Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
286
prevails behind the so-called “orange curtain.” We're talking instead about the Orange Coast,
one of Southern California's best-kept secrets—a string of seaside jewels that have been com-
pared with the French Riviera or the Costa del S ol. Forty-two miles of beaches offer pristine
stretches of sand, tide pools teeming with marine life, ecological pr eserves, secluded co ves,
picturesque pleasure-boat harbors, and legendar y surf breaks. My advice? Make it a day trip
from L.A.—hit the road early for a scenic cr uise down the Pacific Coast Highway starting at
Seal Beach, stop for lunch at Laguna B each (the prettiest of all the SoCal beach towns), con-
tinue south to Dana Point where the
really
expensive resorts reside, then take the freeway back
to L.A. (I-5 to the I-405).
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
See “Getting There & Getting Around” in chapter 3 for airport and
airline information. By car from Los Angeles, take I-5 or I-405 south. The scenic, shore-
hugging Pacific Coast H ighway (Calif. 1, or just PCH to the locals) links the O range
Coast communities from Seal Beach in the north to Capistrano Beach just south of Dana
Point, where it merges with I-5. To reach the beach communities dir ectly, take the fol-
lowing freeway exits:
Seal Beach,
Seal Beach Boulevard from I-405;
Huntington Beach,
Beach Boulevard/California 39 from either I-405 or I-5;
Newport Beach,
California 55
from either I-405 or I-5;
Laguna Beach,
California 133 from I-5;
San Juan Capistrano,
Ortega Highway/California 74 from I-5; and
Dana Point,
Pacific Coast Highway/Cali-
fornia 1 from I-5.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce,
201 8th St., Ste.
120, next to City H all (
&
562/799-0179;
www.sealbeachchamber.com), is open Mon-
day through Friday from 10am to 4pm.
The
Huntington Beach Confer ence & Visitors B ureau,
301 M ain S t., S te. 208
(
&
800/729-6232
or 714/969-3492; www.surfcityusa.com), enthusiastically offers tons of
information and personal anecdotes. Open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.
The
Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau,
110 Newport Center Dr., Ste. 120
(
&
800/94-COAST
[800/942-6278] or 949/719-6100; www.newportbeach-cvb.com), dis-
tributes brochures, sample menus, a calendar of ev ents, and the fr ee
Visitor's Guide.
Call or
stop in Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm (plus S at-Sun in summer).
The
Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau,
252 Broadway (
&
800/877-1115
or 949/497-
9229; www.lagunabeachinfo.org), is in the heart of town and distributes lodging, dining,
and art gallery guides. It's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm, and Saturday
from 10am to 4pm (plus Sun in summer).
The
San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce,
Franciscan Plaza, 31781 Camino
Capistrano, Ste. 306 (
&
949/493-4700;
www.sanjuancapistrano.com), is within walk-
ing distance of the mission and offers a walking tour guide to historic sites. O pen Mon-
day through Friday from 9am to 5pm.
The
Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center,
located in the Clocktower
Building at LaP laza Center (
&
800/290-DANA
[800/290-3262] or 949/496-1555;
www.danapoint-chamber.com), is open M onday thr ough F riday fr om 9am to 5pm
(closed noon-1pm for lunch) and carries some r estaurant and lodging information, as
well as a comprehensive recreation brochure.
11
DRIVING THE ORANGE COAST
You'll most likely be exploring the coast b y car, so w e cover the beach communities in
order, from north to south. And keep in mind that if you're traveling between Los Ange-
les and S an Diego, the P acific Coast H ighway (Calif. 1) is a br eezy, scenic detour that
