Last November, we headed west to California for a long weekend. It was a work trip for Keith and I just tagged along because 1) Beach time and 2) I needed to get away to decompress. We spent most of our time in Laguna Beach and ventured east to the desert on Sunday.

LAGUNA BEACH

We arrived at Laguna on late Thursday, and Keith had to work on Friday. So, I spent most of Friday alone, starting with a mani-pedi, walking around downtown Laguna and spending some time at the beach until Keith finished with work. It was nice to dress up and be pampered for a bit, then walking around town exploring shops without constraint. We had drinks and a late lunch/very early dinner at a local seafood restaurant called 230 Forest Avenue, then just sat at the beach to watch the sunset.

Long Beach

On Saturday, we set out early to Long Beach. Keith is an avid fisherman, so it was inevitable that while we are coastal, he gets some fishing done. Meanwhile, I spent hours just laying on the sand and reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. I couldn’t put it down, and chances are, if you saw me in real life after November, I may have insisted that you read this book.

DRIVING TO the desert

We headed East on early Sunday morning. We were leaving our Airbnb that day anyway, then coming back towards a hotel in Laguna Woods since Keith had to work on Monday. I was a little sad to leave the beach, but excited to see the desert.

We took the scenic route from Laguna to Coachella to check out the Coachella Valley Preserve. The drive is the most beautiful, picturesque drive I have ever been on (sorry, New England). We drove through mountains and valleys, through barren deserts passing huge wind farms. We even pulled over in a few areas just to walk towards the edge of the valleys/mountains to take in the views.

Coachella Valley Preserve

Around 3 hours later, we arrived at Coachella Valley Preserve. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend visiting this amazing place. We drove down a very long desert road towards a clump of bright green palm trees. As we walked into the Preserve we were greeted by giant birds flying overhead. I have never seen palm trees that are so large in volume!

Joshua Tree National Park

We went through the Preserve pretty quickly (it was not a very large area to roam) and headed north towards Joshua Tree National Park. I was very excited because Joshua Tree is a place that I’ve wanted to check out for some time. It did not disappoint, either. The landscape is so other-worldly and the park is so well maintained, and we stayed there until just before sunset.

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

We experienced the desert sunset in the car, driving to Palm Springs. Keith had planned for us to catch the Palm Springs Tram up to Mount San Jacinto (highly recommend). By the time we got there, it was already dark, but I still enjoyed going up the mountain in a tram and seeing Palm Springs lit up, and seeing the surface of Mt. St. Jacinto in grayscale. When we reached the summit, we had dinner at the lodge (beautiful building, by the way), hung out, and later took the tram down.

Alas, that’s when the exciting/fun part of the trip ended. We drove back to Laguna Woods (taking the highway), and Monday was spent working for Keith and reading by the pool for me.

I loved my time on the west coast and hope to be back soon. I gained so much inspiration and rest throughout this trip, which was wonderful considering the next week was the start of Holiday retail for us.

Apart from beautiful landscapes, we also had great meals in both Laguna and a few nearby towns, and found some fun shops/attractions. They are listed below.

Food/Drinks:

230 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach - get the mussels and spicy margarita, you won’t regret it!

San Shi Go, Laguna Beach - best sushi in Laguna, hands down.

Anjin, Costa Mesa - this delicious Japanese barbecue joint is worth the drive and is open late. Highly recommend the crispy fried rice and the boneless short ribs.

The Coffee Cup Cafe, Long Beach - we ate breakfast here and it was delicious and so filling, it carried us through lunch.

Tomo Sushi, Laguna Woods - this was our last dinner of the trip and it didn’t disappoint.

See/Shop/POINTS OF INTEREST:

Downtown Laguna Beach - clusters of boutiques can be found here! Some of my favorite shops are: Temecula Olive Oil Company, Areo, Brass Tack, Pearl St. General Store, and Twig.

Laguna Art Museum - See the incredible work of California artists right by the Pacific Ocean.

Main Beach - we sat here for sometime to people watch and see see the sunset. It’s also a steps from downtown Laguna Beach, making it convenient to walk.

Mountain Road Beach - this is a stretch of Main Beach but happens to be on the road where we stayed. It’s a very quiet part of the beach that offers a solemn place of respite.

Tippy’s - the little coffee shop that advertises pet adoption and showcases beautiful works of local Laguna artists. Also has delicious boba tea.

Gelato Paradiso - be sure to save room for gelato from this place! So delicious and creamy.

A Weekend in Laguna Beach