Airports

There are three airports that serve the area:

• Los Angeles International (LAX) – LAX is about an hour to an hour and a half drive from our venue (depending on traffic). There are more flights a day to LAX and more direct flights from the east coast to LAX so it is often the most flexible option as far as flight times and pricing goes.
• Long Beach (LGB) – JetBlue offers flights into Long Beach which is a convenient and much smaller airport. Long Beach airport is about 45 minutes from our venue.
• John Wayne (SNA) – John Wayne airport in Santa Ana is another convenient airport. John Wayne is about a 30 minute drive from our venue.

To find the best flight prices and times on the days you want to travel, we suggest using Kayak.

www.kayak.com

Enter your chosen dates and departure airport. Then for the arrival airport, put in LAX and click the checkbox below that says “add nearby airports.” This will expand the search to include both Long Beach and John Wayne. It’ll also include a few other Southern California airports, but when you get your search results, you can filter those out. We find this to be the easiest way to compare flight prices and times on a bunch of airlines at once. Kayak adds in the taxes and fees, so you are seeing the total price you will pay. The only thing left out is a bag fee, so you’ll have to factor that in yourself (JetBlue, for example, does not have a bag fee, while most airlines charge $25 for your first checked bag). Kayak also does not include results for Southwest Airlines, so if you know Southwest serves your area, you may want to check their website separately.

Happy travels!

Things To Do

We wish we could be taking each of you around the area individually to show you some of our favorite spots! Here are some of the places you may be interested in seeing while you’re in Southern California:

Huntington Beach

Lisa’s hometown is also known as Surf City and has plenty of great options for a quintessential California vacation!

Huntington Beach!

For all of you out of towners, this is Lisa’s hometown beach and the one she is always raving about. Huntington Beach offers wide stretches of sand with plenty of space for everyone to enjoy the sun! If you are staying downtown, you can easily walk to the beach. If you are driving in, there are two main entrances:

The State Beach has parking at Magnolia and PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). One day parking is $10. The state beach is open from 6am-10pm.

The City Beach has parking at Main Street and PCH (you can also park in a downtown lot and walk to the beach). A full day parking pass is $15, or it is $1.50 an hour. The city beach is open from 5am-10pm.

The beach itself is free, so if you are walking, you can enter at any point.

Swimming and surfing are very popular here, but be aware that there can be riptides, so pay attention to any lifeguard warnings, especially if you are not a strong swimmer. The beach has a lifeguard on duty all day in the summer.

There is a nice footpath and biking path along the coast between the parking lot and the sand. If you walk toward Main Street, you’ll see a few food options closer to the pier.

The Huntington Beach Pier

We highly recommend a stroll down to the end of the Huntington Beach pier. It’s a great vantage point to check out all the surfers, see the ocean, and hopefully see some pelicans gliding by. Even in the summer, the pier’s ocean breezes can get cool (especially at night), so it’s not a bad idea to pack a light sweater or windbreaker.

At the end of the pier, you’ll find one of our favorite restaurants, Ruby’s Diner. Ruby’s has a pier-facing take-out window in case you want to quickly sample one of their amazing milkshakes. Around the corner is the entrance to the restaurant itself. The views are amazing, especially if you request a booth near the window. The staples here are burgers, fries (the baskets come with unlimited refills!), and milkshakes (if you like Oreos, try the Oreo Cookie Fantasy milkshake – Gabe’s favorite).

http://www.rubys.com/1-menu/menu.aspx

At the base of the pier, you’ll see a restaurant called Duke’s. If you walk down the steps to the path along the sand, you’ll find the entrance to Sandy’s Beach Grill restaurant. Sandy’s has a great patio right along the beach and on certain nights, they have some great specials (their regular menu is a bit on the pricier side):

http://www.sandysbeachgrill.com/events/specials

Downtown Huntington Beach

Main Street from PCH to Orange Avenue is the heart of downtown Huntington Beach. In the sidewalk here, you’ll see plaques for the Surfing Walk of Fame. At the corner of Main Street and PCH there are two big surf shops, Jack’s and Huntington Surf & Sport. If you want to pick up t-shirts for souvenirs, these are the shops to go to. Along Main Street, you’ll also find a few other beach souvenir shops. There are also a lot of restaurants along this strip.

If you park in one of the lots downtown, be sure to bring your parking ticket with you because most stores and restaurants offer parking validation if you make a purchase. We find the most convenient lot for parking/validation is the lot with an entrance off Walnut between Main and 3rd Street. If you are coming up Walnut toward Main, turn right into the lot just after 3rd Street.

Some of our favorite downtown restaurants are:

BJ’s Pizza
http://www.bjsbrewhouse.com/
200 Main Street, at the corner of Walnut
We recommend: BJ’s Deep-dish pizza (the BBQ chicken is our favorite flavor) and the MUST here is dessert. Order a pizookie (a deep-dish cookie with ice cream on top)!! Gabe’s favorite is the chocolate, Lisa’s favorite is half-peanut butter/half-chocolate chip, with vanilla ice cream. Yummmm.

The Sugar Shack
http://www.hbsugarshack.com/
213 Main Street, between Olive and Walnut
The Sugar Shack is an HB institution, open for breakfast and lunch only.

Fred’s
http://www.fredsmexicancafe.com/home.html
On the corner of PCH and Main Street, Fred’s is on the 2nd level, above Huntington Surf & Sport
We recommend: Taco Tuesdays (when their tasty tacos are on sale).

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos
http://www.wahoos.com/
120 Main Street, between PCH and Walnut
A California chain, the fish tacos here are always good.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
200 Main Street, between Olive and Walnut
We recommend: Any of their caramel and chocolate covered apples! You may want to split one with a friend, they are more filling than they look!

Jamba Juice
101 Main Street, between PCH and Walnut
We recommend: Orange Dream Machine smoothie

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
200 Main Street, between Olive and Walnut
We recommend: Try a Dark Chocolate Ice Blended Coffee

Surf City Nights
Tuesday night downtown becomes a street fair/farmer’s market on Main Street from PCH to Orange Avenue. All kinds of local vendors come out and it is a fun time to walk around downtown, shop, and enjoy the atmosphere. (Every Tuesday from 5-9pm)

This one isn’t downtown, but is a must-stop on any trip to California if you like burgers!

In ‘N Out
http://www.in-n-out.com/

The closest location to downtown Huntington Beach is:
18062 Beach Blvd. at the corner of Talbert
Check their website to find other locations closer to your hotel or airport.
Tip: It’s not on the menu, but if you order your burger “animal style” it comes with caramelized onions. Also not on the menu is the option to mix shake flavors – Lisa recommends a half-strawberry/half-vanilla milkshake.
 

This one isn’t downtown either, but if you want to try great Mexican food in a super casual atmosphere, this is our favorite local spot:

Las Barcas
http://www.lasbarcas.com/locations.htm
21032 Beach Blvd at the corner of Atlanta
Pretty much everything here is tasty and you can’t beat their prices. The homemade tortilla chips are addictive and don’t forget to stop at the salsa counter to try a few different flavors for dipping.

 

San Juan Capistrano

If you’re staying closer to the wedding venue, here are some tips for enjoying San Juan Capistrano:

Public parking is available in several lots around downtown San Juan Capistrano.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

http://www.missionsjc.com/
26801 Ortega Highway
Admission: $9
Open daily from 9am-5pm

Founded in 1776, the Mission is one of California’s oldest and has beautiful grounds and gardens.

Los Rios District

http://www.sanjuancapistrano.net/los_rios/index.html

Cross the railroad tracks behind the Capistrano Depot train station and you’re in the Los Rios District, one of California’s oldest neighborhoods. There are old adobe homes here as well as a petting zoo for kids.
 
There are antique and local art shops all along Camino Capistrano which can make for a fun afternoon of shopping.
 
For a fun dining atmosphere, try Sarducci’s.
http://capistranodepot.com/
26701 Verdugo Street
Sarducci’s is in the old Capistrano Depot building, so the restaurant has a unique interior. If you’d rather sit outside, they also have a nice outdoor patio.

 
If you can’t make it to Ruby’s in downtown Huntington Beach, but want to try their shakes and burgers, there’s one here, too:
http://www.rubys.com/1-menu/menu.aspx
31781 Camino Capistrano

Fun Day Trips

Disneyland!!!!

(The Happiest Place on Earth)

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/

You’ve got Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney (an outdoor mall of sorts with shops and restaurants, and, incidentally, a view of the fireworks at night in case you didn’t want to pay park admission) all in one spot. If you only have one day, our vote is for Disneyland, and we’d recommend just doing one park, it’s a lot of running around to try to do two parks in one day.

Tickets are $87 for a one-day, one-park adult pass, and the rates go up after that, see here for more details:

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/tickets/

August is the most popular month of the year at Disneyland. We’d highly recommend going on a weekday instead of a weekend. When you first enter, pick up a free Disney FastPass to help alleviate some of the wait time for rides. A full day at Disneyland could go from the high 80’s during the day to the low 60’s at night, so pack layers if you plan to stay for the firework show, which we’d definitely recommend. Most days in August the park opens at 8:00am and closes at midnight, but check online for details on specific dates.

Gabe’s favorite rides: Indiana Jones: Temple of the Forbidden Eye and Pirates of the Caribbean

Lisa’s insider tip: when you need a mid-afternoon cool-down treat, stop by the Dole pineapple booth at the entrance to Adventureland and get a Dole pineapple whip – it’ll cool you down and make you very happy.

Universal Studios

http://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/

If you love movies, this is the place for you. Right next to the park is Universal Citywalk, a strip of restaurants and shops, complete with a massive movie theater complex. If you go to the park on a weekday (when the park closes earlier), Citywalk is a good place to get dinner after you leave the park and before hitting the road.

Tickets are $80 for a one-day adult pass. The park is generally open from 8:00am-9:00pm on weekends and 9:00am-7:00pm on weekdays.

Our recommendation: Be sure to go on the Studio Tour – it’s a great tour around the backlot, where so many famous films were shot and it is still used today as a live set.

Hollywood

The best place to start is Hollywood and Highland. Park in one of the structures and then walk around and enjoy the sites. The new Hollywood and Highland center has tons of shopping and dining options.

http://hollywoodandhighland.com/

Hollywood Boulevard – if you step out from Hollywood and Highland, all along Hollywood Boulevard is the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Grauman’s Chinese Theater – this is where all of the famous handprints and footprints are in the concrete. Have fun matching up your hands and feet with your favorite star’s.

6925 Hollywood Boulevard

Dolby Theater (formerly the Kodak Theater)

http://www.dolbytheatre.com/

This is where the Oscars take place!

Guided tours run daily from 10:30am – 4:00pm, departing every half hour and lasting about a half hour.
Tickets are $17

Balboa Island

Hanging out in the Balboa Fun Zone makes for a fun afternoon.

http://www.thebalboafunzone.com/

The Fun Zone has rides, food, and a little boardwalk along the water. We’d definitely recommend stopping at one of the ice cream shops along the boardwalk to try a famous Balboa Bar (ice cream bar) or a Frozen Banana!

A great way to enjoy the area is on a boat! Davey’s Locker has whale watching tours and often has sunset cruises which are such a fun way to get out on the open water!

http://www.daveyslocker.com/

San Diego Zoo

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

We love the zoo! There is so much to see and do here and it’s a great way to spend the day. San Diego is about an hour and a half drive south of Huntington Beach (closer to one hour south of San Juan Capistrano).

The zoo is open daily 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Tickets are $44

Gabe’s favorite zoo animals: tigers, lions, and rhinos

Lisa’s favorite zoo animals: monkeys and pandas

Laguna Beach

Laguna has a pretty beach boardwalk, lots of good restaurants, and little art galleries to poke into. The drive to Laguna Beach from Huntington Beach along PCH is a very scenic oceanview drive (once you are out of Newport Beach). From PCH, go up Broadway or Forest Avenue to find many of the restaurants and galleries. Laguna Beach itself is a pretty small beach, but a walk along the boardwalk is always nice and it’s a very pretty beach. If you walk up the steps to Cliff Drive you’ll get great views over the area and the ocean.

Up on Cliff Drive is Las Brisas, a nice Mexican restaurant with great views over the water.

http://www.lasbrisaslagunabeach.com/

Fashion Island

http://www.shopfashionisland.com/

If you want to do some shopping (admittedly, not the kind of cheap outlet shopping Lisa likes to do!) and want a great California feel, this is the place to come. Fashion Island has major department stores, tons of smaller boutiques, and a lot of dining options. It’s also just a beautiful place to walk around and enjoy the sunshine (and always makes for good people watching).

We recommend: California Pizza Kitchen (their Thai Chicken Pizza is great) and The Cheesecake Factory (just wait til you see their list of cheesecake flavors!)