Exploring Dana Point—One Adventure (and Meal!) at a Time

One of my favorite things about traveling is trying new foods and discovering new places, and Jamie and I happen to love most of the same foods. That makes her a pretty perfect travel partner for me!

Trying new restaurants, coffee shops and local favorites became part of our Dana Point adventure.

If you're visiting Dana Point, downtown is a great place to start. Jamie lives right in the heart of it, so we could walk to restaurants, coffee shops and juice bars. Bear Coast Coffee, Philz Coffee, Ruby June Bakery & Coffee, Bon Appétit and Organic Tree Juice Bar were all excellent stops while exploring the area.

And don't overlook the farmers market. Jamie gets the best fruit, yogurt and nuts there. We made yogurt bowls with overnight oats and fresh fruit for breakfast, and the white peaches were incredible! 🍑

Of course, Mike's espresso machine back at the house was still hard to beat. I think I owe him a case of coffee after keeping me caffeinated all week! ☕😂

Dana Point Harbor & Glasspar

Dana Point Harbor should definitely be on your list when visiting the area.

We took a whale-watching boat ride from the Ocean Institute and headed out onto the Pacific. The whales apparently didn't get our invitation that day 😂, but we did see dolphins and sea lions and had a beautiful day on the water.

The harbor is also a great place to walk around, take in the views and enjoy the coastal atmosphere.

For dinner, Glasspar is another place I'd recommend trying. We had an excellent meal there, and since Jamie and I love trying new foods together, it was another fun part of experiencing Dana Point.

Salt Creek Beach & Coastal Kitchen

For a beach day, Salt Creek Beach was one of my favorite places.

We spent time sunbathing, relaxing and enjoying those gorgeous Southern California ocean views. There's also an upscale snack bar/lunch option nearby, making it easy to spend a good part of the day at the beach without having to go far for food.

We also tried Coastal Kitchen, where I had delicious fish tacos.

Beach, sunshine and fish tacos—that feels pretty Southern California to me!

Sunset Dinner at Raya

If you're looking for a special dinner while visiting Dana Point, Raya at The Ritz-Carlton was my favorite.

And that's saying something because we had a lot of fabulous meals!

We had dinner overlooking the ocean as the sun went down, and the entire experience was beautiful.

The food, the view, the sunset and getting to share it with Jamie made it one of those evenings I'll always remember.

If you're celebrating something special—or just want to treat yourself to a memorable Dana Point experience—I would put a sunset dinner at Raya on your list.

Craft House & a Sunset Walk

We also had a fabulous dinner at Craft House.

After dinner, we walked toward the harbor and Lantern District to watch the sunset on our way back.

That's one of my favorite things about Dana Point: you don't necessarily need a big plan. Grab dinner, take a walk and watch the sun disappear over the Pacific.

Sometimes those simple evenings turn into your favorite memories.

A Side Trip to Laguna Beach

Dana Point also makes a great home base for exploring nearby coastal towns.

We headed to Laguna Beach for the Sawdust Art Festival, which was such a fun outing. We wandered through the festival, looked at the art and enjoyed another completely different side of the Southern California coast.

If you're staying in Dana Point and have some extra time, Laguna Beach is an easy side adventure to add to your trip.

More Than Just Beaches

Another thing I loved about our trip was that Jamie planned such a nice mix of activities.

We did Pilates, and on Thursday we went to free Tai Chi in the park.

I loved having those experiences mixed in with the restaurants, beaches and sightseeing.

Farmers-market breakfasts, espresso, Pilates, Tai Chi, dolphins, beach days, fresh juice, great restaurants and ocean sunsets…

I could definitely get used to the Dana Point lifestyle!

And the best part was getting to experience it all with a friend who loves many of the same things I do.

Until Our Next Adventure ❤️

After a wonderful week, it was finally time to head back to Northern California.

Remember that 13-hour “9½-hour” drive down? I wasn't doing that again! 😂

I left Dana Point at midnight and arrived home in Redding at 10:00 a.m.—just 10 hours later. What a difference!

Apparently, the secret to driving between Southern and Northern California is to drive while everyone else is sleeping.

Now that I'm home, I already miss Dana Point—but most of all, I miss my friend Jamie.

Looking back, it's hard to choose a favorite part of the trip. Dinner at sunset at Raya, dolphins on the Pacific, sunbathing at Salt Creek Beach, the Sawdust Art Festival, Pilates and Tai Chi, our Goddess treatment, the comedy club, incredible white peaches, all the new foods we tried…or maybe Mike's endless supply of espresso. ☕😂

But really, my favorite part was getting to experience all of it with Jamie.

I'm so grateful to have a friend who is not only an amazing host, but also such a wonderful travel partner. Jamie put so much thought into planning our week—from the places we ate to the things we experienced—and somehow we still had plenty of time to laugh, relax and simply enjoy being together.

Great places make a trip memorable, but great friends make you want to go back.

I already miss you, Jamie, and I already miss Dana Point.

Here's to good friends, new foods, beautiful places and more adventures together.

Until our next adventure! ❤️

— Sadie

NorCal Trails & Tales