A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to L.A. for an extended weekend to attend the Women in Travel summit and visit my friend Jenny who recently moved there. It was a very last minute trip, but fortunately I had Alaska air miles and was able to purchase a relatively cheap ticket. So bright and early Thursday morning, I hop on a plane and find myself in Orange County two hours later. I pick up my rental car and head down the Pacific Coast Highway.

I rented a car for the first few days while I’m staying in Irvine so that I can get around and up to L.A. to visit Jenny. Once the summit is done and I join Jenny in Redondo Beach, I’ll return the car and rely on her generosity to get around.

My first stop of the day is the seaside town of Laguna Beach. I haven’t had anything to eat yet as security at the airport took longer than expected, so I’m nearly ravenous by the time I arrive. I stop at The Greeters Corner Restaurant, and the views are great! The food isn’t bad, either.

I’m feeling so much better now that I’ve fueled up (and had a few cups of coffee) and I can’t wait to explore the beach I’ve been staring at for the last hour.

I start with a nice stroll along the boardwalk.

It’s the middle of the day on Thursday and there’s a surprising number of people here. I’m impressed and a bit amazed. How do so many people not have to be at work right now? I clearly need to figure out what they do and make a career change. Spending my days on the beach sounds pretty good to me!

When I reach the end of the boardwalk, I have two choices. Head up the stairs to the walkway in front of the hotel, or walk along the beach. I decide to wander on the beach, checking out the tide pools and the surf.

The rocks here look like they sank down on one side, exposing all their layers for everyone to see.

About halfway down the beach, I come across this guy painting. I love watching people paint (yes, I watched a lot of Bob Ross growing up) so stop and admire his work for awhile.

There are a lot of staircases leading up to the walkway above, and I decide to walk back towards the car that way to get another perspective.

Laguna Beach in its entirety. Well, the beach part, at least.

Looking back towards where I came from.

When I get back to the car, my plan is to walk around the shops a bit, but I realize that if I’m going to have enough time to explore San Juan Capistrano and be back in Irvine by 4 to check into my Airbnb, I’m going to need to get a move on. The shops here are much too expensive and high end for me anyway, so I figure now is a good time to head out. But it’s been a nice morning exploring this charming little beach town. More to come!