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）

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.

Hi-Time Wine Cellars - Things to Do in Orange County 18

Never Seen So Many Wine Bottles in One Place! A Huge Wine Cellar in Orange County – Hi-Time

If you like to drink, and drink especially wine, I’ve found an awesome store in Orange County that you cannot afford to miss. This store offers a one-of-a-kind experience. Once you enter the store, you’ll walk down the stairs, and into their huge walk-in wine cellar. There, you will be delighted to see thousands and thousands, and rows and rows of wines from all over the world!!

I have never seen this many bottles of wine at a single place.

Inside the wine cellar, wines are organized by region and types. Prices ranged from $7 a bottle to over $500 a bottle! Even if you are a wine enthusiast, you will likely find the wine you love here at Hi-Time.

I am not very knowledgeable about wine, so I picked up a few bottles of staff picks. They were reasonably priced and many of them were French wines. All of them were very good, I must also add.

In addition to wine, there is also a huge beer section. There’s another big walk-in refrigerator in the beer section where you can choose from a huge variety of beer as well. I personally enjoyed this section very much!

Basically at Hi-Time, you can find anything from all kinds of hard liquor and liqueur, cheeses, chocolates, and glassware. You can also walk into a huge humidor where you can pick out some of your most favorite cigars or pipe tobacco as well. It’s a great place to buy a gift for anybody, including yourself!

Hi-Time also has a wine tasting area to sample some of the store favorites at the time. If you love wine, this is definitely a place you must visit. And be sure to let me know if you find any great wines here!

Hi-Time, OC’s largest liquor store!

Hi-Time Wine Cellars
250 Ogle Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
http://www.hitimewine.net/

Store Hours: Sunday 10am -7pm
Mon-Wed 9am-8pm
Thurs-Sat 9am-9pm

Irvine Regional Park - Things to Do in Orange County 15

Enjoy the OC Zoo and a Little Train Ride at the Nature Filled Irvine Regional Park

If you drive North on Jamboree Road, you will drive through the mountain and come across the Irvine Regional Park in the city of Orange.

Irvine Regional Park is a huge park in Orange County where you can enjoy a picnic, BBQ, ride on a pony, or cruise along on the mini-train that goes around the park. With a lot of nature surrounded by ponds and trees, the park is a great place to relax with your loved one, or enjoy with your entire family.

Inside the Irvine Regional Park, you’ll also find the Orange County Zoo. Admission to the zoo is $2 for children and adults over 3 years old, and free for children 3 and under. You’d be surprised to see that there’s a big grizzly bear inside the zoo. You’ll also see other animals such as an eagle, fox, goat, and coyote, amongst many others. Since it’s a zoo without too many visitors, you can enjoy the nice, quiet atmosphere there.

After leaving the zoo, there is a nice little trail filled with nature that you can follow. With all the daily hustle and bustle, I’m sure the trail and the nature will help you to refresh a bit. It’s a great feeling go out to get some fresh air out in the park!

There are other activities at the Irvine Regional Park. Some of the fun ones are renting a boat to float across the lake or renting a bicycle to explore the park even more. With so many activities that you can enjoy at the Irvine Regional Park, you can fill your whole day here. Enjoy a day of soothing relaxation with a beach blanket and a book here, or you can bring your whole family along for a BBQ party!

It’s a great park in OC, and I hope you can enjoy the Irvine Regional Park soon!

Irvine Regional Park
1 Irvine Park Road
Orange, CA 92862
(714)973-6835 or (714)973-3173
http://www.ocparks.com/irvinepark/default.asp?Show=Introduction


Parking: $3 weekdays, $5 weekends
Open: Nov. 1 - March 31, 7:00am to 6:00pm.
Open: April 1 - Oct. 31, 7:00am to 9:00pm.
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri., 7:30am to 3:30pm.

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/