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.

We drove up the coast, on this FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF SUMMER. We drove up the I-5 to the PCH…read more We drove through Dana Point and into Laguna Beach. FROM THERE, we had to drive to a place for a PICNIC. We hoped on the I-5, and we drove back down the I-5 to the San Juan CAPISTRANO Mission. After driving back and forth, and around the MISSION 2 Times, we found PARKING ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT. We found it in the Church Parking Lot. WE RECOMMEND MORE DISABLED PARKING!!! We walked right in, NO WAIT AT ALL. We started by looking for the Picnic Spot, which is in the back left corner. It is a nice spot with lots of tables and trees. In addition, there are individual handwashing stations there. After lunch, which we picked up at a nearby SUBWAY, we spent about an hour touring the SJC MISSION!!! Its highlight was the display of US FLAGS, my guess would be over 100!!!

"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!

City tearing down all the historic building, adding 600 apts in the downtown up to 5 stories high…read moreand what little parking there is cost. Its lost all of it charm, its only about resturants but no parking. I feel bad for the people in apartments because they have no parking.All they have is a very expensive train. If you want to see SJC go NOW because it will be gone in a year.

Lovely California mission although not up to its old glory that I remember back in my 4th grader…read moredays when we visited the mission for a field trip. It's actually a little sad to see the elements chipping away at history but they are trying to repair parts of it. It's a great place to walk around and take in some California history. The church is still gorgeous and serene

I had an amazing experience at Pizza Amore Café!…read more The environment is really welcoming, and the quality of the food is absolutely amazing. What stood out the most, though, was seeing the owner actively engaged and making sure every client is well taken care of. They can also support big parties with tables up to fifteen people. Highly recommend!

This was a pleasant surprise during our road trip. First and foremost, the place itself is…read moreincredibly welcoming and feels like a cafe or a library, it was really cool to be in there. We loved the pizza we shared and were taken aback by the richness of the flavors we were experiencing. The only two things I was meh about: 1. we bought fountain drinks, but we were not told that more than half of the sodas were not working. had I known I would have happily settled for water. 2. got one of my kids the personal pan pizza. She didn't like it, I thought she was being difficult. I took a bite and yeah, it wasn't all that great. It seemed like the top cooked perfectly but the salami was still cold inside. All in all, I will 100% come back whenever I am in the area. The pizza I shared with my friends was absolutely perfect!

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.

Amazing service and food people were kind and I have no complaints about anything about this…read morerestaurant

We finally made it to Limoncello…read more I had the salmon and my husband had the lasagna. Both dishes were very good. Salmon was perfectly cooked and not too dry. Just checked with my husband. Said he liked his lasagna. He said he likes my homemade lasagna better as I put plenty of meat on each layer of the lasagna. I usually do three to four layers. Ha ha. But I do not cook at home anymore as I do not have time. Way too busy! Overall everything was great. Food was good, service was good. We enjoyed the music and the place was packed on a Sunday evening.

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.

If you're looking for a great outdoor workout with an amazing reward at the end, Thousand Steps…read moreBeach is one of my favorite spots in Laguna Beach! Despite the name, there definitely aren't 1,000 steps it's closer to about 250 but don't let that fool you. You'll still feel the burn on the way back up! I love bringing my kids here because they're soccer players, and running up and down the stairs is an excellent workout for building endurance and strength. I usually only make it up once because it's no joke! If you're looking for a free cardio workout with a beautiful ocean view, this is the place. The beach itself is gorgeous, with clear water, soft sand, and stunning cliffs surrounding it. It feels a little more secluded than some of the other Laguna beaches because you have to make the trek down the stairs. That's part of what makes it so special. I've visited several times around 6:00 AM, and it's always been peaceful. It's never felt crowded, although you'll definitely see other people getting their morning exercise on the stairs. I've also gone during summer evenings around 7:00 PM, and it's still a beautiful time to visit with cooler temperatures and incredible views. I still need to check it out around midday to see how busy it gets. A couple of things to keep in mind: there are no lifeguards on duty at all times, so be cautious if you're swimming, and the climb back up can be challenging, especially if you're carrying coolers or beach gear. Wear comfortable shoes for the stairs and bring plenty of water. Overall, this is one of my favorite beaches in Laguna Beach. Whether you're going for a workout, relaxing by the ocean, or enjoying the incredible scenery, Thousand Steps Beach is absolutely worth the climb.

I love here! Is amazing! But let me know if you did the thousands stairs going back to your car ‍‍…read more https://maps.apple/p/CBNPZj5qqIP6zz

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.

I really like coming here to chill.Its so peaceful. Having a beverage at the patio of Hidden House…read more Coffee is so relaxing. I wish when I retire I could live in one of the little houses on the street.