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36 HOURS In Laguna Beach, Calif.
By CHRIS DIXON
Published: December 5, 2003
FOX'S "The O.C." may make all of Orange County look like a vast and arrogant suburb by the sea, but there are still idyllic islands amid the sprawl and bulldozed billion-dollar hillsides. The county's crown jewel is tiny Laguna Beach, set on striking verdant slopes that plunge to the Pacific. Laguna, which started as an artists' colony in the early 1900's, has long been expensive, but the recently opened Montage Resort & Spa, with 262 rooms that start at $450 a night, has upped the luxury quotient considerably. Still, surfers, artists and a large cast of resident eccentrics give Laguna a bohemian edge.
Friday 5 p.m.
1) Visit the High Life
The rooms may be pricey, but two of the Montage's (30801 South Coast Highway, 888-715-6700) major attractions — its sweeping Pacific views and an elegant park filled with native vegetation — are free. Head out to the lobby lounge's deck and enjoy a glass of Cakebread Cellars chardonnay ($16) with the sunset, then stroll the Pacific or Ocean Lawns as the waves crash below you. Read More.... |
