Huntington
Above: Huntington Beach in the afternoon
- Hyatt - We spent one night here but I wish we'd stayed longer. The hotel is two blocks long (biggest I've ever been in) and is absolutely beautiful with so much to do! They have fire pits and gave us a complimentary s'mores pack, so we did that after shopping at the hotel shops. They also have quite a few pools that are really nice. Overall I was impressed and would definitely come back.
- Huntington Beach - We went in the morning on the Hyatt section, and it was pretty much empty except for a few families. The water is cold at first but not so bad once you get in. We collected a lot of shells and had a ton of fun!
- Huntington Pier - We went here in the afternoon when the beach got more crowded. There are several shops along the pier but it is also fun to just take pictures and walk, which is what we did. We saw so many surfers because that is what Huntington is known for so if you are a surfer you should come here.
- Shops- Across the street from the beach there are several gift shops and surf shops. I saw so many cute California t-shirts and ended up getting one from Huntington Surf and Sport. They had so many cute things!
Above: Holding hands at Crystal Cove
- Fashion Island - By far the coolest mall I've ever seen. They have so many shops but we didn't have a ton of time so we went to Vineyard Vines, Kendra Scott, Nike, and a Newport gift shop. The mall is completely outdoors and so pretty. We had so much fun just walking around and window shopping!
- See's Candies - Whenever we go to California this is a must. They have quite a few in Newport (they actually had one at Fashion Island). Once you try them I guarantee you'll fall in love. My favorites are the Apple Pie Truffle and the Kona Mocha, but you really can't go wrong.
- Wahoo Fish Tacos - We went here twice, it was so good! This is a family favorite of ours. Their tacos are so so good. I like their spicy chicken tacos and their fish tacos.
- Crystal Cove - We went to this beach/state park and liked it, but not as much as the other beaches. They had tide pools, which were fun, but they have a lot of dead baby crabs on the sand, which kind of creeps me out. The waves were big, though, and my little sisters and I had lots of fun.
- Marriott Coast Villas - We stayed in a condo here and enjoyed it. We roasted s'mores every night (one of our favorite activities now) and roasted hot dogs on Wednesday. They were also showing a movie that night in the park. You have to bring your own s'mores ingredients but the hot dogs were complimentary (I think they do that every Wednesday) They have a volleyball court, many swimming pools, and a lot of other fun activities! We had a ton of fun.
- Corona Del Mar - This was the other beach we went to. I think this was our favorite as the water was warmer and we got in the ocean more. We collected coral, shells, barnacles, and even a sand dollar! It was whole until someone stepped on it and broke it in half. It was pretty crowded but then again, it was a Friday afternoon, so that was expected.
Above: In front of a phone booth while shopping
- Shops - We went to a bunch and bought lots of souvenirs but my favorite shops were Art for the Soul, 2bella, and Cotton Place. They are cute little local shops and we had so much fun exploring them.
- Las Brisas - I've heard the breakfast is really good but we went for lunch. I got the salmon and it was honestly the best salmon I've ever tasted. It had an amazing sauce on it that really brought out the flavor. The staff is friendly and the view is beautiful. If you go for Sunday Brunch, get the sand dabs. I've had those before and they are to die for!