Thousand Steps Beach is gorgeous and the cave makes it totally worth all of the steps down to it…read more There are only about 219 steps (not a thousand). The steps are no joke though. They are pretty steep and concrete. I wouldn't recommend them for little kids. Make sure you go at low tide. They close the cave area when the tide comes in. The cave is on the far left side of the beach. You have to go over rocks to get there. It can be slippery. There were lifeguards on duty. It's so fun to explore inside the cave. We parked on PCH. There is no parking lot. I definitely recommend going in the morning. It's hard to find parking if you try to go in the afternoon/evening on a weekend/holiday. There is a crosswalk and stoplight at 9th Ave. to cross PCH and then the entrance is right there. There is a bathroom, but it is the typical beach bathroom--not very clean. There's a volleyball net on the left side of the beach. There are no restaurants/cafes. Bring whatever you want with you.

1000 Steps Beach in Laguna Beach (off PCH and 9th) is absolutely worth the visit! First off, don't…read morelet the name intimidate you, the stairs are not literally 1000 steps one way or even round trip... unless you decide to go up and down a few times, then yeah, you'll definitely hit that number!! We went on a Monday and it was pretty busy lots of college-aged people, maybe even some high schoolers, but the beach itself still felt pretty secluded, and there were hardly any kids around maybe like a handful of them. It was overcast when we went, which actually made it perfect, not too hot and super comfortable. Parking is street parking only, just make sure to read the signs carefully. Once you head down, you'll find restrooms and showers right at the bottom of the stairs, which is super convenient. The restroom is clean earlier in the day (before noon), but like most beach spots, it gets a bit wet as the day goes on. There's plenty of space to set up and relax. One thing to watch out for--seagulls! They will go after your food, so definitely cover it with towels if you're hopping in the water. The stairs themselves are pretty narrow, and people usually stick to one side going down and the other going up, so just be mindful and take your time, they tend to also get wet as the day goes on so it's a little slippery.

This is a super fun thing to do during the holidays! It's free, family (and dog) friendly, and…read morejust really pretty. The whole harbor is decorated with holiday lights, sea creatures, some have bubbles. There's holiday music being piped in through the lighted tunnels. We didn't know what to expect so we just drove up, looked at lights, and then came home. Next year, we'll make more of an evening out of it. Plenty of restaurants around! Worth checking it out. :)

First of all, this place was hard to find! The address they used on the site lead is to a Dana…read morePoint campground and it was almost pitch black... We drove back out to the Main Street and followed what appeared to be an increasing amount of Christmas lights to find the actual place. The pictures I've seen of this place had me thinking it was a huge event, but upon attending, it was just Dana Point harbor decked out in aquatic-themed lights. It's definitely a nice 10-minute walk, I just expected more. It's a place with some cool photo ops and worth checking out if you're in the area!

1/2/25 Beautiful coastal city with a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean…read more.. Out of the 840 California coastline miles, Laguna Beach only boasts about 7 miles of it...but what a beautiful & scenic drive!!! Hubby & I love driving through this city filled with stunning, resplendent views, quaint boutique shops, wonderful restaurants (with fetching menus) & cafes, charming little hotels, exquisite galleries, etc. There are plenty of parks that fit & line Laguna Beach: Laguna Main Beach, Crescent Bay Point, Heisler, Treasure Island, Picnic Beach, and of course, Crystal Cove- which is a State Park with paid parking. Due to its picturesque quality, parking is at a premium at this city, come early or suffer the consequences (mostly metered parking on public streets). Our favorite places to visit here is Jedediah Coffee, Urth Caffe & the Number 3 restaurant (which is temporarily closed until April 2025). I would love to explore Crystal Cove again & hopefully stay at their renovated cottages (you have to reserve in advance), pricing ranges from $228-320/night, max. 7 nights annually). Living in California can be such a blessing.... and pricey! But sightseeing is FREE (except for the gas!). Visit Laguna Beach, explore, enjoy!

Its always great to be back in the hood…read more The air was crisp and filled with pleasant smells. People watching at its best on a warm Sunday afternoon. Avoid Las Brisas- it was a very expensive train wreck this weekend. It's nothing like it once was. The good news is there are hundreds of great restaurants and bistro's in town, try them.

When Santa's Beach House is out - so am I…read more We love the magic. (If you don't believe in magic, just google it, fool). Santa is Magic and his beach house is an experience. One year my friend and I decided to play games with each other at the beach house. We played the games and let me tell you - the games we played could make a movie (not a good one, but most of them aren't, am I right?) Let's not forget that demons are real. The positivity of Santa actually helps aid in the fight against demons. Thank you

Santa was so kind and it's a free experience! Very good for a relaxed photo of your kid with Santa…read more He even has a helper to take your photo with your phone!

The best little hike to unwind. Love this little park with all its sculptures. You park at the…read morecivic center and hike for five minutes to this little area. It's perfect for Easter. Happy Yelping!

Do you love rabbits? There's only one acceptable answer here…read more.. This public sculpture is so cute! It's like, "What are they doing? Are they swapping tales of how they con the humans out of extra snaccos by using their cuteness?" But in all seriousness, you should stop by Civic Center Park if you're ever in the area. There's plenty of free parking (both structure and outdoors). It's a nice and easy path, great for an evening stroll. And if you're lucky enough, you may even catch a glimpse of hares around the Bunnyhenge! Picture Tip: If you like a nice aerial view of Bunnyhenge (or other parts of the park) be sure to utilize the elevated walking path at the intersection. You can walk up (or use the elevator) and it will take you to a lookout platform that will give you an amazing shot.

Wow! The pizza here is fantastic. Grazie Grazie is in a small, almost hole in the wall area in…read moreLaguna (as hole in the wall as it gets when you have $10+ million homes surrounding it)! A small interior and quaint patio, this place can pack in quick, but oh is it ever worth it. We can in for dinner and split a pizza. Nothing special, just a margherita pizza with pepperoni added, but the sauce was so good and the ingredients felt so fresh. It was cooked excellently and by the end of it we deeply regretted getting just one pizza to split. Their pies are 13" and six slices. You can definitely split one between two people, but it's so yummy that you'll wish you hadn't. It's a simple concept, but simple concepts done brilliantly are fantastic. The service here was quick too. We didn't have to wait long for our pizza, but the efficiency didn't take anything away from the excellence. I highly recommend this place if you want an elevated pizza experience that isn't just grease and cheese!

Let me start by saying I'm a huge pizza snob. I'm a chef by trade and have made thousands of pizzas…read morein my career and have visited countless pizzerias. In a world of rising prices you feel lucky finding a gem like this, a majority of the pizzas were under $20! Simple, accurate flavors and pizza cooked to perfection. Caesar salad for $13 that won't disappoint either. Highly recommend you stop in and grab a pie here! You won't be disappointed

We had the most amazing wine tasting experience with Carson and the owner, JJ! We learned so much…read morefrom him, heard a great story, and had the best wine EVER. Thank you both for a great time - we'll be back soon with our family and friends!

We had the best time here! Carson was awesome! Super inviting and knowledgeable about the wine…read more 10/10 will come back. We live in San Diego and we Bought two tastings and bottles of wine. Ask for Carson if you come in!

LOVED the staff, Freddy was the sweetest server and the food was amazing. coffee's are so good and…read morethey are willing to do substitutions for no mushrooms! all around great experience.

Food was exactly what I wanted (fresh pasta with oregano red sauce). The service with Freddy was…read morealso timely and exceptional! Highly recommend.

We hosted our company holiday dinner at Oliver Osteria, and it absolutely delivered. The table went…read morefamily-style on antipasti--Carpaccio di Manzo, Polpette, Polpo alla Griglia, and Fritto Misto. All perfect for sharing and starting the night strong. For entrées, the crowd favorites were the Lasagna Classica, Filetto, and the Pork Tomahawk. I went with the pork tomahawk and wow which was rich, hearty, and full of flavor. The pork was perfectly cooked and paired with caramelized onions, a tangy mustard sauce, and creamy mashed potatoes that tied everything together. We wrapped up the night with desserts--Tiramisù, Profiteroles, Gelati e Sorbetti plus cappuccinos, which was the perfect way to end a long dinner. Shoutout to the servers they were incredibly patient, attentive, and helpful, especially considering we were a larger group. Everything ran smoothly, and we never felt rushed. Between the food, atmosphere, and service, it was an ideal spot for a holiday group dinner. Cozy, elevated, and absolutely worth a return visit.

Came here for Valentine's day and left pretty underwhelmed, sadly. We were seated outside in a tent…read morein the parking lot which was a little disappointing. Ambiance plays a big role (in my opinion) to a restaurant and not getting to be seated inside or at least on a patio docked some points off for me. For a special occasion dinner, I don't want to be sitting in a parking lot tent. For the price point, I didn't really feel the restaurant quality (plating, service, ambiance) really reaches those expectations. I can tell their food is great, I think I wish I chose something different when ordering. I couldn't tell you exactly what we ordered since I think they launched a new menu just this week but I'll describe it the best I can. Espresso Martini -5/5 Great espresso martini! No notes. Burrata with pesto - 4/5 Light and refreshing appetizer. This wasn't my first choice for appetizer but my partner loves burrata so we got it. It would be really hard to mess this up so I have no notes. $20+ for one tomato was pretty shocking, though. Tagliolini with shrimp and mushrooms - 2/5 To be fair, I've never had tagliolini before so I don't have a reference point of how it should be and maybe it's just not my style. The pasta was thin and flat and very very soft. There was absolutely no bite to it whatsoever and felt like it might be over cooked (again, I'm not expert so maybe this is how it should be). Because of the texture and size it kind of was just one big soft clump on the plate. The shrimp and mushrooms were nice and I enjoyed the sauce but I really didn't like the pasta on this one. And I know plating have any affect of the food but this one seemed really sloppily thrown together and I was pretty sad when it was put on the table. Definitely wasn't pretty or exciting to look at. Pappardelle made w/ beets in quail ragu - 4/5 We really enjoyed this pasta! The pasta itself had a subtle sweetness to it from the beets which made it much more interesting than your typical pasta dough. It had a nice chew, which is what I was really missing in the other dish. The quail ragu was yummy, although we did find a bone but it was large enough to easily pick out and put to the side. Panna Cotta - 4.5/5 Thick and rich vanilla panna cotta with a tart berry compote. Very delicious!

Really enjoyed looking at all the art sculptures walking an approximate of 1.5 mile loop. The trail…read moreconsisted of cement and gravel paths. The flowers around the path were also in full bloom. There is also a cool sky bridge to take in the beautiful scenery. I could see the ocean! Parking is free and trail head starts at the beginning of the parking lot. There were also two small dog parks within the loop.

Wow, this is a great park!…read more There's a bunch of fun sculptures throughout this nice park. Bunnyhenge is probably the biggest one. There's also a dog park here for small and large dogs. I like how there's an accessible elevator for the bridge to connect the two parks so you don't have to cross the street. Parking is also easy since it's at the civic center. Do yourself a favor and check out the Newport library too!