Stay, Play & Eat in Newport Beach

“The only trip you will regret is the one you don’t take.”

We live within 20 minutes of Newport Beach, a wonderful vacation destination for locals and non-locals alike. There are miles and miles of beautiful coastlines, fun family activities, great places to eat and it’s close to so many other great places in Orange County. In this blog post you will find a great place to stay, wonderful places to play and delicious places to eat.

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STAY: We were recently hosted by Newport Beach Vacation Properties in a house on Balboa Island (one of our favorite places in Newport). It was right on the bay front and a perfect place to watch the sunset. The house is gorgeous and a perfect spot for a staycation or vacation! Newport Beach Vacation Properties have multiple locations in Newport that you can check for availability, or for our exact listing click HERE. We were there for two nights, but I feel like we could have used at least one more night. Here are some photo’s of our location…

This house has 3 bedrooms, but could sleep 4 adults and 4 children because of the double bunk beds, plus it has 3.5 baths.

The views from the master bedroom were gorgeous! I loved watching the boats come in and out of the back bay, plus it was easy access to paddle board or kayak. The house also included 2 adult bikes, a paddle board and sand toys, so you really didn’t have to pack as much.

***Make sure to use code Jenny10 for 10% off your next visit!!***

PLAY: There are so many places to go and things to do in and around Newport it is very difficult to narrow it down. Here are some of our favorites…

*Beach – There are tons of great beach spots in Newport, you really can’t loose. We love the Balboa Peninsula, Corona Del Mar and Crystal Cove.

*Bike – Grab your bike (or rent some) and ride along the Newport pier. It’s a two lane paved path that is perfect for the entire family. You can also take a ferry from Balboa Peninsula to Balboa Island (or vise versa), which is super fun for kids. Once on Balboa Island you are not allowed to use your bike on the outside path, but you can take side streets to head over to the Main Street for food and shopping.

*Paddle Board – This is a new found love for our family. We first tried paddle boarding in Hawaii and had a blast. It’s best to do it in calm waters and not on a windy day, otherwise you feel like you may tip over or have to work twice as hard to paddle anywhere.

*Duffy Boat – We have been taking Duffy boat rides in Newport before kids ever came along. Great for date nights, birthday parties, or just because. There are quite a few places to rent a Duffy boat, but we love to pick one up in the Lido Marina Village.

*Shop – Fashion Island is one of the nicest outdoor malls in Orange County. You can find exclusive shops and departments stores, as well as plenty of places to eat. If malls are not your thing, you can head to Lido Marina Village for shopping and food or the Main Street of Balboa Island. This quaint street is filled with small boutique’s, restaurants, candy shop and the best frozen banana treats.

*Parks – One of our favorite parks in Orange County is Marina Park. On a warm day you can play, then run to the water and let the kids go for a swim in the bay.

EAT: There are so many yummy places to eat, here are our favorite’s…

*Beachcomber – Go for breakfast/brunch and make a reservation! You can book 30 days in advance and breakfast time slots go fast, so do not delay. Make sure to order the beignets, if you have more than 4 people you will need two orders!;) We go every year for my birthday and because it is right on the beach you can stay and play afterwards. Parking is off of PCH and then you can either take a shuttle or walk down the hill, through a tunnel, then right to the restaurant.

*Lighthouse Cafe – We went for brunch (can you tell you like breakfast food) and it was really good. But I saw the menu for their Taco Tuesday and it looked super yummy!!

*Ruby’s – I know what you are probably thinking, Ruby’s?!? But our kids love eating here for the grilled cheese, fries and milkshakes. Plus, they love the atmosphere and the little cars you get to make while waiting for food. Kids eat FREE on Tuesday’s. I like the bacon burger on a gluten free bun.

*Mayor’s Table at Lido House – A great place for lunch or dinner, especially for a date night. Great atmosphere and yummy food!!

*Other notable favorites – Lavantina’s for fast pizza, Pizzeria Mozza, Mama D’s Italian Kitchen, or Cia for Italian, Ho Sum Bistro for salad’s/California Cuisine, Haute Cakes for breakfast, Rose’s Bakery for quick breakfast/lunch, Plum’s Cafe, Bear Flag for fresh fish, Malibu Farm Lido, Bandera for a nicer date night and Crocker’s.

Other Activities that are within a short distance from Newport Beach: (always check navigation times for traffic)

*Disneyland, California Adventure & Downtown Disney (20 min drive)

*Discovery Cube (15 min drive) hands on science learning center for children of all ages.

*Irvine Spectrum (15 min drive) outdoor mall with Ferris wheel and carousel.

*Knott’s Berry Farm (20 min drive)

*Pirates Dinner Adventure (20 min drive) fun, interactive, pirate dinner show

*Legoland (about an hour drive)

What do you think? If you have been to Newport, did I leave anything out? If you haven’t been, what are you waiting for?;) For more info on other fun things in Orange County, check out these posts HERE.