Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

This guest blog arrived in my email box last night and I am so grateful it did because I did not have a post ready for today!  Emma got hit with a bad respiratory virus early this week, then baby Morgan got it a few days later.  Awful! The only thing worse than one sick kid is two sick kids!  So thank you Katie from OC Mom’s Activity Guide for saving my day and giving me a fabulous guest post!

OC Mom’s Activity Guide is a fabulous local blog dedicated to {you guessed it!} fun activities and favorite finds for OC moms and their families.  Katie wrote some great tips on taking your kids tide pooling in Orange County.

Here is what Katie writes…

“The beach has always been a destination for our family.  To be honest my oldest sons’ first trip to the beach was when he was less than a week old, ok… so he never left the Baby Bjorn, but still he was at the beach.

Once the boys were steady on their feet and able to explore a bit, we found ourselves venturing in to the world of tide pooling.  We absolutely love checking out the tide pools to see what kind of sea creatures we can find, whether it is a sea anemone, a crab or some other fish, there is always something fun to find and the boys never get tired of it.

We have fabulous beaches to explore here in Southern California, places like Aliso Creek Beach, Crystal Cove (on the border of Newport and Laguna), Montage Beach and more.

The biggest piece of advice I have is to be sure to check when low tide is (you can do this on any weather website or weather App for your phone), it will make or break your adventure.  If you can time it just right to hit the beach at low tide, you will have the best opportunity to scope out the best tide pools.

Items I recommend you bring…

*  Sunscreen (even on cloudy days)

*  Water sandals or flip flops for those with sensitive feet

*  Towels, swimsuits, etc. in case you get caught off guard by a wave

*  I also recommend a life vest for the little ones if you are taking more than one kid.  It will give you peace of mind; this is from first-hand experience!

This picture above is from our recent trek to Crystal Cove Beach.  It’s quite a walk down (and parking costs $15), but even in the peak summer months, it isn’t super crowded.   At low tide there are TONS of exposed tide pools that the kids love exploring.”

Thanks again Katie!!!  We actually just visited Crystal Cove by the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages for a beach day last weekend. See Wednesday’s post with our adventures at the beach with a one-year-old! I also did a post eons ago about this beach…One of our favorite kid beaches in OC!  Next time we will have to check out the tide pooling with your great tips!

Where’s YOUR favorite beach in OC?

Katie is a full time working wife and mother of two active boys. When they aren’t riding the roller coasters at Disneyland or exploring the beaches, you can find Katie writing over at OCMomActivities. Find her on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

My mom read about Strand Vista Park opening in Dana Point in the OC Register this weekend, so we headed on down to check it out! Such an AMAZING outing for the family!  However, it was a little confusing to find information on how to find exactly where it is, so  I am going to make it easy on you!

Coming from PCH in Dana Point, turn towards the beach at the light “Selva Road.”  Click HERE for a general map of the area. Follow the street until you see a beach parking lot titled “Salt Creek Beach Park.”  We were there around 4pm on a Saturday, and the gates were open and parking was free.

If you are interested in riding the funicular (new term for me – it is a cliff railway – an elevator type of thing that you can ride down to the beach), park as far as you can to the right.   This was a huge hit with my daughter.

All along the top of the cliffs right off the parking lot is a pretty walking path above Strands Beach.  There were then three separate sets of stairs (albeit a LOT of them!) to get down to the beautiful beach, or you can ride the funicular. The funicular is only open on weekends 7am – 5pm during the non-summer season.

We lucked out and no one was waiting to ride it when we got there, so it was a short wait.  It easily fit our double jogger and probably holds probably about 10 – 12 people (without a double jogger that is!)

Once off the funicular at the bottom, there is a small ramp down to the sand, and a short boardwalk connecting to a nice concrete walkway lined with big rocks.  It was a great path for walking with a jogger.   We walked all the way down to the end, where the beach was flanked by a beautiful cove (and a public restroom – but we didn’t try it so I don’t know if it was open). I thought what an awesome spot this would be this summer for a beach day.

Emma had a ball running on the beach, and it was Morgan’s first time putting her little footsies in the sand.  Of course, this ended up in a fistful of sand and pretty much sand everywhere!

Only in Southern California can you have a 3 1/2 year old running on the beach in shorts and a tee and a baby able to sit barefoot in the sand. I love Orange County!

If you go down the funicular with a stroller, make sure to watch the clock.  We barely made the last ride up at 5pm.  It would have been quite a trek up those stairs with our jogger.  Phew!  The beach was so incredibly beautiful, it is a must-visit.

Aracely, creator of the fabulous blog, Daytrippingmom.com and mother to two little ones ages 4 and 2, sent me this great post on one of her favorite local outings. She writes…

“One of my favorite things about living in Orange County is being in proximity to amazing beaches. My kiddos love the beach and anything related with the ocean. I wanted them to learn about sea life that inhabits our wonderful beaches and decided that a visit to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point would do the trick.

The Ocean Institute is an educational facility that is open to the public only on the weekends. On weekdays the center is exclusively used by students and educators. The Institute is not really a museum or an aquarium, it’s more of a hands-on marine educational center. Call it what you want, this gem is a must visit for your family.

My children loved the Institute from the moment they walked through the doors. The kids marched straight to the tide pool exhibit and had the opportunity to touch starfish and sea cucumbers. They loved learning about the different sea life that is found in our local tide pools . They also had a special craft area set up for the kids that was also a big hit with my daughter. My son was in love with the remote operated vehicle display. My husband and I couldn’t tear him away!! My husband loved the octopus and jellyfish display. I was intrigued because I had never seen any close up. My personal favorite was being able to touch starfish and sea cucumbers. The cucumbers feel like squishy sponges!! The Institute also offers story time for the little ones a couple of times a day.

I loved the individual attention that we received from the Institutes’s staff. Everyone was very friendly, provided us with valuable information and answered all of our questions. I love that the center caters to people of all ages. Whether your family is made up of toddlers or teenagers or anything in between, everyone will find something of interest at this great place. We paid a visit to the Institute on Saturday, however if you visit on a Sunday, you will be treated to look on board the Ocean Institutes’s historic brig Pilgrim, which hosts unique Living History programs based on the book Two Years Before the Mast. If you’re looking for something to do that is fun and educational make sure to plan a visit to The Ocean Institute in Dana Point. You will not be disappointed.

Ocean Institute
24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr.
Dana Point, CA 92629
Phone:(949) 496-2274
Fax: (949) 496-4296

Hours
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00am-3:00pm

Admission
Members: Free
General Admission (13yrs +): $6.50
Youth (3yrs – 12yrs): $4.50
Kids (2yrs and under): Free”

We recently realized we have not taken a family vacation in the last three years since we had our daughter! Seeing that our days of being a family of three are limited and traveling somewhere in my 3rd trimester was not a good idea, we thought it would be fun to do a local staycation! We called it our “Siblingmoon” as it would be the last time the three of us would get dedicated time together. No offense to Little Sister on the way, but we thought it would be special to do one last trip before she joins us!

So early this week, my husband took off work, we both totally “unplugged” and ventured off to the beautiful Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa for two nights.  The property recently opened Slyders, an extraordinary $4 million dollar activities pool and water playground, the only one of its kind along the OC coast. 

Can I tell you how wonderful it was to pack up the car and be at our destination in 15 minutes?! It was completely stress-free and EASY! I have to say after having so much fun locally, I don’t know if we would travel far for a family vacation again!

The property is absolutely breathtaking. It is definitely a luxury resort, with an upscale California casual feel, and is incredibly family-friendly. There are several beautiful water fountains on the expansive manicured grounds, a cute little Village with shops and restaurants, and even a Pizzeria and game room. It was fun just letting her run around and explore the property. One night we took the lighthouse bridge over to the beach and took a beautiful walk to the Huntington Beach Pier.

Our room was AMAZING. We stayed in a suite with an ocean view and a wonderful balcony where we had breakfast each morning. There is really nothing better than breakfast with an ocean breeze! Staying in a suite made it so nice as we could put our daughter down for bed while my husband and I could stay up and play cards (we LOVE cribbage – and only play on vacation!) without waking her. It was so ultra-relaxing….oh just typing this makes me want to go back!

Let me tell you about Slyders.  It is, simply put, family paradise! With the exception of taking about a 30 minute break for lunch, my daughter was in the water for probably seven straight hours! It has many features to keep little ones and parents entertained throughout the day – 3 water slides, two fire pits, a pool cafe and bar, a toddler wading pool and oversized Jacuzzi.

Throughout the day, our daughter “rotated” from one pool feature to the next. First she would play around in the one foot wading pool (PERFECT for little ones!), then she would want to play in the big pool, then into the massive Jacquzzi to warm up.  Since my belly rendered me un-waterslidable, my husband took her down the little waterslide about a hundred times. She just couldn’t get enough! She also loved the inner tubes and baby floats the pool had for the kids. You don’t even have to pack your pool toys! We literally had to drag her up to the hotel room at the end of the day, she didn’t want to leave.

On the second day we had a few local friends to visit and rented a cabana to celebrate her birthday. Yes, you can host a pool party at this hotel! Isn’t that awesome? Their pool party packages are so fabulous, it warrants its own post. I will do one next week – stay tuned!

I could go on and on about how amazing the resort is and how much fun we had. I wish we had more time to take advantage of everything the hotel had to offer! They have Camp Hyatt and SophistiKids programs for kids, beach cruiser rentals, Beach Butler service, pool activities like “Dive-In Movies” at night, fire pits for roasting s’mores by the pool or on the beach (s’mores kits available at the grocer in the Village), and the list goes on and on. I guess we just have to go back and make this a yearly tradition!

AND, for locals, starting Sept. 8th (after Labor Day), you will be able to purchase day passes to Slyders Pool! Cost is $15/child (kids 2 and under free)and $25/adult. It includes access to the pool for the day as well as reduced valet parking rate of $6. Definitely something to keep on your radar, as this pool would be such a fun place to take your family, especially with our gorgeous Fall weather.

So, if you are wanting to get away this summer, but don’t want to spend the money to fly or drive some place far away, the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa is the IDEAL destination for a memorable family staycation! 

At the risk of sounding corny, but I truly believe it, this was one of the most special times we have shared together as a family. I will carry the memories of our stay there for a long time to come.

Have a great weekend everyone! Here are some pics of our adventures at the Hyatt!

Grab your jogger, load up the kiddos and take a walk back in time!  If you are looking for a fun outing, we love visiting Crystal Cove and looking at the refurbished vintage beach cottages.  To get there, park in the public lot at the “Los Trancos” light off PCH. In the peak months and weekends it is $10/day to park, but most times we have been there during the week, and the parking is free.  From the parking lot, there is a shuttle that runs down to the beach through the Beachcomber Restaurant for $1/pp or you can take the walking path down under the freeway. The kids can explore the beach and adjacent tide pools, and you can walk along the beach and check out the cottages. Make sure to take the road (or wooden staircase) up top where it says “check in” and you can enjoy the view from a huge wooden deck and get more information on renting the cottages.  My family has stayed down in the cottages many times, and it is amazing.  You feel like you are in another world.  Visit www.crystalcovebeachcottages.org for more information.

{2 images above from www.daytrippen.com – Featuring lots of fabulous Southern California Day Trips!}