After eating breakfast and wandering around OC, my boyfriend and I needed something to do before we…read moreate again. Haha. Kidding. Anyways my boyfriend said let's go to Bunnyhenge. Huh? What is bunnyhenge? How do you spell bunnyhenge? And the rest is history. Props to my boyfriend for researching new places to take me. Bunnyhenge is one of the cutest spots he's found. It is located with the Sculpture Exhibition Civic Center Park in Newport Beach. There is a free parking structure for the area. I wrote about the overall sculpture exhibit in a separate review. So I was looking for a bunny. I thought it was the first bunny I saw. Then my boyfriend told me it's suppose to be multiple bunnies, and in a circle... you know... bunnyhenge like stonehenge but with bunnies. We continued to walk along the trail and then we saw it. A circle of bunnies. The bunnies are all super cute, and some of them have different colored eyes. Very picturesque and unique. It's a free attraction and it's cute. I highly recommend it if you're in the area.

The best little hike to unwind. Love this little park with all its sculptures. You park at the…read morecivic center and hike for five minutes to this little area. It's perfect for Easter. Happy Yelping!

The Sculpture in Civic Center Park Exhibition is a free attraction by the Newport Beach City Hall,…read moreCommunity Center, and Library. There is a shaded parking structure for the area with comfortable parking. It was a hot day, and I was lucky I had some sunblock with me to apply before this spontaneous outdoorsy exploration. These exhibits listed on their brouchure: Interplay Reaching Man Glee Duality Growing Wings Heavy Landing Gecko Millefoilum Trillium Bus Stop Bench Natural Wonders Cosmos: Starry, Starry Night Wind Tree Spiral Dance Coming Through Open Heart Intended Destination Voyage of a Giant The Wave Joy Ride - Removed from brochure Art in Old English We actually came here to see Bunnyhenge... which I don't see listed on the brochure, but more to that in a separate review. Overall a nice free attraction to enjoy an outdoor walk and some art. A very nice spontaneous adventure. Kudos to my boyfriend for finding such a cute spot.

Really enjoyed looking at all the art sculptures walking an approximate of 1.5 mile loop. The trail…read moreconsisted of cement and gravel paths. The flowers around the path were also in full bloom. There is also a cool sky bridge to take in the beautiful scenery. I could see the ocean! Parking is free and trail head starts at the beginning of the parking lot. There were also two small dog parks within the loop.

Being a one-star giver is not easy. People read it and think bad thoughts. I feel like a hater…read more The business feels discouraged. But... you have to give me something to work with here Ghost Ship! I don't know how much the tickets were, $60? However much they were, they were not worth it. First Fail: We couldn't find it. We drove and drove, nervous about missing the take-off time, and drove right past it at least 3 times. And we are not dumb (of course not!). And we had a GPS (in case we were dumb). And they did not have ANY signs, not even when we drove almost right up to the ship. Also, b/c the ship will take off and we had tickets for one specific time, it was not a come whenever type of situation like other haunted places, which sucked and I had to rush out of a fun barbecue to make it to the ship. Second Fail: The line to get on the ship was huge. Like free preview of a movie at a ghetto theater HUGE. And what's more? The exhaust fumes from the ships was all I could breath. That's how we get cancer people. Please don't make me stand in line for 30 hour breathing in ship exhaust fumes. I don't want to go through chemo any earlier than I have to. Third Fail: Once we got on the ship, the whole thing just sucked. Fourth Fail: There were 3 floors on this ship. One floor had a random chick in a cage, not doing anything. A fortune teller, working for tips, a "show" of a girl in a box that has saw blades put into it. And another cage with a woman who gets pierced by feathers. She bled a little. It was gross. Not scary and not interesting. There was also a bar where you can purchase refreshments. Fifth Fail: Another floor was a show. That was so cheesy and retarded. Just a complete waste of time. Sixth Fail: There was NO BENEFIT to being on a boat. There was limited space, trapped with a ton of people, the long lines, and having to get there early to not miss sail. We were just in rooms the whole time. And b/c it was night time, didn't even get a cool view of the water. And no breeze or anything since all the stuff was indoors and it was freezing outside anyway. Seventh Fail: $10 for parking and then they direct you to park in a BANK ACROSS THE STREET. I could have done that for free. Yes I could have. But I wasn't driving, or paying, so whatever. But still. WTF????? Eight Fail: Decoration was sub-par. Actors were over-cheesy. Just a waste of time and money. The ship (not big) looked like any other guy's modern white ship. They just hung up a sign on the ship that said "Ghost Ship". It looked nothing like the website picture. Ninth Fail: The cruise was only for an hour. And we were so happy to get off. But count in driving there, and all the waiting before, and while on the ship, it comes to a good 3 hours of just wasted time. What was the one semi-acceptable part? The maze was okay and parts of it was even scary. Though part of it was gross, had to squeeze through these blown out tarp things. Gross. Who knows how many other dirty bodies have squeezed through it. EWWWW. Just don't go.

I want to start off my review by saying that they are removing negative comments on their facebook…read morepage. If they dont like what you are saying, they remove your comments, and eventually block you from writing any new ones. I had started a facebook page to allow people to post whatever they want, but I have pulled it down since they are threatening lawsuits to anyone who defames them. So without further ado, this is my personal review of ghostship. Its just my opinion and nothing more. I welcome you to take a ride on the ghostship and come to your own conclusion as to how good or bad the experience was. The title of my review is "Ghostshit - Terror sets Fail!" In my opinion, Ghostship was the worst haunted house experience I have ever been on. It was also the most expensive Haunted House Attraction I have ever been to. Three levels of Fail! Level one - A crummy maze that lasts a grand total of 5 minutes. It is not scary in any way. Its also not very easy to navigate. At one point I was lead in to a room that seemed to have no exit. So I sat there for a while waiting for something to happen. Finally an actor pointed at what was suppose to be the exit door. I went to open it, and it wouldnt budge. After a minute or two, an actor came in, and had to body slam the door to get it to open. At the very end of the maze your forced to squeeze through these blow up billows, that is similar to what a baby experiences when they exit the birth canal. Level two - A huge room where they expect you to spend more money on drinks. Its not really well put together, and there is only a handful of creepers inside. I didnt order a drink, so I wont comment on the quality of the libations they were serving. At the front of level two is the bow, which is were the majority of the guests accumulate after being dissapointed by the ghostship experience and wait till you get back to port. Level 3 - The most epic fail of it all. The execution scene. You can search for Ghostship on Youtube. I posted a video I took of the entire execution. You can hear everyone in the background laughing during the video. They're laughing because its the opposite of scary. Its downright hilarious at how awful it is. So what are my thoughts on this event? I beleive Thirty One Productions owes the people who paid for this event one of two things. 1) A full refund, or 2) Completley redo the event to make it as advertised, and then invite everyone back for a complimentary ride. The idea of a haunted house that sets sail is actually amazing, and what drew me to this event. The idea has the potential of being the premier haunted house event in Southern California. Unfortunatley it didnt live up to the hype in any way. My opinion is to save your money until they can redo the entire event to make it worth your money. See video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n4wPmXUA9k

What a cute and quaint little island! I really loved visiting. There's plenty of free parking if…read moreyou drive down the residential streets, and you can see plenty of cute little homes. This would be a lovely place to own a vacation home. I absolutely love driving over the bridge with American flags flying on both sides; it's something you don't see often in SoCal. There are several cute shops on both sides of the main street, and there's really something for everyone. The island is known for two things: chocolate-covered frozen bananas and Balboa bars. I apparently missed the memo on the Balboa bars, but we got to visit both Dad's Donuts and Sugar 'n Spice for some frozen chocolate bananas, and they were lovely! I recommend coming in the morning to beat the rush. We brought lunch and went to the beach for a picnic on the park benches. It was a lovely day with family! I look forward to coming back to Balboa Island in the future!

We went on a cloudy weekday in late March. We parked in the parking lot on Palm street and took the…read moreferry there. At around 10:30 in the morning, there was plenty of parking available. We paid about $11 for 4 hours which comparing with Santa Monica is reasonable. On our way we also saw free street side parking , but those spots are not close to the ferries. There is a 5 minute walk from the parking lot to where the ferries are. You will have to cross a couple of streets. The ferries are pretty basic but they have capacity for 3 cars as well. Adults pay $2 each to get to the other side. They ONLY accept cash. There and back, the wait time was under a couple of minutes. The island itself is clean and serene. Other than a minimart, a fishing gear shop and a grocery store, there weren't any shops on the oceanfront walkway and no signage as to where you can find any stores. We walked for a bit and then returned to the mainland and Balboa village. Overall, we loved how clean and family friendly the beach and the pier and the island were. If we lived closer, we would visit more often for sure!

Pretty far walk from the parking lot to the beach but once there the steps going down is not too…read morebad. Because of the distance the bathrooms and showers are awkwardly placed closer to the parking lot and you might be dry already by the time you make it back. On the right side is a shallow sea cave, the cave itself isn't so deep but the rock formations around it are super unique and interesting. There is a viewpoint on top we saw people at so you can park a lot closer than we did. On the left you can go all the way down to another beach. There is an interesting rock shelf along the way. Some of the waves were quite high so I recommend coming with swim shorts if you are coming all the way to this area. The rock shelf area has mini tidepools to check out, depending on the weather you might also see a mini waterfall.

This is an amazing place to go and have fun! Parking is on…read morethe street so u gotta wait if it's to busy, Please make sure to pick it up your trash lets keep clean this amazing place I would come back again for sure !

Ice cream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! This screams my childhood being on Balboa…read moreIsland, having creamy delicious ice cream, and being at the beach. The only difficulties were finding parking and narrowing down which flavors to get. Enter the the four scoop sampler, which is perfect for one, or sharing, and for carrying over to the beach to take in the view. Cue perfect date idea! The ice cream was thick, creamy, and decadent. Just what ice cream should be made of. And the portions generous. I will be back to make my way through all the flavors. Thank you Handel's & Yelp OC for the invite this was a sweet way to end my week!

The worker made fun of me right after I ordered as if I could not hear through the open ordering…read morewindow...

Built slightly after LA's Venice Canals but there is nothing to be disappointed about here…read more The housing architecture is equally as diverse as the Venice Canals. The plant life may not be quite as nice as Venice but the SPACE here is the big plus. The walkways are wide and roomy and homeowner's have more space for their outdoor space around the sidewalk and in front of their properties. There are way more boats here compared with LA given the wider canals and more spacious environment. I believe there are more canals here as well given our walk through the area. Some teens were jumping off the bridge and into the water. I flashed back to my youth, and it looked like fun on this hot day. Until I overheard one scooter referencing all the sting rays doing "blow bys" in the water around them. It made immediate sense as I looked at the outlet to the ocean and a quick Internet search confirmed it. The waters are full of paddleboarders and small boats. If I had to choose, I would say this is the more enjoyable spot for a stroll. The ability to take a gondola ride through at night is very cool for those who have not been dating or married long. We're well beyond that so we passed on the offer, sadly. ;)

After a great day of the beach and lunch, our friends wanted to show us their favorite spots to go…read morefor a walk to get their steps in. Naples Canals is a beautiful neighborhood. Beautiful homes nestled around water and gondolas rides coasting by. We actually drove around for a couple of loops just being that crazy looky loo's at the beautiful neighborhood. We found parking and went for a walk. There's a cool bridge overlooking the canal. We got to see the gondola ride! Our friends told us this was a great neighborhood for seeing Christmas lights displays. All the neighborhood decorates their homes. How cool is that?!?!

This tour is amazing! I went into it not expecting to be completely full from eating since it is a…read more"tasting" of different restaurants. I think some of the reviews seem to miss that and they believe you should walk away full. My group of friends and I decided to actually have lunch at one of the places we were able to taste! They even gave us a discount because we came back after the tour! Yes it is a bit of a walk, but Christa (our guide) had sent out an email the night prior to let us know the best places to park, how much walking we were doing, etc. Overall and amazing tour and am so happy to have something like this nearby! I can not wait to take the tour again and bring a new group of friends!

My family and I got together for the first time in a very long time, and we could not have picked a…read morebetter family activity. The lovely ladies that run Flavors of Newport Beach could not be more more helpful. First, we booked last minute. Second, my sister is heavily pregnant and our guide Christa went out of her way to make sure she offered substitutions for anything my sister could not eat/drink. Our needs were graciously accommodated and that was very much appreciated. Compared to other "food tours", this tour offers less to the gourmand but much more to those that want an insider's guide to Newport Beach. The tour lasted about 4 hours and included stops for food for oatmeal, salt water taffy, ahi tuna nachos, olive oil and vinegar, calamari, and ice cream. In between, leisurely strolling to observe noteworthy Balboa Island homes and historic landmarks. I have lived in the area for 15 years and learned a lot of interesting things about Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula. Christa is a friendly and knowledgeable guide. My out-of-town family raved about Christa and what a wonderful time they had on this tour. Points to me for picking to spend our day with Flavors of Newport Beach!!

Ohhhhh Mama D's, me and my fellas spent a weekend in newport and were addicted to mama's d. From…read morethe moment i stepped into mama's i felt the overwhelming charm of a freshly trimmed server by the name of Cam or (Flow-God). Ive never seen such a trim haircut. Not only did the food taste good but Cam served them with upmost grace, poise and dignity. Cam taught me how to start my Roth IRA along with giving me life altering advice (gone well). Additionally Nicki was a ray of moonshine, checking in more than i do for my private flights to Barbados, where i invited Cam to stay for Christmas. Come in here (mama d's) for a meal and you will leave with a new sense of self respect thanks to Cam and Mama d her dang self. CAM is a teacher and I wish i could personally study under him. Thank you Cam, Nicki and Mama D's P.S. theres not enough money on this planet to compensate Cam and Nicki enough. Gracias, Salud and Bienvanidos

Service great! Liked the ambiance. Restaurant was cute. Food was O.k. We had spaghetti which needed…read morejust a little more salt and Italian seasonings.

Good job, OC Weekly. Now I feel bad for ripping you a new one for your Decadence event two years…read moreago. Simply, there were big portions and a great variety of delicious food from numerous vendors, so much that I was stuffed within twenty minutes. Gourmet versions of French toast, panini, crepes, corn taco, biscuits and gravy, chiquchi chicaquill chickquil --- fine, enchiladas, and my surprising favorite: crab stuffed trout. The big tent provided enough shade, while the breezy outside area (which would benefit from a few more tables) provided enough space to escape the crowds. There were enough bathrooms and trash cans, and the musical acts provided great ambiance. Cornhole, an oversized Jenga I was afraid to touch, a friendly staff, photo booth, and refreshing lack of spam vendors (like timeshares) were nice touches. Best of all, except for the lines at the bar, lines were pretty short if not non-existent. High five. You made it hard to complain... the worst I can do is say that ran out of water at the hand washing station. Oh, so maybe you don't want that high five. Hope there's a 2nd annual next year! OC Weekly FreshER Toast.

Unlike Glen (first reviewer), I do not feel bad ripping you on that OC Decadence fiasco you…read moresponsored a few years back. However, I see you learned from your mistakes. This event was your redemptive quality. It was excellent! Tickets were reasonable at $35. I didn't see the value in a VIP until I arrived, and saw the extra patio and swag bags for the VIP. Still, I would purchase my ticket on Pancake Day again for the $10 discount. The venue was nice, even though the parking line was out of this world. Once parked in the spacious lot ($10), the entrance line was long, but it moved well. We were in in about 10 to 15 minutes. It helped that the security staff and the ticket people had great attitudes. There were food vendors etc. outside, food vendors etc. inside, and a Bloody Mary garden in the back. The Bloody Mary garden was interesting. I don't drink, but it looked fun. AYCD while playing corn hole and jumbo Jenga--while voting on the best Bloody Mary's. Interesting. The event was so well-capped that I never encountered a real line. There was delicious food everywhere! I got full off of little delicious bites immediately (that spinach thing from Zov's was amazing!), then I was able to enjoy the entertainment. There was enough seating (if not sitting all day) for all to digest and have another round. Other highlights included the Nutella shake, crab-stuffed trout, short rib pancake, pesto-smothered panini, butter lemon tart...okay, everything I tasted was good. I would have stayed the whole 3 hours, if not for the need arising and me avoiding port-o-potties like the plague! Overall, this is an event worth the annual calendering.