Laguna or Huntington Beach

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Tangerine302
Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
in Chit-Chat
If you had to pick and why? Or both? I would love to be able to drive there, but it would be a flight, hotel, etc. I have been looking at the travel sites all morning. :) Is anyone familiar with the area?

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  • jessicagraves1212
    jessicagraves1212 Posts: 24 Member
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    both, i grew up in huntington and live right around laguna now.
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
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    San Diego. :happy:
  • trybefan
    trybefan Posts: 488 Member
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    I was just at Hunington Beach, love it! I am from Cali, but dont recall ever going to Laguna. If possible, go to Redondo Beach...the pier their is awesome!
  • Murphy15
    Murphy15 Posts: 142
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    If it's between the 2, go to Laguna. But the place you really should go is Newport!
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    They're not too far apart, so visit both!

    I would pick Huntington Beah in general, though, because I like the "vibe" more. Laguna is a bit too conservative for me. It's very, very pretty (and there are some great little restaurant and art shops along the coast).

    Main Street in Huntington Beach is just a lot of fun... good restaurants/bars (candy shop!) and a nice pier/beach with volleyball and such.

    My favorite areas in the L.A. area are Santa Monica (3rd Street Promenade and the Santa Monica pier) and Venice Beach (very bohemian).
  • usedasbrandnew
    usedasbrandnew Posts: 300 Member
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    I've never been to Huntington, but I loved Laguna Beach. Las Brisas is an Ah-Mazing restaurant, and the cove (indented beach?) is gorgeous with the cliffs, pelican rock and whatnot. Very posh with lots of little shops. Also, lots of tiny ladies (and gentlemen) jogging around... so bring extra confidence. ;)
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
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    Corona Del Mar
  • Kekibird
    Kekibird Posts: 1,122 Member
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    I love Huntington Beach because it's big, accessible and there is a lot to see and do. It stretches pretty far so if it's crowded in one area you just pop down a little further for a less busy spot.

    I like Laguna but I always struggle with parking and it's in a bit of a pricey area.

    We go to Laguna only for special occassions like brunch at Las Brisas for Mother's Day.

    Huntington is more of an everyday kind of beachy location.
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    I was just at Hunington Beach, love it! I am from Cali, but dont recall ever going to Laguna. If possible, go to Redondo Beach...the pier their is awesome!

    South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach is nice, too.
  • Murphy15
    Murphy15 Posts: 142
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    There are A LOT of bros in Huntington...fair warning :)
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    There are A LOT of bros in Huntington...fair warning :)

    ^^^ All the more reason to pick Huntington! lol
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    do either? Its like a 15 minute drive to get from one to the other.
  • Tangerine302
    Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Wow! You are quick! Thank you so much! :) I guess my next question is would a car rental probably be a must? I was reading about transportation and saw something about a trolly or bus in the summer? Probably would be best to cover more ground. :) Any other ideas on what to do is very welcome! Thanks again for your help!
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
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    I was just at Hunington Beach, love it! I am from Cali, but dont recall ever going to Laguna. If possible, go to Redondo Beach...the pier their is awesome!

    South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach is nice, too.

    Rent a car, then you can go to Redondo Beach too.
  • Tangerine302
    Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
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    I've written down everything all of you have said. Thank you so much for all of your ideas! :) It really helps when you haven't been there to get some help from those who have. I like trip advisor too. I've been reading so much about these places. Sounds so fun! :) We used to go to Santa Cruz all the time when I was little and Carmel/Monterey. Have moved away from CA and am not really familiar with everything now. :)
  • adamb83
    adamb83 Posts: 719 Member
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    Of course, Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm will also be very nearby.

    Disneyland is in Anaheim and Knott's Berry Farm is in Buena Park. Both will be within a half hour drive of the Huntington Beach area.

    You could also head up to Long Beach to visit the Queen Mary, Belmont Shore, and the Aquarium of the Pacific (which is pretty cool).
  • Tangerine302
    Tangerine302 Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Thank you so much! :) I've been reading so much about everything there. Have been looking at hotels too. Still deciding on whether to get one close to the beach or one that's a bit further and less expensive. If you had to drive a bit, can you park pretty easily? If it would be a June trip, would it be warm enough to get in the water? They talk about it not warming up until later in the day or even later in the summer?
    Thanks again. :)
  • GlitterGoldJem
    GlitterGoldJem Posts: 73 Member
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    I was in Huntington Beach after college for an internship (short lived, long story) but my time there was great! The people were great and I just loved the relaxed nature of the city, it wasn't "fake" like some parts of Cali can be. It's about a 40 minute drive to LA depending on traffic which is nice too.

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