24 Hours in Laguna Beach
Follow me on social media, and you've probably seen us in Laguna Beach a few times. Being just 20 minutes away from this gorgeous place means we spend most of our free time here. So, not having a guide to our favorite places on the blog is just a shame. But we're obviously changing that now! Pacific Edge Hotel invited me to stay with them and share my guide to planning a staycation. And while 24 hours didn't even allow us to hit all of our faves, we did get to enough to get your started. And the best part, since the hotel is located centrally, we didn't have to get into the car once... spending all of our time enjoying why we are there, the outdoors. Oh and that also meant pit stops for champagne were not a problem;)
Vertigo Home
Our first stop. I eye this store from the street every time we pass by, not always having time to browse. But with a full day dedicated to exploring, I finally got to spend lots of time in this spot.
These monkey lamps have been on my wish list for a long long time. And while they didn't make it home with me this time, a few new candles did. A new to me brand, Maison Louis Marie, is carried here which basically makes this a must stop, at least monthly from here on out. Try scent No. 05. You're welcome.
Flower Stand on Diamond
Ok, hello dream job. This cute little flower stand sits on PCH and the corner of Diamond St. (right next to Laguna Beach Inn). The same sweet lady is always there making bouquets and turns my picks into gorgeous bouquets that I carry around and take pictures of the rest of the afternoon;) They have some seriously fresh blooms here. Typically the flowers I buy last around 2 weeks... and if you buy the tropical stems they always have in stock, you're looking at an even longer life. They're prices are affordable and you'll get a much better looking arrangement than you could at the store. GO!
Champagne Break
After browsing the shops and picking up your flowers, stop by Mozambique and grab a glass of sparkling rosé on their rooftop deck. They have one of the best views that isn't actually on the beach, which means it's not a total pain to get into like some of the other restaurants can be.
Nuance Home
If you're looking for anything to decorate your home, this is the place. I held back and only bought a cheeseboard... some towels... a ring dish. Ok, I didn't hold back.
The Pantry at Sapphire
We had time for one last stop before it was time to check in. And after checking out the pictures of our room online, we new that we were going to be spending most of our time out on the balcony. So, rather than planning on leaving and trying to get into another spot for happy hour, we prepared our own! The Pantry (right next to the restaurant, Sapphire) is a tiny little shop that serves breakfast + lunch to go, but is also home to some of the best cheese and wine that we have found locally. They have a dedicated room for their cheese (which I really enjoy going into and feeling fancy) that makes decision making a difficult task. We also stop here and grab snacks if we plan on finding a spot on the beach for sunset.
Pacific Edge Hotel, a Joie de Vivre Hotel
After lots of walking, we finally made it back to our hotel with nothing planned but to enjoy the space. There are just a few hotels that are updated and worth booking a stay at in Laguna, in my opinion. This is one of them. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the ocean front rooms with a stunning view. It's far enough from Main Beach that you don't have a ton of beach goers RIGHT in front of your room, but close enough that you can walk to almost anything. Since we frequent the area around the hotel, and eat at their restaurants (The Deck and Driftwood Kitchen), like.. more than we eat at home, we decided to stay in. Our room was equipped with a kitchenette which made it perfect for prepping our own cheese plate and other happy hour items (ie. WINE, WINE, WINE).
Photo Op
This Wall! I had seen this wall on instagram, but had somehow never noticed it in real life... even though I had driven/walked by it several times. It's right outside the ocean front rooms in the alley where you valet for the hotel. I think it's part of someone else's house, but we totally didn't disturb them to take this... we aren't jerks;)
So while we were out looking for my instagram wall, we took a quick walk to take in (more) of the view. In Laguna each little street has it's own set of stairs down to the beach. I love that each one feels different... with it's own cliffs and rocks and plants, it's like exploring a new place on each street. Not to mention the houses. Take a walk down the coast to check out the real estate. It's insane and totally entertaining.
The Pacific Edge Hotel sits on the beach where you have a killer view of the sunset and all of the different rocks and cliffs and coves that Laguna has. I know it's kind of spoiled to say this, but most of the other beaches we go to are a tiny bit disappointing after spending time here! Come, and you'll get it;)
This was our friend... until he stole part of Ryan's breakfast shortly after this.
The next morning we grabbed a coffee and hit the beach. Like I said above, this is really the best place to check out the amazing houses that are built on these cliffs. Not to mention the spectacular succulent gardens almost all of them have. HOW?! I can't even manage to keep a cactus alive.
After our walk we headed back to get ready for breakfast. I packed 3 of my favorite dresses... and YES, I actually wore them all (patting myself on the back for not overpacking). Outside 2 were from Free People and the middle is from Anthro. This light in the room was too good in the morning, so yes, they got their own pic.
Breakfast on Our Balcony
We ordered our breakfast from The Deck which is who offers room service for the hotel. We weren't going to find another place with a better view to enjoy it. I'd actually never eaten breakfast here and am happy to report we'll be going back. The Laguna Beach omelette has me drooling all over again as I write this. Crab, avocado and cheeeeese. So good. Add a mimosa and you're set.
Soooo, I tied to make a video of all the fun things we were doing! And then when we got home, I realized I just really like to video the ocean. Oops. I did manage to get a few other peeks in there, of the room and happy hour. But it's pretty so what the heck right? You'll get a look inside our room and on our balcony, the views (if you've never been) and you'll get to meet the bird friend that stole a bit of our breakfast. I promise to get a more diverse look next time I put a video together!
So if you're local and looking for a night away, or planning a longer vacay, check out Pacific Edge Hotel! And I'll be back with a few more of my recommendations that we couldn't fit in this time!