Mary Alice is Moving to Southern California

Rex and I were devastated to learn that our dear friends, Mary Alice and her family, are leaving the Roxiticus Valley and moving to Southern California at the end of the school year. The only upside I can see is that we'll be able to visit them once a year, and perhaps Mary Alice can guest post here and keep the Laguna Beach/Orange County blog up to date better than I've been doing lately.

Laguna Beach Shopping: Charles Kelly at Home

One of our favorite stores, within walking distance of the Surf & Sand in Laguna Beach, CA, is Charles Kelly at Home. Phone: 949-494-8431. Location: 1492 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. Charles Kelly carries unique housewares and home furnishings Every year we buy at least one Peacock Alley bath towel, this year Rex also found a Dean & Deluca cookbook. Last year I picked up a copy of "Any Bitch Can Cook," which suits me just fine.

Festival of the Arts/Pageant of the Masters

If you travel to Laguna Beach, CA in late July or sometime in August, be sure to attend the Pageant of the Masters, a really cool event in Laguna Beach that I haven't been to in years. The web site describes it as "ninety minutes of living pictures - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind." The first time I went, over 10 years ago, I was skeptical. I was picturing an Edward Hopper "painting" with a couple of actors hanging around a pool table, but the way to think about it is people as the pixels of the painting.

Best of Laguna Beach, CA

Art Galleries in Laguna Beach, California:

Pacific Edge Gallery has been a favorite since we bought our first Tom Swimm painting almost ten years ago. We just bought Oyster Bar (below) by Susan Cox and Rex hung it today.

Across the street is the William Merrill Gallery, which I find to be a more "sophisticated," New-York-style gallery. We don't own any of their artists, but perhaps it is just a matter of time (and wall space).

I hope to take the girls to California one year in late July or August, in order to attend the Pageant of the Masters, a really cool event in Laguna Beach that I haven't been to in years, since we started our annual February break trips. The web site describes it as "ninety minutes of living pictures - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind." The first time I went, over 10 years ago, I was skeptical. I was picturing an Edward Hopper "painting" with a couple of actors hanging around a pool table, but the way to think about it is people as the pixels of the painting.

Restaurants in Laguna Beach, California:

Dinner at Sorrento Grille: http://www.culinaryadventures.com/restaurants/sorrento/. Way too big delicious appetizers. The girls love the rack of lamb. We never save enough room for the Tin Roof Sundae dessert.

Sunday Brunch at Savannah Chop House: http://www.culinaryadventures.com/restaurants/savannah/laguna_niguel/

The Studio and The Loft at the Montage.

Where to Stay in Laguna Beach, CA:
Despite the fabulous restaurants at the Montage, the Montage is actually away from town, in Laguna Niguel, so our favorite hotel is the Surf and Sand in Laguna Beach. Visit Luxury Link and get a nice low rate for a room in the tower with a full ocean view. Perhaps most importantly, it is right across the street from Koffee Klatch.

First Post -- New Laguna Beach, CA Blog

I'm trying to do a little bit of bloginization over on my primary site, Roxiticus Desperate Housewives. Since Laguna Beach, CA is not really part of the Roxiticus Valley, I thought it was time to give Laguna Beach a space and a blog of its own. I'm hoping to find the time to work on a thorough Best of Directory for Laguna Beach and Orange County, CA: shopping, restaurants, kid stuff....all the things we like to do when we visit every year.