It's Fall 2024🍁Y'all...

Hello and welcome back to my blog! I can't believe how fast 2024 has flown by. We moved to Southern California (SoCal) in November 2023, and I believe we have seen 1/3 of it so far already. Every weekend we are out exploring somewhere new and going back to some of our favorite spots because they are so beautiful, green, lush and surrounded by beaches. 🏖️

Fall is my favorite time of the year, because of the colors and cooler weather. As summer starts to fade and fall emerges with milder temps in the 70's with the fog in the mornings, it is a beautiful time to visit Newport or the SoCal area. So, here is what we have seen from September - November 2024. 🎃🍂🍁

ACTIVITIES IN SEPTEMBER:

Santa Barbara, Hotel Californian, Goat Treat Restaurant, Hotel Del Coronado, Malibu, and Westlake Village Four Seasons Hotel.

Our first day trip of fall takes us to 2-1/2 hrs. North of Newport to beautiful Santa Barbara. Shops, history and gorgeous hotels were on the list. Our first stop was to the historic Santa Barbara County Courthouse. We were wowed by its stunning Spanish architecture on the outside, but we weren't prepared for the beauty that awaited indoors and the views from the roof top viewing area were spectacular.

Our Second stop was to the famous hotel, "Hotel Californian". It's beautiful architecture and black and white modern Spanish design is not only breathtaking, but cozy. The inside of the hotel was not the star, but the outdoor and courtyard areas is what stole my heart. Afterwards, we stopped at "The Goat Tree Restaurant" for a quick bite to eat. Our last stop for the day, was to beach at "Stearns Wharf Pier."

Our next day trip this month, brings us to the San Diego area, specifically the "Hotel del Coronado and Private Beach." It is only about 1-1/2 hrs. from Newport Beach, which makes it the perfect getaway for the day. We haven't been to the hotel for at least 10 years, so we were taken aback to see how warn down it had become; but the hotel was doing renovations while we were there so hopefully, restore it to its original glory. Even still, we had a good time exploring the area and watching "The Sand Man" play in the sand building sandcastles! 🏖️

This adventure place makes me think of when my girls would play Barbies. The had this specific one along with Ken. She has a beach named after her too. What is it?... Malibu Barbie.

Our next adventure took us further North to the beach town of Malibu. Besides the beautiful beach we got to witness a man cleaning and gutting a shark that he caught. I didn't get a picture of the whole shark, we got there too late, but I did get good shots. He was planning to take it home to feed his family. For the life of me, I can't remember the name of the type of shark, but it was something I hadn't heard of before.

After we left Malibu Beach, we headed over to see Westlake Village Four Seasons Hotel. The grounds were gorgeous, and they had a beautiful art display indoors. The artists were very talented and I love the bright, bold colors they used! It was an awesome day. And this concludes our September daytrips...

ACTIVITIES IN OCTOBER:

Roger's Gardens, Newport Civic Center & Park, and Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.

One of my favorite places to go to is Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar... I go a lot!!! 🎃Every season, it is decorated and is very festive with decorations and music playing. If you have never seen the Fall or Christmas decorations, you have to visit!!! When I go, I take hundreds of photos 📸 and spend 4 hrs. or more there. If you get tired of walking, stop at the restaurant they have, but make a reservation, it is a long wait! Oh yeah, you can also order fresh cut Christmas trees from there as well! 🍂🎃🍁

There is so much do to and see in Southern California. I am the "QUEEN"👑of finding fun and free activities to do. Today was no different! We stumble upon a little hidden gem of an area, Newport Beach Civic Center & Park. The park has sculptures, a 3-mile walking path, the Civic Center and (2) dog parks: one for small dogs and another for larger ones). The views from the top of the landing where the elevator is, was amazing! Can you spot the rainbow in one of the photos?

Where to next you ask? 🌞... After the park, we decided to make one more stop to The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.... The beach area and the views are breath taking. We were able to watch surfers try their hand at the waves... surfs up! 🏄🏽‍♂️We didn't stay long and watch because the waves weren't that big. It is nice to get a daily dose of Vitamin C from outdoors!

ACTIVITIES IN NOVEMBER:

Fashion Island Mall & Newport Center

On this particular day, it was a little chilly, so we didn't want to stray too far from home. So, we decided to get lunch at "Fashion Island Mall" and enjoy the fish in the pond. We come here all the time but never noticed the unique markings on the coy fish. 🐡It is such a beautiful area and a favorite place to hang out by the locals. But, what I am really excited about is the new building going up... The Restoration Warehouse is moving in.

They have a small store at the mall already, but one of the designers told me they built this ginormous store so they could move all their stores in orange county and their employees to this new building and location. As of this month, it is still not finish yet. I am so looking forward to what is going to be on the roof top. 🤔 (keep reading to find out what)

It will be an 80,000-square-foot, four-level masterpiece, with the eatery, a park, a wine bar, an in-house interior design firm, and full floors dedicated to RH Interiors, Modern, and Outdoor collections. The RH restaurant will offer stunning views of Catalina Island and the Pacific Ocean from a glass-encased, beautifully landscaped garden setting. Guests can expect a menu curated by top chefs, focusing on fresh, seasonal ingredients. 

Inside, the gallery will showcase one of the world’s largest collections of luxury home furnishings, lighting, textiles, and décor. The in-house Interior Design Firm & Atelier will offer professional design services. To accommodate for the new building, some existing merchants at Fashion Island are being relocated within the center. 

Last excursion of November, we went on a date day. We stopped at the Newport Center; it's a local eating and shopping are in Newport Beach. We stopped to get lunch and walked around a bit. It has multiple sitting areas, a fireplace and great music.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🎃🍂