The English Rose and The Georgia Peach: Island in the Sun

The English Rose and The Georgia Peach: Island in the Sun: The Rose and I picked a beautiful, warm and sunny Southern California day for our midweek excursion. But, wait, we were without a dest...

Island in the Sun

The Rose and I picked a beautiful, warm and sunny Southern California day for our midweek excursion. But, wait, we were without a destination. Knowing we wanted to travel north on Pacific Coast Highway, we put our heads together and opted for Balboa Island (www.balboaisland.com/). OK, so we’ve both been there many times before, but as anyone knows, there’s always something new to be unearthed in the OC’s oceanfront communities.

An undeniably charming seaside sanctuary in Newport Beach, Balboa Island was founded in 1899 when early-day developer W.S. Collins purchased 1,000 acres around Newport Bay for $50,000 and dredged the harbor to create the man-made land mass.

Balboa Island was incorporated into the city of Newport Beach in 1918, and it actually consists of three islands—Main Island, Little Island and Collins Island.

Today, after crossing a short bridge over Newport Harbor onto the island, both locals and visitors will find the shady, tree-lined main drag of Marine Avenue filled with numerous shops, restaurants, ice cream parlors, art galleries and even a cow! (Note: Rather than continuing on PCH to get to Balboa from Jamboree Road, turn off and enjoy a leisurely drive down Bayside Drive, complete with an eye-catching Bougainvillea-filled pedestrian walkway overhead.)

Once on the island, it seems as if you’ve crossed over into the olden days, where dogs laze away the day on the sidewalks and locals tell stories and swap gossip outside the town coffee shop before returning to their quaint seaside homes. (By the way, they might be quaint, but they ain’t cheap! While original property went for a couple hundred dollars, many homes on the island today cost well in the millions.)

With the busy summertime tourism season quickly creeping up on Southern California, the Rose and I were thrilled to have found an empty parking space just as we entered the island (not an easy feat when tourists are staking their claim to any spot they can get their hands on not only on Marine Avenue but on every available side street as well).

As we exited the car (following a few anxious minutes waiting for a novice parallel parker—ahem, the Peach—to make sure she was within the lines), some funky handmade pillows outside Bauble on Balboa (www.baubleaccessories.com) caught our eye. Called “Geography Pillows,” we learned they are embroidered by hand at Catstudio (http://catstudio.com/), and each 19-inch-by-19-inch pillow can be embellished with numerous landmarks from all of the 50 US states, plus cities, regions and resorts, and international locales ($170, plus tax, and $210 for all other locales besides Canada and the US).


After scanning a picture album showing off all of the available pillows, the Rose knew she had to order the special, limited-edition “Diamond Jubilee” cushion for someone special. One of only 300 created (with each pillow numbered on the back) to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years as Monarch in June 2012, the original design takes 35 hours to make and celebrates the city of London through sites ranging from Hyde Park to Covent Garden.

Expect to find many more fun offerings at Bauble on Balboa, which moved to the island three months ago from The OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa. Manager (and fellow Laguna Beach resident) Mary Quellmalz says the store—owned by Pam Schmider—is known for its “eclectic, whimsical spin on the classics and accessories,” with some of the most popular items (other than the pillows) including tea towels with quippy sayings and handcrafted Orange County cuff bracelets from Evocateur. But that’s not all that’s on the shelves: Be sure to look for plaques, wall clocks, paperweights and much more.

We exited the store to the sound of the 12 o’clock bell at the island’s St. John Vianney Chapel, and made our way to CandlEssence (www.cecandles.com/home.html), the Peach’s favorite shop on Balboa. Here, Owner Neil Roberts can usually be found making his long-burning, intoxicatingly scented pillar candles daily on site.

Among the many aromas to be found at CandlEssence, Roberts says Blood Orange still is, and always has been, the most popular. But on this visit, I strayed from my typical preferred Lemongrass selection and chose instead the Lemon Verbena (yes, yes, I do like lemon!).

Be sure to say hello to the highly sociable shop mascot Oliver while you’re visiting CandleEssence (and don’t forget the treats and toys, Arf!).

As we left the candle shop—both the Rose and I in utter disbelief that we are so blessed to live in such a wonderful place like this—we continued down the street to one of our preferred lunch spots, Wilma’s Patio (www.wilmaspatio.com/). The congenial waiters add to the fun vibe at this community restaurant, which is owned and managed by the Staudinger family and has been serving up a diverse menu for the past 15 years amid local artwork, two patios and, of course, a bar.

After the Rose (who fancies herself a total trendsetter) kicked off a frenzy of Arnold Palmer requests, we settled back in our booth and ordered some grub: the French Dip for her (oh, the fries that came with that!) and Wilma’s Salad for me (complete with bay shrimp, hearts of palm, feta and black olives, with a side of strawberry vinaigrette dressing). If you visit Wilma’s, be sure to try some of the recommended dishes, including anything Mexican (coming from the family recipes of the cooks), the clam chowder, fish and chips, and breakfast (with waffles, pancakes, French Toast, Balboa Belly Bombers—warm French rolls stuffed with egg—and more served throughout the day).

Next stop Family T’s, the Peach’s second-favorite shop on the island (yes, it does seem to be all about me on this trip, doesn’t it?). After a quick pause to shoot a picture of local landmark “Bessie the Cow” (pictured above), the Rose headed to a nearby bench while I ventured in to Howard Silver’s longtime souvenir T-shirt/sweatshirt shop. I was disappointed not to find Howard (who always knows just what I want). But Paul, who works on Wednesdays, was just as eager to accommodate my wishes. I ended up with a new gray Balboa Island sweatshirt to replace the one and only very worn and tattered Tahoe sweatshirt that made the move with me from Atlanta to California. (P.S. If you can't find a T-shirt or sweatshirt here, then...well...you’re crazy!)

Happy with my candle and sweatshirt in tow, I allowed the Rose to select our next destination. She chose Esprit Provence, a retailer of all-things French farmhouse design including colorful linens (table runners towels, tablecloths and more), along with Melamine dinnerware and trays and pure-vegetable Heavenly Soaps with shea butter that are scented with luscious flavors such as lavender and flowers, cedar sandalwood, lychee rose, ocean and seaweed, and vanilla oat milk.

The one place we both wanted to check out before leaving the island was next on our list: Olive Oil & Beyond (www.oliveoilandbeyond.com/), which is known for “the rarest and freshest virgin olive oil and ultra-premium basalmic vinegars,” says Persian-born Principal/Founder Matthew Pour.


Think two walls filled with every variety of olive oil and vinegar you could possibly imagine—all just waiting to be sampled—ranging from lemon Australian, cinnamon pear and 18-year aged Italian balsamic (the Rose’s choice to take home), to olive oils infused with everything from basil to wild portabella mushroom and citrus. Pour keeps 300 varieties on hand, and rotates them depending on the season. Take home a bottle of your choice for as little as $18.

From there, it was an all-out “mooch” session. (If you’ve followed our blog—and, if you haven’t, shame on you!—you know that’s the Rose’s British term for having a look around.) We passed by—and somehow managed not to stop off at—the community’s numerous treat purveyors. Anyone for frozen yogurt, or a frozen banana or Balboa bar, both chocolaty concoctions invented right here on the island?

Then, we landed in Heart of the Island (www.heartoftheisland.net/), a treasure trove of artwork, stationery, matted and framed art, pillows, mugs, coasters and more (the Rose was particularly fond of a cross with one of her favorite sayings, “Faith, Hope, Love”). That was followed by a trip to Sunny Days, a women’s boutique carrying the popular Coobie bras (with no hooks, snaps or under wire, making them popular among breast cancer survivors) and Pete & Greta cargo pants. I received a scarf lesson while there, but let it be noted: I’m not quite ready to venture into that territory quite yet.

The final stop for the day was Martha’s Bookstore (www.facebook.com/marthasbookstore), a family-owned gem hidden at the end of a bougainvillea- and flower-covered patio.

Browse through the shop’s interesting selection of books and gifts. Then, once you have chosen your read, why not stop for a while in the inviting seating area situated just outside the front door?

Satisfied that we had indeed covered quite some ground in such a short time, and with yet a bit more time to spare, the Rose and I wanted to take the auto ferry across to Balboa Peninsula before making our way home.


As only three cars are allowed on a ferry at once, and again with the summertime season starting to pick up, the Rose and I were forced to wait several minutes for our turn, along with several cyclists and pedestrians (none of us which seemed to mind, by the way).

Once onboard, the Rose and I reminisced about our childhoods, when we both—from opposite ends of the world—would enjoy fun-filled trips on ferries with our families.

Drawing farther away from Balboa Island and our short trip back in time, we inched closer along the shimmering blue water to the Ferris wheel marking our disembarkation spot on Balboa Peninsula. That, we agreed, we’d save for another day. 

The English Rose and The Georgia Peach: A Full but Short Day in Dana Point ... in Bed

The English Rose and The Georgia Peach: A Full but Short Day in Dana Point ... in Bed: A full slate of work and family responsibilities during the past few weeks have barely left an ounce of spare time for the Rose and Peach ...

A Full but Short Day in Dana Point ... in Bed

A full slate of work and family responsibilities during the past few weeks have barely left an ounce of spare time for the Rose and Peach to get together and explore the area. Persevering, the gals finally were able to find a couple of hours this past week to spend solely on themselves.

A previous suggestion of Crystal Cove was quickly dashed, as neither of us relished the thought of sitting in the middle of a month-long road construction project on Pacific Coast Highway to get there. Anything else that might require cutting a pathway through the Atlanta rush hour-reminiscent traffic also was postponed. Hence, no Balboa Island, no Fashion Island ... you get the picture.

So, it looked like we were going south — and we only had a short time for our getaway. Although we had been to the nearby beach town of Dana Point previously and written about the shops and dining of the harbor, we decided we’d give the downtown area a “mooch” (the Rose’s term for a look around).

On a weekday, at about 11:30 a.m., we easily found free parking for as long as we wanted in the Renaissance Dana Point parking lot right off Coast Highway. Exiting the car, we stopped for a moment to take in the sweet smell of jasmine in the air and to scope out our destinations on what was a windy, yet absolutely gorgeous and sunny California postcard kind of day.

Strolling past the Harbor House Café (open 24 hours and popular among locals for its breakfast fare), we continued on our way to the family-owned Browne’s Flowers (34156 Pacific Coast Highway, 949.661.4748, www.brownesflowers.com) — “a great place to get a wide variety of good-quality roses for $9.95 a dozen,” says the Rose (and who would know better? After all, she is the “Rose”). Browsing the store both inside and out, we also found a range of other fresh flowers and plants along with gifts from candles to vases.

Next door we spied the new digs for Bike Religion (at 34150 Pacific Coast Highway, in the spot recently vacated by Revo Cycles), offering custom bike fitting and building alongside a cafe serving coffee and snacks.

Continuing down the street, we popped inside the Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center (a great place to start your visit, at 24681 La Plaza) and picked up some free local magazines, a visitor map and calendar of events (did you know the 12^th annual Boat Show is coming up May 31-June 3 at the harbor, and the 30^th annual Concours d’Elegance automobile and motorcycle show is June 23 and 24 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach?).

Passing the town’s clock tower, we crossed the street to enter the La Plaza Park area, on Coast Highway past Golden Lantern — the site of eateries such as Hennessey’s Tavern (a great place to watch a football game and nosh on a burger); stores such as the Cycleogical specialty bike shop, Dana Point Grooming & Pet Spa (where, evidently cats are welcome, too, according to the sign) and the old-timey Kings Club Barbershop (complete with red, white and blue rotating pole); and a certified Farmers Market held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month.

At the far end of the plaza is Hobie’s Surf Shop (34174 Pacific Coast Highway, 949.496.2366, www.hobie.com), a great one-stop shop for everything California- and surf-related — from Rainbow sandals (yes,they have the cute new braided ones!) to apparel by Hurley, Quiksilver and O’Neill and stylish fashions from fun zippered hoodies and pajamas to swimsuits and more.

 

Having thoroughly checked out one area surf shop, we decided to head to another — Killer Dana (24721 Del Prado, 949.489.8380, www.killerdana.com). The store, although currently in the process of branching out to the space next door, still is open for business and selling everything from surfboards to T-shirts, board shorts and shoes (the Rose picked up a pair of Sanuks for her young one, and then ended up finding out she was actually old friends with the checkout dude). Oh, rentals are also available here for those who are just thinking about paddling out for the first time and aren’t yet ready to invest in the sport.

Not yet hungry for lunch, we ventured across the street to JunQie’s (24662 Del Prado, 949.496.4406, junqies.net), with a weekly rotating stock of men’s and women’s vintage fashions and unique costumes (a huge photo book of costume ideas holds court out front in the small seating area). Be sure to check out additional racks of clothing out back. We then noticed a building undergoing renovation and ducked inside to find Laura Seeley (www.lauraseeley.com), an award-winning author and artist who soon will be opening a working studio and gallery there to feature her whimsical animal characters and more.

After perusing her works already on display (and, of course, inquiring as to what it would take to get one of her beautiful works depicting my beloved Freckles), we made our way to our last stop of the day: lunch at Peking Dragon (34171 Coast Highway, 949.493.9499, www.pekingdragonrestaurant.com), a Dana Point mainstay for Mandarin and Szechuan-style dining. While devouring our hot green tea, we eagerly awaited our crab rangoon. The tasty cream cheese and crab filled morsels arrived at about the same time as our soup and egg rolls, both of which accompanied our lunch special orders of Mongolian beef for the Rose and spicy garlic fried chicken for the Peach (both under $10). It struck me as your typical Chinese fare, with the exception of the house horseradish that was so strong it made my nose tingle each and every time I tried to take a bite (not a bad thing, in my book).

As is the tradition, we finished off with our fortune cookies. “You know you have to add the words ‘in bed’ to the end of your fortune,” the Peach informed the Rose, who had never quite heard of that joke.

The result — and a perfect way to end our day together: “Be careful and systematic in your business arrangements … in bed” was the Rose’s fortune, while the Peach garnered, “There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead for you … in bed.”

The English Rose and The Georgia Peach: Making Time for a Get-Together

The English Rose and The Georgia Peach: Making Time for a Get-Together: The Rose and I have been too busy to rendezvous of late, but we did manage to find a few hours on a recent Tuesday to meet up and drive jus...

Making Time for a Get-Together

The Rose and I have been too busy to rendezvous of late, but we did manage to find a few hours on a recent Tuesday to meet up and drive just south of Laguna Beach to the nearby coastal city of San Clemente (www.downtownsanclemente.com).

Heading down Pacific Coast Highway on what was an ideal Southern California day, we dreamed about what it would be like to live in one of the beachside homes we drove by — to walk right on the sand with the ocean lapping at our feet or to hear the sound of the crashing waves as we nodded off to sleep. "Maybe one day," we said to ourselves.

All the while, visions of flip-flops were dancing in my head. Would my cohort be willing to stop at the Rainbow Sandals store (949-492-3070, www.rainbowsandals.com) that I had passed by oh so many times in the past, I wondered? I broached the subject with her and the answer was an exuberant, "Yes!" So, we turned off to the left just as we entered town and drove a short distance to 326 Calle De Los Molinos to the sandal outlet that was started in Laguna Beach in 1974 by Jay “Sparky” Longley and is now based in San Clemente.

Arriving in the tiny parking lot of the small, pale yellow structure, the first thing I spotted was a giant flip-flop with an array of colorful signatures. The unassuming façade would do little to prepare me for what I would encounter inside. Much like my friend, the Rose, when she spied her first DSW, I was immediately mesmerized by the sheer size of the store and the rack upon rack of flip-flops — from fancy, braided and casual thongs to sliders to wedges and more, for men, women and children, and in every color under the sun, priced anywhere from around $20 to $80. There were even loafers (some with sheepskin lining), boots and accessories from hats to shirts to wallets.

I’ve always heard about how the leather, hemp and rubber sandals mold to your feet, and I've coveted a pair since moving to Laguna Beach. With my chance at hand to own my very own Rainbow Sandals, I set out on my tour of the store. Should I opt for the "Flirty Braidy" pair ($50) that I’ve had my eye on in the magazines? Or the cute colored ones? Eventually, I settled on a pair of black "Riviera" wedges, which upon slipping on my feet made me feel like I was walking on air. That’s the pair, I decided. The best part? They were on sale for $29 (LOVE!)

Armed with my sales receipt (be sure to stop by the security guard with your purchase on the way out), we headed to the car, I changed into my new purchase and we made our way to downtown San Clemente … with the Peach more than ready to brave the clothing and gift stores, restaurants and more of Avenida Del Mar in the sheer comfort of her new Rainbows.

As luck would have it, someone was leaving the typically busy free parking along each side of the street just as we pulled down Del Mar. I scooted in, and we exited the car and went on our way.

The first spot that caught our eye was Gallery 104 (166 Avenida Del Mar, 949-218-0903, gallery104.com), featuring varied works by professional local and regional artists on display for our viewing pleasure. "How impressive" was our first thought, especially the variety of mediums, including bowls, oils, glassworks, sculpture, photographs, mosaics, mirror etchings, seaglass jewelry and more.

Next up was Sugar Blossom (204 Avenida Del Mar, Suite F, 949-429-5555, www.sugarblossombakeshop.com), a boutique bake shop offering specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies, gluten-free brownies, and on Sunday only, the shop’s famous macadamia nut cinnamon rolls. The Rose had her eye on the cupcakes — $3 each, and ranging from plain vanilla (a classic yellow cupcake with a Madagascar vanilla buttercream and rainbow sprinkles) to the fancy piña colada (a yellow cake made with coconut milk and rum with cream cheese frosting, caramelized baby pineapple and maraschino cherry) and even s’mores (a moist chocolate cupcake with a gooey marshmallow center topped with roasted marshmallows and crushed graham crackers).

After checking out the wide variety, the Rose settled on lemon meringue (a lemon cupcake topped with light lemony torched meringue), which she proclaimed, “to die for.”

We decided to peruse some more shops before picking out a lunch spot. Heading down the sidewalk heavily peopled with pets and their owners, we spotted the San Clemente Library; many open galleries; cafés; the post office (which even had a permanent display of O.C. artist Paul Gavin’s Premiere Coastal Series, gavinarts.com); and the new electronic cigarette store — Gourmet Flavors, with the slogan, “Vape! Don’t Smoke.” (I’ll pass, thanks.)

The Rose made a beeline to The Greater O.C. Woman (211-B Avenida Del Mar, 949-542-7777, www.downtownsanclemente.com/greaterocwomansanclemente/index.htm), which offers a mix of fine and casual apparel that changes daily. After falling in love with everything in the store, she settled on a white jacket with brocade and sequins for a reasonable $79.

Moving on, we loved the funky shoes in the window of Swirl Boutique (167-B Avenida Del Mar, 949-361-8643), only to enter and find delightful wire and shell sculptures noting phrases such as “Peace,” “Welcome” and “Home”), designer clothing and other items. And yet more shoes — Ecco, Clarks, Sperry, Converse — caught our eye at Sam’s Shoes & Repair (135 Avenida Del Mar, 949-492-3495). What’s that? A camera store? Neither one of us have seen one of those in a while!

And then, there was our must-stop for the Rose: Best of Britain (127A Avenida Del Mar, 949-361-0631), with imported food and gifts including Bewleys Irish Teas, P.G. Tips and a large selection of teas, jams, marmalades; china tea cups and pots; David Winter collector cottages; and numerous English knick-knacks from flags to car decals. I spotted the Rose with full arms and saw she had found some staples: Paxo sage and onion stuffing, Aah! Bisto (gravy mix) and Coleman’s Curry for chips (or fries, for us Southerners). “How much for the cute British Bulldog?” she asked. Alas, it was not for sale as it served as the store mascot.

Our stomachs beginning to grumble, we started scouting out lunch spots. We considered family-owned and operated Billy’s Meat, Seafood & Deli (111 Del Mar, 949-498-5924), a meat and seafood market and deli offering sandwiches, salads and entrees to enjoy on the dog-friendly patio outdoors (where you also can find a floral shop, and fresh produce and fruit stand).

We also thought about Café Calypso (114 Avenida Del Mar, 949-366-9386, thecafecalypso.com), a breakfast, lunch and gourmet coffee spot located in the old San Clemente Hotel and offering plenty of outdoor seating.

Ultimately, we settled on Avila’s El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant (204 Avenida Del Mar, 949-498-5000, www.avilaselranchito.com/san_clemente.php), where big-screen TVs availed the Rose of soccer coverage and the Peach with NFL news. Of course, we started off with chips and salsa, and for our meal, the Rose chose Mamá Avila’s Soup (a huge bowl of chicken breast and rice soup, garnished with fresh avocado, cilantro, onions and tomatoes, served with warm tortillas, for $9.99), while the Peach got the Quesadilla Avila (a large grilled flour tortilla filled with a blend of cheeses and shredded chicken and loaded with guacamole and sour cream, also for $9.99).

Nice and full, and with the Rose having somewhere else to be later that afternoon, we headed back to the car and went on our way ... already thinking about our next adventure!

The Great Getaway: Part 4

On the third and final day of the Rose and Peach’s weekend excursion to the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa (www.rancholaspalmas.com/) in Rancho Mirage, Calif., between Palm Desert and Palm Springs, the early-rising Peach once again awoke before the Rose and waited for her trip mate to stir from her deep sleep (courtesy of eye mask and ear plugs).

By mid-morning, the Brit finally had arisen and taken her usual five minutes to prepare for the day and we were ready for our final event of the resort’s first-ever Eat. Drink. Savor. Epicurean Weekend — a 10 a.m. Bloody Mary Brunch at the bluEmber restaurant that included a sampling of 10 unique Bloody Mary concoctions.

Knowing that the non-drinking Peach already had experienced a little too much of the weekend’s imbibing activities, the Rose suggested that we head instead to the property’s Palms Café for some coffee and bagels. So, we walked across the way to the café, ordered our breakfast fare to go and headed to our pond-side patio for our last resort meal of the weekend (with the Rose even managing to feed a portion of her bagel to the Peach’s feathered friends, who had stopped running away from her by this time).

When all of the food was consumed by human and bird alike, we loaded up our bags and went on our way.

Finding ourselves with a good five hours to fill before having to return home, there was only one place to go! We had vowed to head back to conquer the previously unvisited sections of the Desert Hills Premium Outlets (www.premiumoutlets.com/deserthills), as well as the smaller Cabazon Outlets (www.cabazonoutlets.com) next door.

On a sunny and much less windy day, the Rose and Peach perused the outdoor mall, starting off at the Oakley Vault store and ending with a trip to Starbucks and a rest on a bench with a view looking out over the magnificent snow-capped mountains.

The highlight of the day for the Rose was, believe it or not, unrelated to shopping. The Peach once again gave the Rose a couple of new experiences — the Icee and a soft pretzel.

“Such a wonderful food substance … fresh, sweet, warm, soft and with a slightly salty taste,” said the Rose of the prezel (unfortunately not as enamored with her cola-flavored Icee).


“What a wonderful way to finish a perfect weekend away with a true friend,” she added ... with, of course, more purchases being made!