Vacation somewhere along the CA coast in Feb.

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<p><a href=“Laguna Beach, CA Vacation Rentals: house rentals & more | Vrbo”>http://www.vrbo.com/398643&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>This place would be perfect if it is in your budget. You would love Laguna Beach. About an hour from LA, some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, nice people, great hiking, sophisticated shopping and restaurants. </p>

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<p>Ooooh… I like that one! Am going to send the link to my daughters and see what they think! It meets all the criteria (and is at the top end of the budget, but doable).</p>

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<p>Have you seen these?</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/california/orange-county/dana-point[/url]”>http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/california/orange-county/dana-point&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>When my boys were young, one of our favorite vacations was The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. Right on the water…private beach, swimming pool, tennis courts …just don’t know if they allow pets. I remember thinking my dog would have loved it there. They have 3 bedroom suites with full kitchens. Now…it isn’t posh…but that was nice. No worries about tracking in a little sand. Here’s a link to a 3 bdrm suite… <a href=“http://www.ljbtc.com/GuestRooms?ssid=212819”>http://www.ljbtc.com/GuestRooms?ssid=212819&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>So many beautiful spots. Enjoy your trip!</p>

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<p>I agree Dr Google about Laguna Beach. It is lovely. We stayed in one of the hotels walking distance to downtown and it was beautiful. I’m happiest if I don’t have to get in the car to do everything.
Laguna is also a good spot for further exploration. You can head to Long Beach to visit the aquarium or take a ferry out to Catalina Island for the day. I seem to recall a great dog beach I think nearby in Huntington Beach.
You also have several smaller airport alternatives to LAX. Orange County and Long Beach are both easy airports.
That beach house looks amazing.</p>

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<p>Catalina Island tip:
Take Dramamine.</p>

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<p>I agree that Laguna beach should definitely be in the running! We had a nice day visit there a few years ago.</p>

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<p>OP,
I have lived in CA for over 35 years, in both NorCal and SoCal, including Santa Barbara, LA and Orange County. Santa Barbara is most definitely colder than other parts of the SoCal; on average, probably 10 degrees cooler. If you are looking for warmth in Feb., I would stay in LA or OC. The OC can often have the best weather as compared to LA and SD, it is significantly closer to LA than SD, and your offspring will love the excuse to spend time in Newport Beach/Laguna Beach - they are considered “cool” destinations for the LA crowd. </p>

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<p>Cool LA crowd. You might see Kobe Bryant in his Bentley around Pelican Hill which is near Crystal Cove.</p>

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<p>Also like the Dana Point place! Talked to D1 about an hour ago. She doesn’t care where we go as long as it’s warm. I was kind of hoping they’d have a strong preference so I wouldn’t have to make the decision.</p>

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<p>@nottelling - can you elaborate on the ‘great hiking’ part of Laguna Beach? How far do you have to drive to do some good hiking? And I assume you’re talking about real hiking as opposed to walking along the beach? What else can you tell me about the Laguna Beach area? (I guess I can google it, or check it out on Trip Advisor)</p>

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<p>Crystal Cove State Park has good hiking.</p>

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<p>Laguna is surrounded by hills, sort of like Malibu or Santa Barbara (though the hills dont lead to mountains). There are a number of canyons with hiking trails. There are no big trees like on the Oregon coast or in Northern California; the vegetation on the trails is mostly scrub, with a few live oaks (California Oaks) here and there. Also prickly pear cactuses. The pay off comes from the sweeping views of the coast at the top of the trails. There is lots of wild sage and rosemary so it smells nice, too. In February, if we’ve had some rain, there might be the beginnings of some wildflowers. </p>

<p>Dr Google is right that Crystal Cove state park (~ 5 miles from that house I linked to) has nice trails. There are a number of other areas with hiking trails up the hills or into canyons. There is a nice hike to a waterfall but I can’t remember where right now; I’ll see if I can find it.</p>

<p>More general info on Laguna – the geography is similar to Santa Barbara or La Jolla – beaches are set against bluffs, with many rocky coves to explore. There are lots of tidepools and there is pretty decent snorkeling when the water is clear (not stormy). The coastline curves dramatically so there are tons on stunning views. You will definitely see dolphins in the water in front of that place I linked to. I actually like it better than Santa Barbara because in Santa Barbara the 101 freeway divides the beach from the town but that is not the case there. Also, there is a lot more kelp washed up on the beach in Santa Barbara, and more “oil islands” (drilling platforms in the ocean) marring the view. </p>

<p>What else would you like to know? It is considered an “arty” place, mostly because it was the birthplace of the California plein air movement in the early 20th century and a big crafts revival in the 1950s thru 70s. There are still a lot of artists there; the town cultivates that vibe. There’s a decent small art museum that focuses on California art. </p>

<p>It is a very wealthy area but I would say that there is less conspicuous consumption than in the neighboring towns like Newport Beach or Dana Point. Lots of rich folks in Laguna have a surfer/ artist attitude. It has always been a very tolerant place; as with San Francisco, it was one of the enclaves of tolerance toward gays in the mid-20th century and an important place in the gay rights movement. </p>

<p>What else? Stand-up paddle boarding is very popular there. You can also sign up for ocean kayaking tours of the coastline.</p>

<p>There are lots of upscale non-chain and non-touristy boutiques. And lots of good restaurants. (Also a lot of touristy boutiques and galleries but you can avoid those).</p>

<p>Lots of dogs.</p>

<p>I’m pretty sure you could get away with dogs on the beach at that place I linked to, especially in Feb. The beaches will be deserted in Feb by the way, except for by surfers. </p>

<p>It is really a special place. I’ve spent a lot of time there and would be happy to answer any additional questions. </p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com/onstage/2015/mainstage/index.php”>Laguna Playhouse - Unavailable;

<p><a href=“http://www.scr.org/plays/season-at-a-glance”>http://www.scr.org/plays/season-at-a-glance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://orangecounty.broadway.com/shows/tickets/”>http://orangecounty.broadway.com/shows/tickets/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Thank you SO much! That description gives me a much better perspective of what to expect. I have never tried to paddle board and that would be so much fun to try. Reminder to self - tell trainer tomorrow that from here on out, we must work more on core strength so that I don’t look like a fool trying to paddle board! The ocean kayaking also sounds like fun. I actually drove out to LA over Labor Day weekend by myself - D2 was buying H’s car and I volunteered to drive it out. I stopped at a rest stop at Glenwood Canyon in Colorado, and found some incredible views - realized I’d never really been in a canyon like that before. Anyway, there were all kinds of activities going on along the river (rafting, fly fishing, etc.), and I actually saw two guys depart the river banks on their paddle boards, heading downstream! I had to look twice - I guess that would be considered extreme paddle boarding!</p>

<p>I have actually emailed a friend of mine (who I wouldn’t have met if it hadn’t been through CC, although I don’t think she really visits the site anymore) who lives in the OC. She knows D2 and I well enough to opine whether Laguna Beach or Dana Point would fit us best (hey, on CC, we’re all about the best fit, right?). She’s the one who actually told me about Cannon Beach years ago, and I’ve now been there twice. </p>

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<p>One thing I forgot to say – Keep in mind that the Southern California coastline from Ventura down through Southern Orange County is very developed. It is suburban sprawl all the way. It is not like the Oregon Coast. Laguna, like Malibu, is part of the greater-Los Angeles suburban sprawl; don’t want to mislead you there. If you want to escape that, you really have to venture farther up the California coast, to, say, Los Osos near San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay. But that’s 4+ hours from LA.</p>

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<p>One final thought: if I had to sum up Laguna with a single image it would be: doing yoga on your stand-up paddleboard with your dog on the nose of the board in the most beautiful cove you’ve ever seen. Oh yeah, and a dolphin frolicking next to you.</p>

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<p>Well, I’ll be doing good if I can stand up on my feet on a paddle board without falling… while still on land! (but I’m going to work on that). </p>

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<p>If you want a warm beach in California, you do want to stick to Southern California. Here are a couple of links that give a general idea.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.fintalk.com/resources/sst/westcoast/southerncali.html”>http://www.fintalk.com/resources/sst/westcoast/southerncali.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“California Ocean Temperatures Monthly Average”>http://www.seecalifornia.com/weather/california-ocean-temperatures.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;