#nabtravels: How to Spend 3 Days in Newport Beach

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say 7 days in Southern California felt like 70, in the best way possible!

For whatever reason I felt like I was there forever. I think it was because I was finally able to be present, especially in Joshua Tree because there’s no cell service (we’ll get to that later), and man oh man did it feel great, but I’m glad to be back to a “normal” routine.

You know when you’re traveling you just feel all outta whack? Like, your workouts never seem as intense, your eating habits are all over the place, and you never get a good night’s sleep because you’re not in your own bed? Yeah, that was my life so I’m glad to be home but also totally get why people drop everything and move to California. It is m a g i c a l.

Anyway, I got a ton of DMs on Instagram about where I went, what I did, and where I ate so I wanted to do a full breakdown here but honestly it’s way too long to combine into one blog post so I’ve separated them out into cities, which, little #blogtip it’s better for your SEO this way anyway.

We spent the majority of our time in Newport Beach because we stayed with a friend there. And I have to be honest it was kind of slow and reminded me of a resort town (when people only vacation there) which I’m not really into. I need like, sensory overload happening at all times.

We also went during January which is apparently the rainy season and let me tell you, it rained most of the time while we were there so if you want sunny skies and 70 degree weather, visit anytime other than the dead of winter. Despite all of that, Newport is an adorable town and I felt like one of the Housewives of Orange County.

where to go in newport beach

Lido Island (very Housewives vibe-y) is an island in Newport that is best for shopping, yachting, and brunching. They have the cutest shops and cafes. Lido is great for bloggers, seriously, I got my best shots there.

The Wedge/Balboa Pier is a major surfing beach allegedly so you know we had to go because of Patricio. There wasn’t really a swell so it was super calm and peaceful but when the water is rippin’ you can go sit on the beach and watch the pros surf. It can get pretty dangerous so I don’t recommend trying to surf there.

On your way to the pier you’ll pass the Colgate Brothers’ Houses, which is to your left if you’re looking at the Wedge. If you know me you know I have a real estate fetish and I’m a Peeping Tom so this was really cool to see. Obviously you don’t want to trespass so just admire the gorgeousness from a distance…

We also checked out the Newport Pier and the beach called Blackie’s, which is actually a super grungy, dive bar along a strip filled with other bars, restaurants, shops, etc. Again because we went in January the strip was pretty quiet but I can imagine it being a good time in the summer.

what to do in newport beach

There are so many hikes in Newport like Crystal Cove Trail, Pacific Ridge Trailhead, Buck Gully Reserve, and Vista Point, which we didn’t really get to do because it was so wet and chilly. We did manage to hike a bit of Crystal Cove to this adorable lunch spot right on the beach, The Beachcomber.

where to eat in newport beach

Sancho’s Tacos – a cute, small Southern California chain restaurant. It’s very casual and you just drop in and get hooked up with tacos in less than 10 minutes. Yes, they do have Taco Tuesday and tacos are cheaper than usual.

Hook n Anchor – a quaint dine in or take-out spot. The atmosphere is pretty casual which seemed to be a theme in Newport and the menu is out of this world. Garlic Parm Lobster Fries and Lobster Sriracha Mac n Cheese?! Are you kidding me?! I got the Lobster Roll with Cajun Fries and omg, I’m like, drooling thinking about it. So good!

The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove – an adorable, low key beach shack. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s a pretty tiny yet cozy little spot right on the beach with an amazing deck that overlooks the ocean – the deck makes it. I got the Albacore Tuna Melt and Soup which was ah-mazing! Really, I didn’t want it to end.

Honor Coffee – reminds me of a hipster cafe in San Fran or Seattle. It’s very trendy and a little more upscale for a coffee shop. I saw a lot of creatives working on their laptops there, which was fun, love seeing hustle. I don’t drink coffee, contrary to this pic, but Pat does so he got an Americana which he said was “better than average” (he’s a coffee snob). I got the gluten free, chocolate cake which was SO good I went there 3 days in a row to get more. If nothing else, a trip for the chocolate cake is worth it.

Have you ever been to any of these places? Tell me about it in the comments below!

xx

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