Southern California Spotlight - Orange County Beaches

I think we have many reasons to be excited for Blog Sugar.  Amazing, inspiring speakers, networking, building connections and friendships, and of course swag bags.  But for the people traveling in from all over the country, I've got to imagine that location, location, location is a big reason to be excited.  In case you didn't know, the average temperature here in So Cal in September is a perfect 74 degrees. 

As your hostesses, we're proud of our Southern California roots and feel blessed to live here.  We want those of you visiting to get a taste of what we find so sweet about Southern California, so we're starting a series here on the blog titled Southern California Spotlight where we'll feature local attractions and sights to see.  Whether you want to hit up Los Angeles or just stay local in the OC scene, we've got you covered.  Today we're starting out with a little tour of the Orange County beaches.  All these beaches are within approximately 25 miles of each other all along the world famous Pacific Coast Highway.

The Blog Sugar venue and accomodations are conveniently located next to several world famous beaches.  Closest in location would be quaint Seal Beach.  This is one of my personal favorites because it is close, easily accessible with plenty of parking, and isn't overly crowded, even on the weekends.  I love the small town feel of all the shops and restaurants on Main Street and the laid back attitude of the locals.  There is also a great pier that you can take stroll down with a Rubi's Diner at the end.  If you're looking for excellent steak and seafood, visit Mahe, a personal favorite.

Travel just a few miles down the famous PCH and you'll pass through Sunset and Bolsa Chica Beaches and land up in Huntington Beach, best known as Surf City USA, playing host to the annual surf competition the US Open.  HB definitely has more of a larger town feel with a huge tourist population, and a very large Main Street with hundreds of shops and large restaurants.  It's a fun place to visit with lots of people watching, but could be a little overwhelming.

A bit past Huntington Beach lands you in Newport Beach.  Touted as both affluent and accessible, I'd agree that Newport Beach offers both beautiful million dollar homes as well as quaint little bungalows where young kids fresh out of college bunk up to get that fun beach living atmosphere.  There's great shopping at Fashion Island and amazing restaurants along the coast in Corona Del Mar, but it lacks a sort of centralized location where you can stop and experience Newport if that makes sense?  The views along the coast here are breathtaking though and Newport is worth a drive through if you have the time

If you're looking for a gorgeous bit of seclusion, stop at Crystal Cove Beach on your way to Laguna Beach, which is best known for it's thriving artists community and rolling streets with homes nestled right into the hillside.  Because of its interesting artistic roots, Laguna has a very fun, quirky and laid back feel to the town and it's always a treat to stroll through the streets.  Las Brisas offers breathtaking views and is sort of a must see if you visit Laguna Beach.  

Unless you're planning to spend an entire day visiting beaches, Laguna Beach is just about the furthest we'd recommend traveling.  South Orange County continues to offer more beautiful and quaint beach towns including San Clemente and Dana Point, but you can really get your fill of Orange County beaches with the ones we recommend above.  

So tell us, are there any destinations or topics you'd love for us to share in this series of posts?  Restaurants, thrifting, amusement parks?  Please feel free to give us some ideas and suggestions for what you'd like to learn more about!  We hope you've found this little post both helpful and inspiring!  Just a few short months away and you'll be here!