Playing Tourist at Home

I love it when I have visitors. That means that I get to play tourist in my backyard without feeling awkward. Fantastic! And Newport has a lot to offer. A few weeks ago my friend Kathy came down from the Central Valley for a much needed sunny beach weekend. I picked her up Friday afternoon in Long Beach and headed out to Huntington Beach for lunch on the patio at Longboards. It's always good to start a trip out with margaritas. Then it was off on the beach cruisers, because you have to have and ride them here, to explore the Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island.

We rode the boardwalk down to the wedge. Unfortunately it was not very Wedge-y, more like a wading pool than the monstrous beast it can be. If only she had come a week later, the swell was packing.

Then it was off to the Newport Fun Zone to take the ferry across to Balboa Island. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the ferry. Once on Balboa we got Balboa Bars. Here is Kathy with hers at Dads.

After a quick stroll around the island it was back to the bikes for the ferry ride back to the peninsula and our ride home. At home we had some wine before heading out to Sake Sushi to meet another college friend for some amazing Sushi followed by a night of chatting/dancing at Blue Beet.

The next morning my friend headed back to Long Beach to spend the morning with another friend while I went to Nick's company picnic at HB. That evening I headed into Long Beach and got to play tourist, but this time as the tourist not the guide. We let Jacquelyn show us around Belmont Shore (I have only been here a hand-full of times). We had delicious Thai food at a new restaurant (I forgot the name, sorry) then headed to Legends to catch the end of the Chargers game (winners!) and off to Dogz for the rest of the night.

Sunday was spent lazing out at the harbor beach in LB watching some water polo, stand up paddling, and getting tans! Being a tourist in your backyard is great.