We had a wonderful time! We made it a point to stop here when driving from Temecula as we had never…read morebeen to a mission before, and we are so glad that we did. When getting the tickets, the lady helping us was so nice! We got our audio tour and started along the way. It really was beautiful and full of history! It's as old as the country! The audio tour and plaques along the way provided a lot of information and we spent at least 2 hours here wandering around and taking everything in, you could easily spend more time than that here. Beautiful grounds and it was amazing to see the original and uncovered structures that existed so long ago. You end up at the gift shop at the end and we left with a postcard and a magnet for home. Very reasonable prices in there and some cute things! Overall we had an amazing time and would love to visit other missions. Give this one a go!

What a great, historic site. Mission San Juan Capistrano was built in 1776 and is the seventh…read moreoldest Mission in California. View is truly grand and majestic. As soon as you enter you will see a gorgeous garden and remnants of The Great Stone Church, which was destroyed by earthquake in 1812. I also liked Serra Chapel, which is the oldest building in California that's still in use, based on online search. I felt at peace just sitting inside the chapel for few minutes. Current admission fee is $19 for adults and $11 for youth (5-17) years of age). Admission fee includes a self-guided audio tour but the device was kind of difficult to hear. There isn't a designated parking lot for the Mission but there are few public parking lots near the area. I was here on a weekday so was able to find street parking along Camino Capistrano. Most of the street parking is limited to 5 hours. There are plenty of restaurants within walking distance so it's a great location. You will definitely smell BBQ smoke coming from Heritage BBQ restaurant across the street.

"One's options in this world are as vast as the horizon, which is technically a circle and thus…read moreinfinitely broad. Yet we must choose each step we take with utmost caution, for the footprints we leave behind are as important as the path we will follow. They're part of the same journey -- our story." ― Lori R. Lopez, Dance Of The Chupacabras What an amazing event this was! OC Meets Napa and Baja, presented by Community Health Center AltaMed, brought primarily Latino-centric restaurants and chefs in Orange County and Latino-owned wineries in Napa and Baja together in a celebration of culture. Proceeds from all the ticket sales went toward supporting the Orange County health services and programs that AltaMed spearheads in underserved communities. When I was Housing Manager for the City of Huntington Beach, I funded Alta Med through the City's CDBG program and am very knowledgable about the great services they provide especially in a country that still has an imperfect and expensive healthcare system. What was cool about this event was actually seeing, meeting and talking to the chefs/winemakers. These are the people who chose their path, who chose their own story. The passion from chefs such as Beto Ygei from 930 Sushi (excellent spicy yellowtail), Carlos Selgado of Taco Maria (wonderful scallop here), Gabbi Patrick (I think they did a scallop dish too), Rogelio Martinez of Casa Oaxaca (so excited was he about his sorbets and ice cream), and winemakers such as Alex, Oscar and Lola Llamas (best wines at event and great people too who invited us to hang out afterwards). This is the type of event that I love to attend and is only second to the San Jose Jazz Festival as favorite yelp events of this kind that I was lucky enough to get tickets from Yelp. Was disappointed in the Baja wines as there was little balance or flavor with those wines, and a lot of rustic smells and astrigent finishes. However given that when traveling the local wines always taste better when you are visiting their area (Cinque Terre was an example of this where the wines are fabulous only when you are outdoors on a patio with a great view eating a sublime pesto dish in Italy), I will visit Baja soon and visit the better wineries on their home turf ;-) Thanks again Yelp for this event! Sidney

I was a lucky winner of VIP tickets ($125 pp) to OC Meets Napa and Baja sponsored by AltaMed. I…read morewas worried about rain but it cleared up right before the event started which led to the vendors scrambling to set up their tents. It was warm and muggy but there was plenty of food and drink for all the guests to enjoy. There were plenty of Napa and Baja wine vendors pouring wine throughout the event along with restaurants from LA, OC, and Baja. Some of my favorite food vendors were Anepalco's Cafe, Taco Maria, Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen, and Deckman's en el Mogor. Wine was definitely plentiful as was the food. There was a wine wheel that you could spin for $20, which went to the Women in Action charity and in turn you won a wine bottle valued anywhere from $40 to $80. I won an $80 bottle of wine. It was pretty awesome. There were tables for all the guests to lounge and mingle at. The event was held at Mission San Juan Capistrano which I had never visited before. We were allowed to walk around the exhibits while the Mission was closed to the public. Pretty cool. Thanks to Yelp OC for the tickets. My +1 and I had a great time.

This is a super fun thing to do during the holidays! It's free, family (and dog) friendly, and…read morejust really pretty. The whole harbor is decorated with holiday lights, sea creatures, some have bubbles. There's holiday music being piped in through the lighted tunnels. We didn't know what to expect so we just drove up, looked at lights, and then came home. Next year, we'll make more of an evening out of it. Plenty of restaurants around! Worth checking it out. :)

First of all, this place was hard to find! The address they used on the site lead is to a Dana…read morePoint campground and it was almost pitch black... We drove back out to the Main Street and followed what appeared to be an increasing amount of Christmas lights to find the actual place. The pictures I've seen of this place had me thinking it was a huge event, but upon attending, it was just Dana Point harbor decked out in aquatic-themed lights. It's definitely a nice 10-minute walk, I just expected more. It's a place with some cool photo ops and worth checking out if you're in the area!

Old world charm lots of California history. A GREAT DAY TRIP. Get there early park at train…read morestation walk to dozens to eateries. Walk Old El Rio road very relaxed nice trinket shopping Watch the train. Window shop till you drop Eat breakfast brunch lunch at dozens of San Juans finest. Never tried the BBQ always to long line. I go here for day trip 2 to 3 times a year from LA never gets old

A historic, charming town. Arrive early, secure your parking or take a convenient train ride…read more(Metrolink or Amtrak - steps away). There is more than enough to see to keep you occupied in a day. I liked seeing the shops and restaurants either tucked away in unexpected places or in historic buildings - like Ellie's Table in EGAN house. There are two trolleys that take you around SJC with plenty of on-and-off stops. A great way to explore the town.

Wonderful food and service. We have been here many times and the staff is always friendly.read more

Pizza Amore Cafe was a quick stop, hoping we wouldn't be disappointed--and WOW, this place did not…read moredisappoint! The restaurant is so cozy and beautifully decorated, making it such a cute and inviting spot. We tried the Meat Lovers Pizza, and it was absolutely delicious! I highly recommend giving it a try. The staff was amazing, and the guys in the kitchen were so attentive, respectful, and welcoming. You can really tell they care about their customers and the experience they provide. I'll definitely be coming back to try more from the menu! Must try! And honestly, it's also such a cute spot for a date!

San Clemente is a surf town but little did I know that there's something for Doctor Who fans in Old…read moreTown San Clemente. While picking up Americanized Chinese food, we noticed the easily recognizable blue TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space), a name for this time-traveling spaceship that looks like a phone booth. While my friend was geeking out, I took some photos of it (of course), and this guy who was sitting nearby started chatting us up with all kinds of facts and history about the tardis and the TV show that was originally a radio show. He was friendly and while he keeps referring to the owner in the third person, we suspect that he owns this TV prop from the series. Like a statue at a park, these kinds of things can be very meaningful or completely meaningless depending on the person. We've run into the same guy on two occasions sitting at the exact same spot and he seemed to remember us - at least he mentioned that we looked familiar. This sitting docent sure adds to the experience, especially for those who have never watched the show or think that it's a blue telephone booth Parking is free and relatively easy if not at peak mealtimes due to the couple of restaurants in this plaza.

I came to eat here last night and everything was great. I got the Alfredo my way with chicken and…read moreit had the be the best pasta I've had. Not to mention the service was great our server was very attentive to us and made sure that we had everything we needed. Would highly recommend coming to eat here.

Best Italian restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, by far. Owners deeply care and it shows.read more

First class customer service. I had an issue with my water…read morebill (which thanks to these people was resolved), the way it was handled by customer service Ann and supervisor Bennett was simply masterful. I am so glad the city of San Juan Capistrano has the highest of standards for its people. Thank you guys, keep it up.

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 !

This little hidden area of San Juan Capistrano is definitely worth a visit! In fact, Los Rios…read moreStreet Historic District is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood in California, and it features historic structures dating back to the late 1700s. This area also preserves three original adobe homes built around 1794--the Rios, Montanez, and Silvas adobes. Later in the 19th and early 20th centuries, wooden board-and-batten houses and Victorian buildings were added to the street. There's a spacious park including a butterfly garden, Hidden House coffee shop, a tea shop & a few little stores and several restaurants. There's also an adorable petting zoo! It's quaint and easy to see in under an hour, or you could spend a few hours relaxing & taking your time. It's easy to access to Los Rios from the 5 & there is plenty of free or low cost parking. Additionally, the train stops right in SJC and you can easily access this area from the stop. Peace.

7/26/26 What a gorgeous place to take the family out for a lazy Sunday afternoon! There are plenty…read moreof adorable places to visit and take a stroll. My family took the Metrolink from the Anaheim station ($10 per person) and it took about 45 minutes. Hubby and I drove from San Gabriel which took a little over an hour. My usual go to is The Hidden House Coffee shop with affordable and well made drinks, offering a sizable outdoor patio. The Ramos House Cafe is a few steps away, as well as the Los Rios Tea house. All of these are historic homes, vintage and picturesque. Within a few feet from the public parking lot is the Montanez building, where a nearby butterfly sanctuary is located. The Los Rios Cottages are for rent which are located next door to the Ramos House, very pretty but these are right alongside the train tracks, if you don't mind that racket, it'll be fine. It's an easy stroll and a beautiful destination. Come check it out. There are plenty more shops that I haven't visited. Today, I am limited as I have a medical boot (and a crutch) that's preventing me from my usual nosiness in discovering things on foot, until next time.