person, I had a very satisfying meal.  This restaurant was featured on the latest episode of Housewives of Orange County.  It's a very nice restaurant in an awesome location - across from Crystal Cove.

Anyway, the Newport Beach Restaurant is an awesome deal.  I have a lot of dinners reserved for this year.  I'll post my reviews after I go and enjoy all the food this week!

Publish Post

Hope you can check out the Newport Beach Restaurant Week as well!

Newport Beach Restaurant Week

Enjoy!

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade - Things to Do in Orange County 43

Every year in Orange County, the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade kicks off the Holiday season for us.  My favorite thing to do is to start off at the Balboa Peninsula, then move on towards to the Balboa Island to watch the Christmas Boat Parade.  

I usually arrive at the Balboa Peninsula a bit early to get parking at the pier.  Pier parking is free after 6PM.  As I arrive at the Balboa Peninsula, I first prepare myself before the parade by getting myself a nice, freshly fried corn dog at the Balboa Fun Zone.  Combine the corn dog with some freshly made lemonade, you are in heaven!

After my snack, I then board the ferry for a $1 to get over to the Balboa Island.  Once you get off, the houses around Balboa Island will have beautiful Christmas lights on it.  You can walk around the area to enjoy some of the best Christmas lights in OC.

As you enjoy the walk around the Balboa Island, the Christmas Boat Parade will start if you time it right.  I usually get to the Peninsula at around 5:30PM, cross over to the Balboa Island at around 6PM, then the parade will start around 6:30PM.  It’s a very nice way to spend the evening since you get to enjoy three things in one night!

While the boat parade is progress, one of the coolest things you can do is to ride the ferry back to the Balboa Peninsula.  The ferry will actually start to join the parade, crisscrossing its way through the ongoing boat parade.  You’ll have the best seat in the house, and also will make you feel like you’re actually in the parade for a brief time.  It’s a very nice moment for only $1 a person.

 

From the corn dog on the Fun Zone to the beautiful Christmas lights, hanging out at the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade is truly a spectacular holiday event in Orange County.  Be sure you don’t miss out on it!

 

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade

Webpage

12/17~12/21 in 2008

Santa Monica Seafood - Things to Do in Orange County 42

Santa Monica Seafood

Santa Monica Seafood is one of the best seafood joints in Orange County. It is located on the trendy 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

They are famous for carrying "sashimi-quality" seafood at the store. You'll practically find almost any kind of fish or crustation that you are looking for at the Santa Monica Seafood. Each fillet of fish is nice and cleaned so that you can go home and cook it right away.


Compared to your local Ralph's or Albertson's the prices may be a little higher. Its probably because they carry the freshest seafood around in Orange County.

When we've visited, there were customer after customer coming in to buy their sashimi-quality fish. I think it's also good for the health conscious customers around town.

Aside from the fresh seafood, Santa Monica Seafood also has within it, a nice little cafe. Since I love Clam Chowder, I had to get a cup here ($2.95). And of course, once I order, I need to get just a little more, so I decided to get the Fisherman's Platter ($8.95) and the Grilled Fish Sandwich ($8.95).

Since this year, Santa Monica Seafood is included in the Orange County version of the Entertainment Book, we got all this food for under $15.

The clam chowder that I got was the New England style, but they also offer the Manhattan style here as well. I heard from a friend of mine that the Fish Soup is also very good.

Anyway, my clam chowder was filled with flavor, and just loved the fresh clams in it. Since it is getting a bit chilly these days, a nice hot cup of clam chowder is a big treat to warm me up. The cup that the chowder was served in was also very cute.


The Fisherman's Platter was a combination of Fish & Chips with some Fried Shrimps. Add a little Cole Slaw and tartar sauce, you're in fish heaven. I loved how it was nice and crispy.

The Grilled Fish Sandwich is cool because you can pick your own fish for it. I decided to go with the Halibut since it was the most expensive on the menu if ordered it in itself. (Grilled Fish Sandwich is the same price regardless of what type of fish you choose.) The Halibut is a white fish and had a nice fresh flavor to it. Next time I go, I may want to try the salmon or the tuna.


Well, if you're ever craving for fresh seafood in Orange County, Santa Monica Seafood is definitely the place to visit!










Santa Monica Seafood
154 E. 17th St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949)574-2685
Mon-Sat 9AM - 7PM
Sun 10AM -7PM
http://smseafood.com/

The Ritz – Things to Do in Orange County 42

Super Elegant Restaurant: The Ritz

One of the most elegant and classy restaurants in Orange County that I’ve visited has to be The Ritz.

Located right near Fashion Island, this restaurant has been around for years for special occasions and billion dollar meetings. It has toned down a bit in terms of dress code than in the past, but you still should wear something a bit nice to fit in with the crowd dining here.

The interior of the restaurant will remind you of an old-world, high-class restaurant that you see in movies. There are a lot of beautiful flower arrangements, dining sets, and chandeliers to make your dining experience just superb. It’ll definitely make you feel like a royalty dining in a beautiful castle.

I was fortunate enough to visit The Ritz during restaurant week. I had the salmon for my main dish. It was cooked perfectly with a very tasty sauce. The side potatoes were also cooked perfectly. My counterpart had the steak, and it was also beautifully done. The steak was tender and the sauce again was perfect.

The Ritz is surely a place that won’t disappoint with its great looks and awesome food. Everything was absolutely perfect here. And lastly the desert. I got the Crème Brulee. I think the Crème Brulee was one of the best I’ve had in my life!! It was really good.



Dinner will range from $30-$60 per person for food. It’s a great place for that special occasion or if you want to impress someone.

I forgot to mention the bar, but the bar was also very nice. I was only able to get a glance at it though. Hopefully, I get the chance to sip a cocktail here one day!

The Ritz Restaurant and Garden
880 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Website


Reservations - (949) 720-1800　
(Reservation Recommended)

Hours of Operation

Lunch　Monday- Friday 11:30～3PM

Dinner　
Monday-Thursday 5:30～10PM
Friday　5:30～11PM
Saturday　5～11PM
Sunday　5～9PM

Valet Parking in front of the Restaurant

Catalina Island - Things to Do in Orange County 36

Enjoy the Nature or an Activity Filled Day at the Catalina Island!

A popular resort destination for Orange County residents is the Catalina Island. Because of its popularity during the weekend or summer, it can be difficult to get hotel or ferry reservations to the Catalina Island during its peak season. Marilyn Monroe has actually visited the Catalina Island as part of her honeymoon as well!

Using the ferry that departs out of Newport Beach, it will take a little over an hour to get to the Catalina Island.
The Catalina Island is protected to preserve its natural beauty. So you’ll find beautiful views and scenery when you arrive here.

On the Catalina Island, you won’t see a single car. All of the residents drive around in a little golf cart to get around the city. A visitor can easily rent a cart as well. Since it isn’t a big island, the cart should get you to where ever you want to go on the island. I guess it’s all part of the nature preserving efforts.

If you are an athlete, you can also try getting around on a bicycle as well.

The Catalina Island is filled with things you can do. You can take part in a rafting tour, go snorkeling, ride on a kayak, go parasailing, or even go sky diving on the island. The Catalina Island will always keep you busy with all the things you can do here.

You’ll find gift shops and restaurants around the coast of the Catalina Island. When the tourists are not visiting, the Catalina Island is a nice quiet town. The hotels are all relatively small in size, and they all resemble something of a Bed & Breakfast Inn. It’s a great place to come and relax.
The symbolic Casino of Catalina Island is now a museum and you’ll need to pay an admission fee to get in.

The Catalina Island is a great place for Orange County Residents to come and relax!

Access to Catalina Island from Orange County:

・Ferry Departing out of Newport Beach
Catalina Flyer
Adult Roundtrip Fare $61
Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes

・Ferry Departing from Dana Point
Catalina Express
Adult Roundtrip Fare $61

Catalina Island
http://www.catalina.com/main.html

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/

Fashion Island - Things to Do in Orange County 5

The Best Open Air Mall in Orange County - Fashion Island

Amongst some of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the United States, there is an open air mall called Fashion Island in the city of Newport Beach. The mall is one of the most beautiful open air malls around and it's great to just walk around to window shop here. Along with their glamour shops, Fashion Island also have very nice gardens and flowers to make your shopping experience simply wonderful!

Since the mall is located inside one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the United States, you will find many high end retail stores here. Example: Bloomingdales. You'd be surprised to see that there's no GAP inside the mall. And they don't have Banana Republic either.

Some of my personal favorites to shop are, Bath & Body Works for all my bathroom goodies, Forever 21 for trendy but very reasonably priced clothes, and Anthropologie for inspiring home decor and accessories. There's also a pet shop here where you can pet puppies and watch the kittens nap. And when you get tired of walking, there is a movie theater for you to catch the latest flicks or a Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy of the lastest novel by Stephen King.

For dining, there is a big food court or you can dine in one of several prestigious restaurants available. There's a McDonald's and a Wahoo's next to the movie theater, along with the Cheescake Factory, Red Robin, and California Pizza Kitchen here too. The Sunday Brunch at El Torito is one of the best in town as well.

And finally, Christmas is one of the most special time here where you will be able to see one of the highest Christmas tree in Southern California here. Its an amazing specticle, and I will be posting an article later just about the tree!

All in all, this is the best open air shopping malls in Orange County!

Fashion Island　
401 Newport Center Drive Newport Beach, CA 92660

http://www.shopfashionisland.com/