Where's the best place to spend a lazy summer afternoon?

As a local, it's a question I'm asked constantly, June through September. "Where's the best place to spend a lazy summer afternoon?" I should be more beach-savvy than I am. I really should. I mean, I've lived here my entire life. And I'm always at a loss. But I think it's because I've been hiding my favorite spot like some kind of buried treasure. So I'm gonna remedy that right now.

I know I know I know what you’re thinking. I’m supposed to be the resident nightlife queen, and here I am, ready to gush about a lazy summer day. But seriously, have you felt the weather here lately? It’s kinda perfect. Like all-I-wanna-do-is-swim-sun-and-siesta perfect. Like popsicle-dripping-on-my-beach-towel perfect. Like I-actually-had-to-invest-in-a-solid-shade-hat perfect. Like I-wanna-play-hooky-from-work-on-a-Wednesday-and-leave-my-iPhone-at-home perfect (Shhh… don’t tell my boss, please. Who is obviously reading this. Crap.) Let’s be honest though – of COURSE I brought my iPhone. Otherwise, how could I show you how rad yesterday was? It was ridiculously rad. Best part? I barely spent a dime.

So I had to work in the AM, which could usually prove to be a drag for beach-goers. My partner in crime and I didn’t even make it onto the road till almost 2pm (and as you may or may not already know, base camp is here in Downtown LA). But the drive down to Laguna Beach was pretty blissful. My car totally rules and who can complain about driving with the sun roof open, blasting Grizzly Bear on a gorgeous summer day? I definitely can’t. And by the time we made it to the OC, the marine layer had burned off and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

But it still wasn’t beach o’clock. It was taco time first and foremost. There are several sweet spots in Laguna, but my personal fave is Taco Loco. It’s got plenty of chicken and fish options for the meat eaters. And with the to-die-for Blackened Tofu Mushroom Burger (a staple for me during the past decade) and a couple of ' /'>Veggie Phish Tacos, even us vegans are stuffed within minutes. Did I mention their sinfully-chunky guac? Yum yum yum. Oh, and did I mention I’m an avocado-phile? Cuz I am.

Right, I guess since this post is “supposed” to be about my day at the beach, not about food (bummer...), so I’ll get on with it. It makes me a little nervous to let you in on our secret spot, because honestly, it is so unknown and unspoiled that I don’t even tell family members about it. But I’m just so zenned out from yesterday that I’ll spill the beans on just about anything. You’ll find 1,000 Steps off of Pacific Coast Highway and 9th Avenue in South Laguna Beach. There aren’t exactly a thousand steps to get down to this hidden gem, but there ARE 200+. They aren’t too tough to navigate down, but I always seem to push from my memory that trek back up at the end of the day. Yikes.

Oh, but it is soooooo worth it. This cozy little cove is rarely packed, even on so-called busy days. It’s mos def a locals-only locale, so you better adopt a laid-lack "So Lag" (that’s South Laguna, folks) vibe to fit in. And you better adopt a LNT mentality (that’s Leave No Trace. And really, you better practice that EVERYWHERE and AT ALL TIMES, no matter what. Pack it in, pack it out. Your mommy isn’t here to pick up your trash. Seriously). The crowd here is usually pretty young: pre-teen skimboarders seem to love it, so do families with small tikes, and the occasional group of high school kids. And apparently, so do tattooed, late 20s, American Apparel sporting vegans – whose idea of fun is reading David Sedaris out loud to her boyfriend while attempting to get a mean tan. Hi, that’s me BTW. And when I say “mean tan” I mean that I’m trying my hardest to transform my pasty Scandinavian-ness into something that begs “I really AM from Southern California. I swear. I don’t live in a cave, no matter what my skin says. It’s a liar.

Just a heads up: the water was a little chilly, but the sun was nice and cooking. The life guard (who isn’t always on duty, so use caution and pay attention to ALL flags and warnings) said that last weekend the water was even warmer than the air. So you never quite know. But you’re a smart cookie, right? You always check out forecasts before you go to get the lowdown on temps, wave height, clarity, etc. I thought so.

salty kisses,
the nightowl (and sometimes, apparently, the beachbirdie)

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