Living It Up in Laguna for Our 30th Wedding Anniversary...

If you ask me, where is my favorite place to travel to? You will be surprised! My initial answer used to be Hawaii, although it is very beautiful, lush and have a lot of waterfalls, it can get very sticky and hot there at certain times of the year. But my absolute favorite place to go, is Southern California... specifically, the Newport Beach, Corona Del Mar and Laguna areas (Laguna Beach, Laguna Woods and Laguna Niguel).

Why do I love it there so much? These areas have perfect weather. It is near or on the beach, no smog, and in most of Laguna... hardly any traffic. It has a small-town feel, but it's close to everything California has to offer.

So, for our 30th Anniversary, this is where I wanted to go. (Well actually, we were supposed to go to Scottland & Ireland, but I am not vaccinated for Covid and can't leave the USA. So, we went here instead. We did so much in our six days, but we also had time to rest and relax. So here we go...

Corona Del Mar:

In Corona Del Mar we visited (4) four places Mission Basilica San Jaun Capistrano, Lil Corona Beach, Roger's Garden and Sherman Library & Gardens. All very beautiful places and unique.

Santa Ana Amtrak, LA Amtrak Station and Los Angeles Hop-On-Hop -Off Tour:

While in California we also wanted to do something we haven't done before, take the Amtrak train to Los Angeles (L.A.) and do a day tour of the city. First, we drove to Santa Ana and boarded the Amtrak train. We had purchased the tickets online. Since we had some time to kill, I thought I would get some photos of the station. The train ride was really nice and relaxing. It was relatively smooth too. It took less than an hour to get to the L.A. Amtrak station.

Once we arrived at the L.A. station, I was amazed how beautiful the waiting area was. The Architectual ceilings and curved entry ways were a surprise. So, guest what we did next... you got it! I snapped some photos of the inside and outdoors!!! A whole lot of them! 😂 It was a photographer's dream!

We took a cab to the Hop-On Hop-Off office to do a city tour. We haven't been to L.A. in many years. We decided to stay on the bus tour and snap some photos of the highlights. Afterwards, we walked around a little while and then we took a cab back to the Amtrak station. Afterwards, we walked around at a park and then went to the station to catch our train back to Santa Ana. Those five hours went by fast!

Laguna Beach

There are beautiful places to visit in Laguna Beach. On this adventure we went to Treasure Island Beach. You have to hike down to get to a beautiful arch down by the beach. At low tide, you can walk right under the arch. But at high tide, the arch is surrounded by water.

Dana Point Headlands...

Look at these views! California has some amazing beaches! Dana Point Headlands Conservation area was incredible. The walk down wasn't too bad but coming back up was a beast! I stopped at the stairs; the ramp walk was very steep! We saw athletes even struggling! But the views were worth the struggle!

Lil Corona Beach

Taking in the best view in Corona Del Mar. As the parasailers whisk side to side with the wind in their faces, we bask in the beauty of the ocean and watching them so free. The views from Corona viewpoint are spectacular in nature. You easily feel your stress and anxiety melt away. If you are brave enough to walk the steep climb down to beach area, you will be rewarded with a very pretty and secluded experience. But just know, the climb back up will remind you, why we viewed it from the top! 🤣