Beautiful Day in Laguna nearly ruined by yahoos.

A little cove in Laguna
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

This was my view for most of the four hours I spent chillin' at the beach on Saturday. It was sunny, warm, peaceful, serene and ideal. I got to watch a toddler play in the sand with his father and grandfather. I saw high school boys, clearly not from CA, try and body surf and only hurt themselves in the process. I saw lovers stroll hand in hand down the beach. At one point we even saw dolphins follicking in the water. It was practically a spiritual moment.

Yes! It was awesome and picture perfect UNTIL two yahoos came and stood right in front of us. WHAT? The beach was nearly empty and these middle-aged men came and stood right in front of us blocking our entire view of everything including the ocean. I mean they were about 10 feet in front of us, that close. Isn't there a rule that if the place is empty you don't go sit or be by the only other person in the area? Isn't that a rule of thumb for being polite in public. It's an American custom. I'm pretty sure.

So WHY? I even asked them why, but they wouldn't turn around and wouldn't answer my question. If you have the entire beach to choose from, go stand elsewhere. Then they were talking so loud we could hear every word they said. Their conversation was inane and ridiculous. It wasn't like they were discussing life and death. The balding guy was upset that his girlfriend killed his buzz when they were bar-hopping by taking too long to decide where they were going next and when she finally decided the next place was too far. Then she had the audacity to keep talking and nearly ruin his night. So apparently that's why he had to ruin my view.

The ocean spoke back. The tide was coming back in and came right up to where they were. They shrieked like little girls and went running because heaven forbid you get wet at the beach. Seriously.

View of Laguna Beach

Laguna
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

This is why it is worth dealing with smog, high cost of living, traffic, rude drivers, crazy laws, etc - the view. Spectacular. Oh how I love the ocean and beach!

Convenience at the Beach

Meters that take credit.
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

I was cruising around Laguna yesterday hoping to find a spot by the beach.

I just wanted to pop in for a bit and soak up some sun and waves. All I could find were metered spots and I had ZERO change on me. I remembered that the meters by the beach in Laguna only take quarters and dimes, no pesky nickles or pennies for them. Your cash of those varieties is not wanted. But what caught my eye as I drive by was the mastercard logo.

I nearly stopped on a proverbial dime when I realized, these meters take credit cards. SWEET! Now I can charge my time at the beach. That is having your cake and eating it two if I ever heard it!

Not sure if all beach meters are like this, but those near Laguna, by Las Brisas Cafe are :)

Lunch at Montage Resort

montage
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

To celebrate my boss' birthday he treated us to lunch at The Montage in Laguna Beach.

I don't know how we score lunch by the beach for his birthday but I'll take it. He's a cool boss like that.

The Montage is a four star hotel and spa right on the water. The views are spectacular and the resort is luxurious and spendy. One night at the Montage averages about $400. A facial in the spa starts at like $250. Yea, not for the faint of heart.

We dined at the Mosaic Bar and Grille. Located outside, on a patio by the pool you are treated to majestic view of the grounds and ocean. The service is amazing. The menu is diverse and ranges from burgers to halibut tacos.

For appetizers we had the Romanesco Flatbread with Spanish Chorizo, Goat & Mozzarella Cheeses, Basil, and Romesco Sauce. It was AMAZING. It was also $20.

I tried the Mosaic “Prime” Burger on a Sesame Seed Bun with fries for lunch. The burger wasn't spectacular. Nothing you couldn't get at Red Robin for much cheaper than the $22 price tag. Other entrees at the table were the grilled salmon salad, blackened mahi mahi sandwich, and teriyaki chicken sandwich.

Everyone said their meal was good. I think the only one that raved was the boss who ordered the salmon salad. He said it was delicious.

Now desert on the other hand is worth ranting and raving about we had creme brulee with organic madagascar vanilla ice cream. So good. We couldn't get enough.

A trip to the Montage is an experience worth every penny. After lunch we strolled around the path that winds around the ocean cliff. It's relaxing, elegant and generally wonderful. You must go.

30801 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA. 949-715-6000.

Ruby's Diner on PCH in Laguna

Ruby's Diner on PCH in Laguna
Originally uploaded by greenbeangirl74

After absorbing the sunset in Corona del Mar we headed down PCH towards Laguna to have dinner at Ruby's Auto Diner.

Ruby's was founded in Newport Beach, by a So-cal native who got a long-term lease from the city for an old, run-down bait shop at the end of the Balboa Pier. What started as nostalgia is a now multi-state chain restaurant appealing to our love of Americana in simplier times. In this quintesential 40s diner you will find red vinyl seats, chrome-lined tables and waitresses in little candy-striper uniforms. The fare is predominantly hamburgers, fries and milkshakes but they have also traditional diner food, ala southwest - salads, meatloaf, soups, tacos, and fish.

I had the kobe beef burger and fries. Tina had a BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado) on toasted parmesan sourdough bread. We shared a birthday milkshake that tasted just like yellow cake batter, oh so sweet and delicious. My favorite is the 50/50 shake or the chocolate malt. They have also adopted the Red Robin approach to fries and your basket is bottomless.

Ruby's also serves breakfast.
30622 S. PCH, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
P: 949.497.7829F: 949.499.0314

Ruby's can be found in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State.

Girls Weekend in Laguna Beach

My friend Nicole is getting married and to celebrate her pending nuptuals, six of her favorite people all headed to the beach.

The first stop was to Burke Williams in Mission Viejo. They got massages, spent time in the jacuzzi, relaxed in the quiet room and drank the very delicious orange water. I hear they even got reprimanded for being too loud. It's not possible for that many girls to be together and be quiet. I don't know what they were thinking.

Then it was off to the beach house, that a friend let us borrow. The front door opened right up to the sand. It was amazing! We had appetizers, opened presents and starting yakking.

Then around 9 p.m. we went into Laguna Beach to have dinner at K'ya. Located in the Casa del Camino hotel the restaurant has an amazing variety of "small plates" to sample from. I had the hearts of romaine salad and thai chicken wings. Other options included braised short ribs, ahi poke, chicken empanadas, and potstickers. So many great things to try. The service was great and we had a blast. Each small plate ranged in price from $4 - 14. There are also regular entrees and salads.

The next day we had a fabulous brunch overlooking the ocean. We lounged for the rest of the day, just listening to the ocean and enjoying the time to spend together. All in all very relaxing and wonderful.