Jaunting to the much publicized Crystal Cove Beach located in Newport Beach, CA at the start of the Summer Rush on July 1st, Sunday was an experience.Originally a beach home local, a couple years ago the State decided to reclaim the beachfront property from local residents who lived in the adjoining cottages along Crystal Cove. After much legal wrangling from residents trying to stay, the State won and converted the cottages to rental units. Situated along Pacific Coast Highway in between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, this area is now popular with nearby residents and tourist trying to secure the handful of cottages as a vacation spot.
Usually renting out for a maximum of 5-days, the cottages start at approximately $179 per night. What you get is a throwback to the look of the 40s with almost art deco style. You will find no t.v.s, dvds, clocks or radios in the rooms, this is a vacation remember. The only hint of modern necessities would be a microwave hidden behind some cloth from prying eyes. I’ve read about this location many times in the last few months, so interest is continually peaking. Bookings should be placed almost six months in advance if you want to secure a place for your trip though some available rooms do pop-up from cancellations from time to time.
We ventured to Crystal Cove to initially have breakfast at the Beachcomber Restaurant right across from the cottages. This is the only nearby restaurant from the cottages, so it’s usually packed and prepare for a wait in line. We got to the restaurant at about 9a.m. and were able to get a seat right away since there was an opening inside. If you would like a seat on the deck, prepare to wait for the beach view. Food was good with breakfast options consisting of omelets or pancakes/French toast. I also ordered a bloody mary on the side. Breakfast for 3 rounded about $45 with tip and you get free validation (a good thing after spending more than $10 since just parking across the street is a whopping $10 for a public beach).
Most beach goers play around the entrance to the beach near the cottages, but walk 5 minutes in either direction to the coast and the traffic of people open up. There are a few good protruding rocks to walk along to view small crabs and hermit crabs, bring some appropriate sandals so you don’t hurt your bare feet. Unfortunately there was no breeze the day we went so our kites stayed packed. We really enjoyed the beach and after only going to the locale for breakfast came back later in the afternoon to spend a few hours playing in the sun and sand and bringing proper beach wear. Apart from the $10 parking fee, this is a great place to spend the summer days.
Score: 4 out of 5
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