# Guidance for upcoming SoCal trip 7/1 - 7/13



## MOXJO7282 (Jun 17, 2013)

I'd appreciate any insight anyone can provide on our upcoming SoCal trip.

We'll be in Newport Beach July 1st - 13th staying between the Marriott Newport Beach Resort and then at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas and want to hit as many must-sees as possible.

I've grouped what we have so far into day trips below of which I have some general and then specific questions about.

First general. I figured there are 2 approaches, either leave early before the traffic or leave after rush hour around 10ish. To clarify I'm not talking about the weekend because I assume the advise is to avoid all of these on the weekend if possible.

I'd prefer the latter so we can sleep in and its not such a long day away from the home base if we leave later.

I know for Disney we need to leave very early but what about the other day trips? 

*Aside from Disney are we better off leaving early or can we wait for traffic to slow down?*

Also, I don't want to be crammed with activity either.

*Is the farmer's Market day trip feasible in one day?* My thinking was again leave resort at 10am check out the market and have early lunch there. Then off to Hollywood and Rodeo mid day, early dinner somewhere then Griffith Park at dusk and at night to see the observatory at night.

*How is parking for these locations? *I expect costly fees but just don't want to be driving around looking for parking.


Disneyland

Farmer's Market
Hollywood of Fame
Rodeo Drive
Griffith Park and observatory at night


Santa Monica Pier
Venice BeachWalk


Huntington Beach
Laguana Beach


Balboa Island


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## presley (Jun 17, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> *Aside from Disney are we better off leaving early or can we wait for traffic to slow down?*
> There is always traffic.  I think 10am and after 7pm are the best drive times.
> 
> Also, I don't want to be crammed with activity either.
> ...



I answered in purple from my own experiences.  Some of those places I have yet to visit.


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## Rent_Share (Jun 17, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> I'd appreciate any insight anyone can provide on our upcoming SoCal trip.
> 
> We'll be in Newport Beach July 1st - 13th staying between the Marriott Newport Beach Resort and then at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas and want to hit as many must-sees as possible.
> 
> ...


 
Disneyland I do not support the rat, so no guidance here
Farmer's Market 
Add The Grove Next Door 
Hollywood of Fame (Need to walk, be aware, like Time's Square
Rodeo Drive
Griffith Park and observatory at night {Check for Special Events}
​All of these are within a fairly small circle, I am not a shopper so my time estimates for spending time would be difficult, If you were planning a long day including finishing up at the observatory I would plan 1.5 hours to get there regardless of departure time, during rush hour could be 1.75 If you do the observatory at night about 1 hour, to 1 hour fifteen home


Santa Monica Pier
Venice BeachWalk Parking can be a challenge, expect to be offered a free evaluation for a medical marijuana card (doctors waiting now) every 400 - 600 feet.

Can be done the same day, again 1.5 hours from south orange county, maybe less if you lucky


Huntington Beach - < 10 minutes, there's a Duke's of Oahu fame at the Pier
http://www.dukeshuntington.com/menus/dining-room

Laguana Beach - About a 1/2 hour south


Balboa Island -Almost walkable, unless you dine in should take less than 15 minutes, don't wait for the ferry, drive over the bridge

In general parking is plentiful as long as you don't mind paying, No need to wait till 10, there are certain hot spots that are slow 24/7 in your case it's going to be 55/5 if you do the bypass it will be 405/605, Going into LA/Hollywood expect delays as you pass through metroplolitan Los Angeles I10/SR60/I5/US101/I110 Intertchange, yes they all come together witin a mile or so.


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## PStreet1 (Jun 17, 2013)

Going south to San Diego?  Lots to see there.


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 17, 2013)

PStreet1 said:


> Going south to San Diego?  Lots to see there.



Considering it but I'd be inclined to stay down there and not sure I want to incur the cost of another night lodging.  We've also have done SD before on a stopover from a Maui trip so probably not this time but still under consideration because I know it has a lot to offer.


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## ricoba (Jun 17, 2013)

For parking in Hollywood, use the lot at the Hollywood & Highland Center (link to parking info).  Puts you right at the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman's Chinese Theater (now known as TCL Chinese, but locals will always know it as Grauman's)

Parking is free at the Observatory (closes at 10pm), but it is very limited especially on weekends.  

Farmers Market/The Grove, paid, validated parking lot on site, very busy during the summer time, but enjoyable.  Go on a weekday for less crowds.  Want to see celebrities in LA?  Visit The Grove shopping center, last visit I saw Jeremy Piven. The other day my daughter was there and saw them filming Entertainment Tonight. 

Rodeo Drive, sometimes you can get really lucky and get metered parking right on the street, but not normally.  But parking is readily available.


Farmers Market/Grove, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills, Santa Monica (I'd do either Santa Monica or Venice Beach, but not both) and the Observatory all easily doable in a long day trip.

Leave @ around 9-10am and miss most of the traffic going northbound.  Use the carpool lanes on the 405 and it should all be pretty manageable, but with LA/OC traffic one never really knows for certain.  On the day you are leaving check SIGALERT.COM before you go to see the traffic.

OC Beaches like Huntington & Laguna are beautiful, but as noted Laguna Beach parking is really hard to get, though you can get lucky from time-to-time.  

Have fun in SoCal.


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## eal (Jun 17, 2013)

Also be sure to use the carpool lanes on freeways.


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## heathpack (Jun 17, 2013)

Do you like to eat?

If so, I will make dining reccomendations for Hollywood, Bev Hills, and/or Santa Monica/Venice.  You are heading into some excellent culinary territory.

H


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## DAman (Jun 17, 2013)

*Traffic*

Joe: Traffic can be bad at *any* time.  Rush hour is a mess. It took almost four hours on Friday to drive from NCV to San Diego(2 hours more than it should). I left NCV at 10:00 checkout. Of course there was a nasty accident that morning just south of San Clemente. You just never know. 

I also made the mistake of trying to get from the Museum of Science(the space shuttle is there) to Dodger Stadium at rush hour last week. 5 miles took one hour. 

Traffic near NCV can be bad as well. Summertime at the beach. 

Have a blast.


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 17, 2013)

heathpack said:


> Do you like to eat?
> 
> If so, I will make dining reccomendations for Hollywood, Bev Hills, and/or Santa Monica/Venice.  You are heading into some excellent culinary territory.
> 
> H


Would love some recommendations.  July 2nd is the 31st anniversary of our first date so we wanted to find something special for that. I was thinking about the Beachcomber which I think is right at Cyrstal Cove Beach but wanted to identify some nice places in Santa Monica because we were going to visit there for sure.


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## Bill4728 (Jun 17, 2013)

As a frequent visitor to SoCal a couple of insights.

Traffic is always questionable. BUT the 405 seems better to the upper LA area than the 5 even though the 5 is more direct. Traffic in the AM after 9;30 is generally good but the evening rush hour is about 4 hours long ( from 3:30- 7:30) avoid driving any long distances during that time if you can. 

We often drive into LA leaving NCV at 9-9:30 and either try and get south before 3:30 or stay in LA till after 7:30. 

We love to go to  Griffith Park and observatory but in the summer it will not get dark early.  We love the Getty museum when in the Santa Monica area. Love Universal area and the city walk at universal.

 We will drive to LA, spend 4-5 hours  then afterward slowly go down the coast till we get to Hermosa beach there is a great little downtown there and you'll be 2/3 of the way home. 

Huntington and Laguna are our local area just like Newport.  Seal Beach and Long Beach are a little longer drive to the west (and San Clemente to the south)  are still easy,  kind of local drives. 

We really only worry about traffic when driving all the way to LA.



> I was thinking about the Beachcomber which I think is right at Cyrstal Cove Beach


 Yes, the beachcomber is right on the beach below the resort. We walk there every morning from the resort but there is parking and a shuttle just across the hwy from the park.

"The Cliff" in Laguna is right above the beach and has pretty good food but the views from the deck are the best!! Much easier access than beachcomber although several miles more away  The outside looks pretty junky but get past that and it is very nice. 

Good Luck and have a great trip.


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## heathpack (Jun 17, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> Would love some recommendations.  July 2nd is the 31st anniversary of our first date so we wanted to find something special for that. I was thinking about the Beachcomber which I think is right at Cyrstal Cove Beach but wanted to identify some nice places in Santa Monica because we were going to visit there for sure.



I am no expert in Newport Beach dining, but we did go to Javier's, an upscale Mexican place on PCH near NCV and we really liked it.  Swanky decor, excellent margaritas, a good anniversary restaurant.  

We sometimes bring our sailboat down and stay in Newport Harbor.  Cornona del Mar is near Newport Harbor and we really like the Side Door, a gastropub in Corona del Mar associated with the Five Crowns restaurant.  We've never eaten at the Five Crowns, but it is supposed to be excellent.  It is a prime rib type of restaurant, very nice inside and would be another good anniversary dinner choice.  For a casual meal, we also like the Crow Bar (a bar/restaurant) in Corona del Mar.

In Hollywood, my favorite restaurant is Pizzeria Mozza- a Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali, Joe Bastanatich endeavor.  There is also a branch in Newport Beach now, but I don't have any first hand experience with that one.  Associated with the Hollywood Pizzeria Mozza is Osteria Mozza, which is a "nicer" restaurant and better for an anniversary dinner.  For either of the Mozza restaurants, you should probably make reservations now unless you are ok with eating outside normal dinner hours.  The Pizzeria is open for lunch but the Osteria just for dinner.

There is a great burger place right on Hollywood Blvd near the walk of fame called Lucky Devils.  Musso and Frank is an old school Hollywood restaurant in that same area.

At the Farmer's Market, Short Order is a burger place I've been wanting to try.  Bob's donuts has excellent donuts and the Loteria Taco stand has great tacos (mmm, potato tacos) and I LOVE their tortilla soup.  Hatfields is right near there and is one of the best restaurants in LA, an appropriate anniversary dinner choice.  There is a casual place nearby on 3rd called Simple Things, which is soups, salads, sandwiches and pie.

Heading towards West Hollywood (but still in Hollywood) is The Griddle Cafe- on Sunset and Fairfax (park behind the Rite Aid).  Enormous breakfasts and great lunches.  Totally ear-splitting in there, but the place is very LA and if full of friendly good-natured hipsters.

In Bev Hills, you could consider Spago- which would be a special anniversary meal for sure.  I have not been to Spago since the recent re-do, but the word on the street is excellent.  This would be another very-LA option.  I've really been wanting to try an Austrian place in Bev Hills called Bier Biesel- casual but supposed to be excellent.  Bev Hills is full of great, expensive restaurants- if you want to eat there I can make more suggestions.

In Malibu, consider having a drink on the deck at Gladstones, which is right on beach (don't eat there and expect terrible service in a great setting).

Santa Monica is also full of awesome restaurants.  Flying under the radar a bit is one of my favorite restaurants in LA, Capo.  Great Italian, no view, intimidating wine list.  The grilled Caesar salad is excellent and the rigatoni with truffle meat sauce is one of the best things I ever ate.  Because I was intimidated by the wine list and it was a hot summer day, I ordered a Tom Collins, which was also surprisingly excellent.  Very airy, casual California vibe, excellent food.  Another "special" restaurant for an anniversary meal.

GREAT coffee in Santa Monica at Cafe Urtth on Main Street.  The food is really good, too, although the service is chaotic.  We also like the Border Grill in Santa Monica, which has a great happy hour and is a good "California" option.  There are tons more excellent options in SM, so if none of those appeal, let me know.

In Venice, The Tasting Kitchen is supposed to be great as is Gjelina.  Just south of Venice is Marina del Rey.  Cafe del Rey is a terrific restaurant right on the water in Marina del Rey and would be a good anniversary choice.

Check out those places and feel free to check back for some other ideas.

H


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 17, 2013)

This is all great information.

What about Fireworks on July 4th? Don't want to stray to far from Newport so hopefully something close by happens.


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## Rent_Share (Jun 17, 2013)

San Diego, is an easier drive, than Hollywood/Santa Monica from NCV.

Abeit a little longer, much less traffic congestion


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## Rent_Share (Jun 17, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> This is all great information.
> 
> What about Fireworks on July 4th? Don't want to stray to far from Newport so hopefully something close by happens.


 

NCV is on a bluff, notwithstanding a June Gloom fog/cloud inversion (rare in July). 

http://www.orangecounty.net/html/weekend_eventsJuly.html


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## heathpack (Jun 17, 2013)

Rent_Share said:


> NCV is on a bluff, notwithstanding a June Gloom fog/cloud inversion (rare in July).
> 
> http://www.orangecounty.net/html/weekend_eventsJuly.html



NCV is on a bluff overlooking the ocean.  Typically fireworks on the So Cal coast are launched from boats in a harbor, not the ocean.  I dont think you can see Newport Harbor from NCV.  Im not sure you could actually see fireworks from NCV.  Maybe call the concierge at NCV and see what they know?

We keep our sailboat in Marina del Rey and it is absolute gridlock there before and after the fireworks on 4th of July.  Perhaps a booze cruise would be a good idea.

H


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## sue1947 (Jun 17, 2013)

NCV has a shuttle bus you can take to Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove and, I think, Balboa. Give them a call to check.  It was very convenient and is free.  I think they ran every 15 min or half hour depending on the route (this was in Jan so it may be more frequent in the summer).  They dropped us off in Laguna and I think we let them know when we would be ready to be picked up in case they didn't have another run.  
Crystal Cove State Park is a 5 min walk down the hill or via the shuttle.  Parking at the state park has a fee so take the shuttle or walk.  We enjoyed a Ranger led walk on the beach that provided info on the history of the area.  

Sue


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## cp73 (Jun 17, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> Also, I don't want to be crammed with activity either.



Good luck with that...But let me comment on Disney. We have passes to Disney/California Adventure and have spent lots of time there. I spent part of my Father's day there yesterday morning. 

I dont know if you have visited before or been to Disneyworld. That aside, to see the most you can arrive by 7:15, get your tickets, and enter the park. They will let you in by 7:30 am but can't hit the rides until 8am. During your first few hours you will be able to hit almost any ride with little or no waiting (except for Radiator Springs in California Adventure). Most of the crowd starts arriving around 10:00.

Both parks have many attractions that have a single rider lines. If you dont mind doing this you can at a minimum cut your wait time in half. You can all wait in line together but they will put you in separate rides. I suggest doing this for Radiator Springs at a minimum. It will cut the wait from 90-120 minutes to about 30 minutes. And the ride is only about 3 minutes long anyway. You will all be standing next to each other in line while waiting. 

Also be sure to see World of Color in California Adventure in the evening (get fast passes early in morning). Plan your trip wisely and avoid going back and forth to parks. Be sure to get Disney apps for you phones to check the wait times. 

Parking is now $16 a day at Disneyland.


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## Rent_Share (Jun 17, 2013)

cp73 said:


> Parking is now $16 a day at Disneyland.


 
1-Day Theme Park TicketsValid now through December 31, 2014

Ages 3 to 9 *$86.00 *Ages 10 & Up *$92.00*


Visit both parks each day of your ticket.

Ages 3 to 9  *$131.00 *Ages 10 & Up *$137.00*


2-Day Theme Park TicketsValid now through December 31, 2014.2-Day 1-Park Per Day Ticket

Ages 3 to 9  *$162.00 *Ages 10 & Up  *$175.00*

Visit both parks each day of your ticket.

Ages 3 to 9 *$197.00 *Ages 10 & Up *$210.00*

*That's why I don't support the RAT*


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 17, 2013)

cp73 said:


> Good luck with that...But let me comment on Disney. We have passes to Disney/California Adventure and have spent lots of time there. I spent part of my Father's day there yesterday morning.
> 
> I dont know if you have visited before or been to Disneyworld. That aside, to see the most you can arrive by 7:15, get your tickets, and enter the park. They will let you in by 7:30 am but can't hit the rides until 8am. During your first few hours you will be able to hit almost any ride with little or no waiting (except for Radiator Springs in California Adventure). Most of the crowd starts arriving around 10:00.
> 
> ...



Great insight on DL. That will be our plan to get there super early and make the most of it. We'll run to  Radiator Springs to get a fast pass and then hit all the other prime stuff right away.


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## cp73 (Jun 17, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> That will be our plan to get there super early and make the most of it. We'll run to  Radiator Springs to get a fast pass and then hit all the other prime stuff right away.



Thats exactly what I would do. Dont be surprised when you see the fast pass line for Radiator springs at 7:30....but it should go fast once they start giving them out at 8am.


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## DAman (Jun 18, 2013)

cp73 said:


> Thats exactly what I would do. Dont be surprised when you see the fast pass line for Radiator springs at 7:30....but it should go fast once they start giving them out at 8am.



I was there last Tuesday. Radiator Springs fast passes were gone for entire day before noon. Single rider line is the tip. Spot on recommendation. I waited thirty minutes with my kids. We all went separately but all went on ride at same time. Single rider line at California Screamin was the hot tip too. My son went on it 7 times in less than one hour.


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## ricoba (Jun 18, 2013)

DAman said:


> I was there last Tuesday. Radiator Springs fast passes were gone for entire day before noon. Single rider line is the tip. Spot on recommendation. I waited thirty minutes with my kids. We all went separately but all went on ride at same time. Single rider line at California Screamin was the hot tip too. My son went on it 7 times in less than one hour.



Single rider line is the way to go, now that the summer crush has begun.


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## sudiski (Jun 18, 2013)

When we stayed at NCV, one of our favorite trips was on Capt Dave's Safari out of Dana Point.  I believe it was about 30-40 minutes south of the resort.  We went out on his catamaran trip and we were in the middle of a pod of 300-400 dolphin.  Amazing!  It was also fun to see the coast from the water and a couple of whales and seals too.  The best for us was the pod of dolphin tho'. Have a great trip!


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## heathpack (Jun 18, 2013)

sudiski said:


> When we stayed at NCV, one of our favorite trips was on Capt Dave's Safari out of Dana Point.  I believe it was about 30-40 minutes south of the resort.  We went out on his catamaran trip and we were in the middle of a pod of 300-400 dolphin.  Amazing!  It was also fun to see the coast from the water and a couple of whales and seals too.  The best for us was the pod of dolphin tho'. Have a great trip!



Southern California is home to the largest concentration of dolphin of anywhere in the world (or so I'm told).  It is not infrequent to encounter "superpods" of dolphin- with dolphin numbering in the hundreds.  The superpods are things of wonder indeed.  I would highly recommend the dolphin trip if you are at all interested.  If you get lucky, it could be a fabulous trip.

H


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## csalter2 (Jun 18, 2013)

I live about 10 minutes from Newport Beach.  You will be here for a couple of weeks and seems like you will be traveling to the LA area quite a bit. That will be tiresome driving that distance with traffic. So I am going to try and suggest a few other places you may wish to visit. 

Orange County is a beautiful place with many things to do that is why I live here. Yes, there's Disney but much much more. I suggest that you take a couple of hours and cruise down Pacific Coast Highway from Huntington Beach to San Clemente one day and just take in the scenery. I have been here for years and still do it.   You can cruise to Catalina Island. I like doing that for the day. You can go snorkeling and biking around the island. It's great! There are the boats out of Newport that you can take to go whale watching (well it's out of season now) but there are schools and schools of dolphins that swim right up near the boat.  If you or your kids surf, go early in the morning to Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point right off the Ritz Carlton. You can also pack a lunch and just sit on the grass there in the afternoons if you'd like, play a little basketball, bring your frisby or even barbecue as there are grills there. That's a locals' favorite beach. There is great surfing there. In fact, Dana Point Harbor is also a nice relaxing visit. It's not far from Salt Creek Beach. 

Laguna Beach is beachy and trendy. Las Brisas is nice restaurant you may wish to try. I would also suggest you try to get tickets for The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. It where famous paintings come to life. It's in Laguna Beach. Get the tickets prior to your arrival if you can. http://www.foapom.com/


There is also the Nixon library. No, I am not a republican, but Yorba Linda is a nice part of Orange County.  There is also the mission in San Juan Capistrano. Now I will tell you that there is some new construction going on right there around the mission, but that's a nice spoit to visit but certainly not a mandatory must see. 

I am assuming you have kids but don't know the ages. However, there is also Knotts Berry Farm, Madame Tussaud's, and my favorite is Medieval Times where you can have dinner and watch an old time joust. Kids love that, but so do I. It's in Orange County about 30 from Newport Beach. 

One place that you might also want to see while you're in Los Angeles that is not often discussed are the La Brea Tarpits. http://www.tarpits.org/

Just a few items that come to mind that others have not mentioned. If I think of any nice little spots you may wish to escape to, I will let you know.


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 20, 2013)

csalter2 said:


> I live about 10 minutes from Newport Beach.  You will be here for a couple of weeks and seems like you will be traveling to the LA area quite a bit. That will be tiresome driving that distance with traffic. So I am going to try and suggest a few other places you may wish to visit.
> 
> Orange County is a beautiful place with many things to do that is why I live here. Yes, there's Disney but much much more. I suggest that you take a couple of hours and cruise down Pacific Coast Highway from Huntington Beach to San Clemente one day and just take in the scenery. I have been here for years and still do it.   You can cruise to Catalina Island. I like doing that for the day. You can go snorkeling and biking around the island. It's great! There are the boats out of Newport that you can take to go whale watching (well it's out of season now) but there are schools and schools of dolphins that swim right up near the boat.  If you or your kids surf, go early in the morning to Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point right off the Ritz Carlton. You can also pack a lunch and just sit on the grass there in the afternoons if you'd like, play a little basketball, bring your frisby or even barbecue as there are grills there. That's a locals' favorite beach. There is great surfing there. In fact, Dana Point Harbor is also a nice relaxing visit. It's not far from Salt Creek Beach.
> 
> ...



Great stuff. Thank you. We don't want to drive too far on the 4th, any good spots locally to watch the fireworks that you know of?


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## Rent_Share (Jun 20, 2013)

MOXJO7282 said:


> Great stuff. Thank you. We don't want to drive too far on the 4th, any good spots locally to watch the fireworks that you know of?


 
http://www.orangecounty.net/html/weekend_eventsJuly.html

All of these are close



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[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]an - 9:00pm July 4 ONLY[/FONT]










[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*Irvine *[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]**Pacific Symphony Presents: "July 4 Extravaganza - Music of Neil Diamond"*
Thursday, July 4, 2013 
8:00 pm[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-755-5799[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*Laguna Niguel* [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*4th of July all day celebration *[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-5100[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*Newport Beach*[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]**Fireworks & Parade Cruises* 
[/FONT]


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## cp73 (Jun 20, 2013)

duplicate see below


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## cp73 (Jun 20, 2013)

The Pageant of the Masters is a great suggestion and it is really unique. It makes for a great evening. You can even eat dinner on the grounds (burgers or sandwitches) if you get there early. If you like art and music its a real treat. Its in a small amphitheater in a canyon. Actors imitate famous paintings and pieces of art. In fact its difficult to tell they are actors it looks so authentic. The audience sits in this amphitheater like you would for a concert. When the curtains open you see this piece of art with music and a story about the piece. The curtain shuts and then reopens minutes later with a different piece of art. Be sure to at least check it out and see if it interest you. I dont know if this is done anywhere else in the world. Also if you go be sure to bring a sweater, sweatshirt, or blanket. Sometimes it gets a little cool there in the evenings. Again its a totally unique experience. I have been several times over the years and enjoy it every time we go. Each year they have new pieces of art which are imitated.


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## taffy19 (Jun 21, 2013)

sudiski said:


> When we stayed at NCV, one of our favorite trips was on Capt Dave's Safari out of Dana Point. I believe it was about 30-40 minutes south of the resort. We went out on his catamaran trip and we were in the middle of a pod of 300-400 dolphin. Amazing! It was also fun to see the coast from the water and a couple of whales and seals too. The best for us was the pod of dolphin tho'. Have a great trip!


I highly recommend this boat trip too. Our family and friends, from Europe, always want to go again when they come back.

I also recommend the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach but you need to buy your tickets well in advance because it is very popular but you have never seen something like it before.

We took a gondola tour once through Naple Island and it was wonderful. I looked up their website again but see now that they have a few not so good reviews so do not dare to recommend it anymore but the area you go through is so unique.

We have done it many times by dinghy from our marina and everyone, we take around, enjoy it so much. They have gondola tours in many more places now but it will not be the same. Our guy sang for us too and that seemed to have changed also.

California has cool nights so I recommend warm clothing even if you go to the Pageant of the Masters. Layers are recommended any time.

There is also the Queen Mary in Long Beach and staying there one night is still on my bucket list. For out of town people, visiting the Long Beach area, there is a fun way to do this by the AquaLink instead of driving. It will start at the Queen Mary and stop at the Long Beach Aquarium and Shoreline Village, the Belmont Pier and the marina in Alamitos Bay.

This trip alone can take a full day of your vacation if you visit the Queen Mary museum and the aquarium too. You can do part of the trip with the free red Passport Bus and we took from there the metro once to downtown Los Angeles and visited the Los Angeles Public Library and did the famous Angels Flight ( no time? Here are some pictures ) plus we went to see the old Los Angeles (Union) train station too. This is the only time I took the metro (two of them) with a bunch of friends from out of town and it was a most interesting day.

We took different company to the Getty Museum more than once as the structure alone is well worth seeing and the view from there is spectacular but only on a clear and smog free day.

It is a long drive from the NCVs but so is Hollywood. I also highly recommend an evening at the Hollywood Bowl. It has changed so much that we didn't recognize the bowl when we went back two years ago but the music or other performances are still great. You can combine it with a drive through Hollywood and stop at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre afterwards and see the famous Hollywood movie stars' footprints in the pavement.


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## taffy19 (Jun 21, 2013)

csalter2 said:


> I live about 10 minutes from Newport Beach. You will be here for a couple of weeks and seems like you will be traveling to the LA area quite a bit. That will be tiresome driving that distance with traffic. So I am going to try and suggest a few other places you may wish to visit.
> 
> Orange County is a beautiful place with many things to do that is why I live here. Yes, there's Disney but much much more. I suggest that you take a couple of hours and cruise down Pacific Coast Highway from Huntington Beach to San Clemente one day and just take in the scenery. I have been here for years and still do it. You can cruise to Catalina Island. I like doing that for the day. You can go snorkeling and biking around the island. It's great! There are the boats out of Newport that you can take to go whale watching (well it's out of season now) but there are schools and schools of dolphins that swim right up near the boat. If you or your kids surf, go early in the morning to Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point right off the Ritz Carlton. You can also pack a lunch and just sit on the grass there in the afternoons if you'd like, play a little basketball, bring your frisby or even barbecue as there are grills there. That's a locals' favorite beach. There is great surfing there. In fact, Dana Point Harbor is also a nice relaxing visit. It's not far from Salt Creek Beach.
> 
> ...


Catalina Island would be a fantastic trip and you can do it back and forward in one day but staying there is even nicer.  We used to love having lunch at Armstrong's but I never dare to recommend restaurants anymore because it changes so much from one time to the other.

PS.  I just searched the link and guess what? So surprised and upset.  I am simply speechless!


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## MOXJO7282 (Jun 22, 2013)

Rent_Share said:


> http://www.orangecounty.net/html/weekend_eventsJuly.html
> 
> All of these are close
> 
> ...



Awesome info. Thank you. Reserved the Newport Beach Fireworks cruise for the family.


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## Timeshare Von (Jun 22, 2013)

eal said:


> Also be sure to use the carpool lanes on freeways.



Be careful, however, as some of the express lanes are "tolls".  Learned that when I was there last month


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## JanB (Jun 22, 2013)

cp73 said:


> The Pageant of the Masters is a great suggestion and it is really unique. It makes for a great evening. You can even eat dinner on the grounds (burgers or sandwitches) if you get there early. If you like art and music its a real treat. Its in a small amphitheater in a canyon. Actors imitate famous paintings and pieces of art. In fact its difficult to tell they are actors it looks so authentic. The audience sits in this amphitheater like you would for a concert. When the curtains open you see this piece of art with music and a story about the piece. The curtain shuts and then reopens minutes later with a different piece of art. Be sure to at least check it out and see if it interest you. I dont know if this is done anywhere else in the world. Also if you go be sure to bring a sweater, sweatshirt, or blanket. Sometimes it gets a little cool there in the evenings. Again its a totally unique experience. I have been several times over the years and enjoy it every time we go. Each year they have new pieces of art which are imitated.



Excellent advise and here's a second for the Pagent of the Masters.  For the first time viewer, it is absolutely jaw dropping.  So hard to visualize unless you see it.  I've gone with girl friends for the last 4 years now and this year my husband is going with us.  I can't wait to see his reaction!


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## DAman (Jun 22, 2013)

JanB said:


> Excellent advise and here's a second for the Pagent of the Masters.  For the first time viewer, it is absolutely jaw dropping.  So hard to visualize unless you see it.  I've gone with girl friends for the last 4 years now and this year my husband is going with us.  I can't wait to see his reaction!



I take my kids every year. My oldest boy, who is sixteen, still enjoys it. It is fascinating. It is a great way to spend an evening. Plus I enjoy it because I can go in shorts and don't have to get dressed up. But I do bring a sweatshirt just in case.


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## taffy19 (Aug 5, 2013)

*Question for Joe*

How was your trip to Southern California to the NCVs and the area? Did you comment somewhere about it and I missed it?


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