LOVELY and well maintained garden! I thoroughly enjoyed my time here. We were fortunate to visit…read morewhen they had the mosaic sculptures featured throughout too, which was an added bonus. I loved seeing the sculpture that will be at Burning Man this year. The garden is on the smaller size for a botanical garden (some stuff was under maintenance while we were there) but the gardens were impeccable. My favorite part was all the dahlias. Stunning! Your entry ticket ($12 for adults) also includes admission to the library, which had a bonsai area and some fun history. We were able to easily find free parking nearby. All the staff was so friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about the work. I definitely recommend this spot! Such a beautiful, relaxing space.

They're open in limited capacity so it's not going to take longer than an hour to tour the grounds…read more Parking was $6.50 Not sure when construction finishes but it shouldnt take long because we spoke to someone there who said the city will want to expedite construction to open the restaurant. Beautiful still. We came the day before Mother's Day for the rose show. Looking forward to coming back when construction completes because at $5 admission that is kind of a rip for how much is there. It took us longer because I recognized someone at the rose show and my son is really into plants but for an average person I'd say 30-45 min is really how much is there right now until they finish the remodel

Harborside restaurant is an old-school dining establishment right at the end of Newport Bay. It has…read moreits charms. The place has limited free paring for guests, but you can park at the nearby lots for a small fee. The place is well run and clean and provides excellent views of the harbor. Service was excellent, always attentive and friendly We came for lunch and they have a weekday happy hour menu until evening which was very convenient. Their happy hour menu is great for snacks and appetizers. Highly recommend the onion ring tower. Great app to share. The Tuna tacos were average and nothing special. Their menus offer a variety of offerings primarily around seafood (duh!), but they do offer non-seafood protein options as well for those not a fan of seafood. Drinks they have a full menu and bar so feel free to order what you like I opted for an old-fashioned which was delicious, not too weak, not too strong either. For food, I went with the swordfish. As someone who eats a lot of tuna and salmon at home, when I eat out, I tend to prefer white fish. Swordfish is perfect as it has a "steak-like" preparation and very filling. This one was cooked very well, the rice pilaf has a nice flavor to it and the veggies are cooked just right. Next time I'd ask for the fruit salsa on the side as it doesn't do much for the dish. Other popular dishes our party got was the seafood pasta and definitely check out their daily specials

My wife and I love the Harborside and gave been going there for years…read more The blackened salmon dinner with lemon butter caper sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans is excellent and last night we had the fresh swordfish which was fantastic! The service is always great, the ambiance being right on the water is first class and the prices are very good. I highly recommend it.

I photographed a wedding here a few weekends ago. It was a bit of a overcast day but the wedding…read morewas still lovely. The couple had their guests brought to the club via duffy boats from the island after their church ceremony. A few things to note if you're planning a wedding here: other boats and groups of people with still have access to the area, and therefore will be in some of your photos. Our party got lots of cheers and shouts from passersby. Not ideal if you want privacy but our couple didn't seem to mind.

Went there for dinner during the holidays. Dinner and atmosphere was nice. Service was really good.read more

We had a wonderful time at the after walk Christmas party in the Newport theater…read more The band was amazing ! They played all the old classics , rock 'n' roll.... Unlimited beef, pork and chicken yummy tacos ! The cocktails were flowing , However, the wine that they offered was definitely a no Bueno for me . It was from Lodi. Festive night , Christmas cheer

New Port Theater is worth all the hype. The staff is amazing and so accommodating, Celina…read moreespecially is an absolute sweetheart. Additionally, Marty is the kindest person I've met in a long time. The Christmas after-party was filled with only good vibes and everyone was having the time of their lives and enjoying the music and ambiance! Food was to die for! Five stars all the way.

We stayed for several days before the Memorial weekend, so we experienced only one day of the…read moreactual busy portion of the holiday weekend. Good things: We thought the bathrooms and showers were very clean. The food at Moes was good as were the drinks. The store was well-stocked with toys, food, and clothing. The pool and jacuzzi were great, and the kids loved them. Kids' activities and games were plentiful, and they also enjoyed the playground. Staff was helpful in the office. Security was present and doing lots of rounds the first two nights (did not see them the busy Friday night). The camp was VERY, impressively, quiet at night. Middling things (mind you, the campground is not in control of these!): the sand is not soft sand like at the coastal beaches. Kids will probably need shoes for the shells and rocks, and it's packed super hard. The campground is under the flight path of John Wayne airport, so expect to know when it's 7 am each day since that's when the planes begin roaring overhead. Not-so-great things: the sites are super close together. Yes, you will be packed in like sardines, especially in the "standard" back row sites, which were completely filled when we visited. It is hard to back in when trucks are parked along the road, in front of the tiny sites- there is VERY little room for error. The sites are ALL DIRT, which I did not think would be so bad until I lived it. (Never again, unless I buy some turf at some point.) When campers dump their waste, expect to get some whiffs. (Many reviews note something about the angle of the dump/hose- we don't have a bathroom in our trailer so I can't attest to that issue.) Finally, the single biggest deal breaker for us was the allowed use of wood burning fire pits at sites. Since everyone is crammed in there, people burning wood on Friday night resulted in the paths and trailers and even the bathrooms being filled with smoke. They should only allow gas burning fire pits! So yeah- if we return it will only ever be mid week and preferably in the off-season.

Unfortunately, my experience at the market was extremely disappointing. I approached an employee…read morewith a simple question regarding holiday weekend events happening at the Dunes and was met with rude, dismissive, and unprofessional behavior. The employee appeared completely untrained, offered no helpful information, and acted inconvenienced by a basic customer inquiry. Customer service and professionalism matter, especially during busy holiday weekends when visitors are looking for guidance and support. I hope management takes customer experience more seriously moving forward and provides better staff training.

These are just fun to do and so California. They are very hard to book so if you happen to snag…read moreone, it's definitely worth a visit. They have a checkin area where you can unload all your stuff as well before moving your car to the parking lot. The cottages have a microwave & a refrigerator with a sink. You can't use the stove/oven, just FYI. I did a 1 nighter in a shared cottage in November. It was cooler weather and we were in the white house upstairs. We had the loft and another party had the side room. We have no issues sharing the common space and it was fun to experience. This April, I scored a 2 night in cottage 4B on the only rainy/gloomy weekend we've had here. Of all the luck. Within 6days of reservation date, you lose 1 night stay so it was sunk cost so I went ahead and did both nights. Easy to check in and checkout. If you are down the hill, you can get a ride on the golf carts which are very nice. 2 cars overnight as well per cabin. Rooms were clean. There is no AC so be prepared depending on your weather. I wanted to leave windows open but most don't have a screen so you get bugs and I was afraid of critters coming in. (Saw it on a youtube from someone. ) Each cottage is different but great to get away. Beautiful location! SYOY!

Ok. I grew up in Orange County and only found out about place this a couple of months ago…read more The history of the cottages is way too long to go into here, but it is very interesting. Currently there are full cottages (like an Airbnb), dorms (private rooms with shared living space),and three ADA cottages. The prices range from $53 -$338 per space, per night, all year. Reservations for the cottages open up 6 months in advance at 8am, and the dorms open up 1 month in advance at 8am. The max time length is 7 days, per reservation. They are located right on the beach in Crystal cove, with full kitchens, bedding, towels, and toilet paper. The views are GORGEOUS!!! Lots of windows, and there is nothing like falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing. We stayed in 29B which is the loft inside building 29 (4 twin beds and private bath downstairs) so cute, so comfortable, and just a lovely stay! The Beachcomber restaurant is located right on the beach as well, serving breakfast lunch and dinner. SUPER packed in summer, not such much in winter. There is a snack bar area, a couple historical building, and a souvenir shop adjacent to the restaurant. The Shake Shack is up at the top of the cliff, up a huge flight of stairs, on PCH. There is also a private meeting room located next to the reg office if you wanted to host a meeting overlooking the ocean. PLEASE NOTE FOR PARKING: the reg office is located past the ranger station, and you have to drive up there to get your keys and unload your car. Then you are given a parking permit, and have to drive your car across the street (PCH) and walk back to the cottage area, about a 10 min walk with minor hills. For the ADA cottages, you can park very close to the cottage. PRO-TIP: bring your own coffee cups, plates, silverware. Very limited in the cabin

Came in to check things out and it was really crowded!!…read more They have plenty of games and lots of games that dispense tickets to redeem prizes. The prices of the credit vary on amount and it can get quite expensive, the prizes are not worth the credit we spend but that isn't the point of the prizes. Also you get a reusable card which I think if you come often to make sure to bring it and just refill the amount to waive the new card activation fee. We didn't get to stay long to play the games we wanted since it was crowded and the game we wanted was pretty popular. Would like to try again next time and will bring our card for a refill!

Arcade with a view of Newport Harbor? Yes please…read more This is a great little family owned and operated arcade in the Balboa Fun Zone. Pro tip: If you need more than one card (so each kid can have their own), you can select the number of cards you need, and then the total amount with bonus credits, and it will automatically split the total credits among each card. This lets you maximize your bonus credits. Nice!

I've been in the wedding industry for nearly two decades, and even so, planning my own wedding felt…read moreoverwhelming at first. That changed immediately once I found The Harborside Ballroom. From the first walkthrough, so many of my nerves were put at ease. Corey hosted my initial walkthrough, and Marisa led the second when I brought my fiancé. From the moment we chose Harborside, the entire process was seamless. From pre event planning to day of execution, Marisa and Corey were exceptional. They were patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely great to work with. Our wedding was truly amazing and would not have been possible without the incredible Harborside team. Communication was clear, flexibility was never an issue, the food was excellent, and the staff executed flawlessly. I genuinely wish every venue operated this way. A huge thank you to Marisa, Corey, and the entire team at The Harborside Ballroom and Harborside Restaurant. A great view, great food, and a great team absolutely exist, and you'll find all three at Harborside. -D & J

Love this venue and the staff. Shout out to Marisa and Cory for being rockstars. The non profit I…read morevolunteer for has been using this venue for easily 10 years for our fundraiser and it never disappoints. The food menu/options are plentiful and the views are unbeatable. I have been here for other events as well and I am never let down. The only thing that's slightly negative is the lack of onsite parking but luckily the valet saves the day.