5 Romantic Places in Laguna Beach; Five for 5

Our Five for Five blog series focuses on what to see and do while you’re in Laguna Beach. This first story will cover “5 Romantic Places” you can take your special someone to in Laguna Beach.

The Search for Treasure

Ahoy Matey! Grab your little sprogs, board your ship and set your course for a pirate adventure at The Laguna Playhouse. The youth theater is now performing Treasure Island on the main stage. This is an adventurous tale of a young boy, Jim Hawkins, and his search for the buried treasure of notorious pirate Captain Flint. Along the way he meets other legendary pirates Long John Silver, Israel Hands, Blind Pew and Billy Bones. Jim finds himself caught up in a race against these pirates to find the treasure that could save his families’ Inn.

I took my wee pirates to see Treasure Island this past weekend. Although only 5 years-old (twins) they sat mesmerized by the production. Never before had they seen a play of this scale; lights, ‘smoke,’ music, and a large stage. They cheered during the fighting scenes for young Jim to win. They laughed at the Parrot as he squawked and flitted about as Long John Silver’s trusty sidekick. Even Mr. S and I had some good laughs at the Pirate lingo.

At the end of the production we were delighted to be able to meet the cast. All the pirates were there along with Jim Hawkins and Parrot. My young landlubbers got many autographs, but were too nervous to ask for Blind Pew’s. I think he made quite an impression on them!

Blind Pew

Long John Silver

Parrot

My Sprogs

The Youth Theater did a phenomenal job of portraying this scruffy and fun adventure of Treasure Island! So I say, “SHIVER ME TIMBERS and don’t ya be a Scallywag and miss this here adventure at that thar Laguna Playhouse.”

Treasure Island

Playing now thru May 1^st

Click HERE for tickets

A Pirate Adventure

April 30^th, 11am to 4pm

A fun-filled family afternoon of pirate-themed activities, including a treasure hunt, crafts table, story telling and more. Also included is a matinee performance of Treasure Island.

$25 per person

Call 949.497.2787 for tickets

By Anne-Marie S.

An Art & Sea Adventure

Recently the family and I went to the Art & Sea Adventure in Laguna Beach. This program is put on by Laguna Outreach for Community Arts (LOCA) and is one of the more unique programs in Laguna Beach. It is a day spent learning about tidepool ecology and then taking that knowledge as inspiration to paint what you see while under the tutelage of a professional artist. LOCA is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to art education for people of all ages. They provide programs year- round in Laguna Beach in the areas of acrylics, ceramics, watercolor, printmaking and more. All of their programs are taught by professional Laguna Beach artists and are a great way to learn about the artistic process.

On a bright and beautiful Sunday morning, my family and I headed to Treasure Island Beach in South Laguna. It was low tide and the perfect time to observe all of the sea life that was living in, and amongst the rocks and pools. My 5-year-old twins were ecstatic to be visiting the tidepools again (we went last summer ). They love the ocean and enjoy learning about all of the “animals” that live in the water.  We joined a diverse group of about 20 adults, families, and children from 5 to 12 years of age. Some were locals, like my family, that were making the Art & Sea program a yearly outing, and others who were visiting Laguna from out of town and taking the class for the first time. We were all excited and eager to dive into the program to get our creative juices flowing.

We began by meeting with a docent from the Laguna Ocean Foundation  who taught us how to properly observe and respect the tidepools. She also handed us easy-to-follow guides to find all the species and organisms that make the tidepools their home. My twins loved it! They giggled with excitement each time they saw a shell move and discovered it was a hermit crab. They squealed with excitement at the first sea urchin they saw. They couldn’t believe it when they saw a sea star and the docent shared with them that it was feasting on muscles for its morning snack.

After exploring the tidepools we settled on the beach where we learned about water color techniques. Using techniques like ‘wet to wet,’ where you first wet the paper and then apply color… the kids painted starfish. By mixing colors they created a background for their starfish. The finishing touch was sprinkling salt on the painting for texture.

The artists were helpful and patient with the kids and coming around and encouraging them with their paintings. Teaching them how to clean their brushes and helping them shape their paintings. I could see the confidence building in them and the smiles on their faces showed how proud they were of their finished masterpieces. Still a week later they are talking about their adventures at the tidepools. I on the other hand, am busy finding frames to showcase our newest acquired pieces of professional artwork, ‘STARFISH.’

  

LOCA’s Art & Sea Adventures are taking place every Spring and Fall. Remaining dates for 2011 are below. To register call (949) 363-4700

Watercolors on the Beach at Treasure Island Beach

May 22, 2011

September 4, 2011

Adults $35/$20 ages 5-18, accompanied by an adult

Art & Sea Lions at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center

May 7, 2011

September 10, 2011

October 1, 2011

November 5, 2011

Adults $20/$15 ages 6-18, accompanied by an adult

By: Anne-Marie S.

The Top Ten Places to Visit in Laguna Beach!

Destination: Paradise

1)    Heisler Park

      Along this half-mile walk on the bluffs of Laguna Beach you will see spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

Breakfast and Sea Stars

Living in a Southern California beach town you get accustomed to seeing the ocean everyday. It’s not that you don’t appreciate the beauty of the Pacific, but you get used to knowing that it is there…like that tree in your front yard…it bids you good day on your way to work and greets you hello on your return. It is always there. Then one day you decide to take a closer look to learn what this old friend, the Pacific Ocean, has hidden within her.

But, before we can get to that, let’s eat!

On any given early morning in Laguna Beach, you will find Zinc Café buzzing with activity and most likely a line out the door, but don’t fret, because the service is fast and the food is worth the short wait you might have to endure.

Above, The Quiche Breakfast plate with papaya salsa. This is a light quiche that was the perfect size to satisfy my hunger without making me feel like I had eaten half the eggs in the chicken coop. The papaya salsa added a spicy kick to the subtle onion and pepper flavors.

Above, the Breakfast Egg Burrito. Over-stuffed with eggs, onions, peppers, tomatoes and salsa was more than enough to fill the belly of my 25-year-old brother.

Above, a Millet Muffin. While my brother and I caught up, the kiddos enjoyed slathering butter on the millet muffin and drinking big gulps of fresh squeezed orange juice. They loved that our waiter told them that it was a “graham cracker” muffin and kept asking how it was possible the cook got the graham crackers into the muffin. I left them to ponder that one.

After our breakfast we quickly loaded the car to head down to the Treasure Island Beach’s tidepools, so we could make sure to arrive at the perfect time for low-tide. (Take Wesley Drive to the end and you come to public parking. The pay station takes credit cards or cash)

View Larger Map

Treasure Island Beach is surrounded by one of Laguna’s most elegant resorts, The Montage. To get to the beach we walked through beautifully groomed flower beds, benches nestled at lookouts, and public art pieces by premier Laguna Beach artists. Once we reached the water I couldn’t help but notice that we were the first footsteps on the virgin morning sand. Eagerly the twins and their Uncle started playing “tag” with the waves.

After our game with the waves we reached the rocks where the tidepools lay. All at once, as if we were on a treasure hunt, we began searching for sea life that may be hiding in the shallow pools. Immediately, the twins spotted sea anemone’s and thousands of muscles. A Laguna Ocean Foundation docent, who volunteers their time at the tidepools to  help with any questions that a visitor may have about them. This is a free service offered by the Foundation and the docents spend on average 30 hours a week at Laguna Beach tidepool beaches. Jake, our docent, gave us a guide to exploring the tidepools. The pamphlet had pictures of sea life that were easy to identify in their habitat. We found coralline algae, sea lettuce, large clumps of rockweed, and hermit crabs. When Jake informed the twins that the barnacles beneath their feet were actually alive the kids exclaimed, “Wow, that is awesome!” They then took to looking VERY closely trying to discover the mysteries of the barnacle. Jake also pointed out “crabs cove” a small cove nestled among the rocks where crabs gathered to find food. Consulting our pamphlet we were able to find black turban snails, hermit crabs, and a few other creatures.  The highlight of our trip were the Sea Stars that we had seenin one of the outer pools. Jake took the twins and Uncle to a far off rock where he explained that Sea Stars feed on muscles. This is a primary source of their diet and is what attracts them to the tidepools. What an incredible sight to see. We explored for a while longer before making our way back to the car and back home.

After our time at the tidepools I couldn’t help but think of my old familiar friend, the Pacific Ocean, in a new light. The bounty she hides in her waters is fantastic. Whether a local of Southern California or a visitor, the tidepools of Laguna Beach is a sight that you will not want to miss!

You can experience the tidepools for yourself at the following Laguna Beach locations:

Treasure Island Beach

Picnic Beach

Woods Cove

Shaw’s Cove

Moss Point

Below is the Emmy award-winning video: Tidepool Scene

By Anne-Marie S.