Page 130 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

LAGUNA BEACH
Seaside oasis
»BEACH COMB,
PADDLE,
BROWSE THE ART
Laguna Beach
Tourism Information
visitlagunabeach.com
TREASURE ISLAND Beach, above;
paddleboarding off Laguna Beach, below.
LOCATED ALONG THE COAST about 50
miles south of Los Angeles, Laguna Beach is
a sublime destination for sun worshippers,
outdoor enthusiasts and art lovers. Its idyllic
beauty attracted well-known artists in the
early 1900s who founded the Laguna Beach
Art Association and set the course for the
seaside hamlet to remain a hub of creativity.
Laguna Beach’s first art gallery opened in
1918 and is now the Laguna Art Museum,
which features more than 3,500 works by
California artists from the early 19th century
to the present day. Art festivals enliven the
town during summer.
The seaside town (pop. 24,000) has a mild cli-
mate, typically reaching highs in the 80s during
the summer. The protected beaches and waters
are ideal for dolphin and whale watching, vol-
leyball, kayaking, snorkeling, tide pooling and
stand-up paddling. Laguna Beach’s seven-mile
coastline is protected as a marine reserve:
fishing and motorized vehicles are banned, and
no creatures can be touched in the tide pools.
Don’t miss Pageant of the Masters, a 90-
minute show of living art masterpieces, such
as The Last Supper or paintings by Norman
Rockwell and Edward Hopper, created by
people dressed as the figures they represent.
These tableaux vivants come to life in an out-
door amphitheater as a live orchestra plays
along with live narration; it’s an exhilarating
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B Y M I C H A E L S H A P I R O
performance, from July 8 to Aug. 31, and is
part of Festival of Arts, one of the nation’s
oldest and most highly acclaimed juried fine
art shows, from July 5 to Aug. 31.
Perhaps the best year-round activity is to
walk along the trails of Heisler Park on the
bluffs above the beaches. The natural beauty of
sea, sand and wildflowers converges with
sculptures placed along the trail and artists
who bring their easels and paint. The park is a
great place for a picnic. Or you can eat at nearby
restaurants such as the adjacent Las Brisas.
Big Fish Tavern features a menu of sus-
tainable fish and farm-to-table dishes. Or try
Slapfish, specializing in sustainable super-
fresh seafood from Owner/Chef Andrew
Gruel, whose fish shack was featured on the
Food Network. For elegant cocktails, try
Driftwood Kitchen’s Stateroom Bar in the
former home library of Hollywood character
actor Slim Summerville.
Among the other attractions, the Pacific
Marine Mammal Center (free and open
daily) is a rescue center for marine mam-
mals that have been stranded along the
Orange County coastline.
A new free trolley service shuttles visitors
along the coast on Friday evenings, Satur-
days and Sundays. The motorized trolleys
resemble San Francisco cable cars but run on
roads, not tracks.
LAGUNA BEACH CVB