A Weekend in Laguna Beach

In early January, Michelle, Stephanie, and I were sitting around my kitchen table discussing what worked/didn’t work in 2015 and what we hoped to accomplish in 2016. While we each have different goals for the year, we all agreed on a few things: we wanted to spend more time cultivating our passions and developing a business that’s authentic and fulfilling, spreading a message of positivity and hope around the topic of mental health (BTW, Steph is rocking Mental Health Mondays!), and creating a more consistent habit of traveling around the world. After our brainstorming session, we quickly decided that a girls trip was in order. We wanted to plan a trip filled with scenic views, exciting destinations, and a relaxing vibe that wouldn’t completely drain our bank accounts, so we packed our bags and headed to southern California. We spent our first few days in LA for the GenBeauty conference, but we honestly couldn’t wait to arrive at our main destination: the beautiful Pacific Edge Hotel in Laguna Beach, California!

The Pacific Edge Hotel has a relaxed, beachy vibe that screams California cool. Our room’s orange walls, driftwood headboards, and surf-inspired photography provided the perfect background for a weekend getaway to the beach. As much as I love the design of the hotel, nothing beats an uninterrupted view of Laguna Beach.

Our balcony provided a stunning view of the beach, and I could’ve easily spent our entire vacation looking out at the water. Even though the weather was chilly during our stay, we tried to keep the balcony doors open as much as possible to listen to the ocean waves. Of course, we also had to stage a mini-photoshoot on the balcony to document the heavenly view.

We were all seriously impressed with the staff at the Pacific Edge Hotel. Unlike some resorts, this hotel’s employees are friendly and helpful with absolutely no uppity attitude. The team left us the sweetest message along with a bottle of wine and an adorable new seal friend. Every single person we encountered on site – from the front desk to the valet station to the restaurants – was an absolute delight, and it made us feel welcome and relaxed during our stay. I hate to pick favorites, but I have to say that the Pacific Edge Hotel’s best employees might be Bob and Marley, the hotel’s adorable pet birds!

SHOP THE LOOK: Dress | Belt | Heels | Clutch | Sunglasses | Earrings

The relaxed California vibe continues throughout the entire hotel property, and I know have constant daydreams about owning a beach house one day in the far-off future filled with succulents, surfboard statues, and colorful pool chairs.

Now that I’ve gone on and on about how cute the Pacific Edge is, I’m going to continue talking about how cute is…because even their on-site restaurant has incredible views and amazing decor! I mean, seriously. The view from Driftwood Kitchen is my idea of heaven, and their food and decor are FLAWLESS.

If I could design my dream restaurant, it would look a lot like Driftwood Kitchen. The airy design, jaw-dropping views, and friendly staff are everything that I hope to find in a restaurant. While I’m gushing about my love for this place after the fact, I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting to be so enthralled. Restaurants associated with hotels normally over-change and under-deliver, but we had such an incredible experience at the Driftwood Kitchen that we ended up eating there for three separate meals!

We celebrated our first night in Laguna Beach with an over-the-top meal, and I cannot stress to you how much I loved this meal. While everything was fantastic, the stars of the show were the pan-fried brussels sprouts with cranberries and the butternut squash gnocchi. We weren’t even able to take a picture of either appetizer because we devoured every last bite in less than five minutes. If you have the chance to dine at Driftwood Kitchen, do NOT leave without trying these dishes!

We had such a great experience at dinner that we came back for brunch the next morning. I would be a very happy woman if I could eat a crab, goat cheese, and avocado omelet every morning overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While we had a few great meals off-site, we couldn’t resist coming back for a third round on our final day of the trip. We all had the delicious chicken sandwich before we had to reluctantly said goodbye to the beautiful hotel.

SHOP THE LOOK: Dress | Belt | Sunglasses (Full outfit post here.)

As someone who lived in southern California for several years, I can safely say that it very rarely rains in this area. 99% of the time, southern California has blue skies, sunshine, and 78 degree weather; however, we managed to swing by during one of the rare weekends where the weather was cold and rainy. Even though the weather was less than ideal for the first part of our trip, we still had an incredible time. Our room was incredibly comfortable, the food was amazing, and it still lovely to work indoors to the sound of ocean waves and local seagulls. Laguna Beach is one of my favorite places in the world – even when the weather is less than ideal!

Thankfully, the weather cleared up for our last day, and we took advantage of every minute of this beautiful day.

I’d like to thank Pacific Edge Hotel and Driftwood Kitchen for giving us such a wonderful opportunity to explore Laguna Beach. Stephanie, Michelle, and I had such a wonderful time during our stay, and we’re already plotting our next trip! You can read about Stephanie’s experience in Laguna Beach here, and Michelle will be posting soon as well! Be on the lookout for a full travel guide for Laguna Beach and its surrounding areas within the next few weeks, where I’ll be sharing my favorite places to eat and play in Orange County!

Have you visited Laguna Beach? What’s your favorite travel destination?

Thanks to the Pacific Edge Hotel and Driftwood Kitchen for providing us with a wonderful room and an absolutely delicious dinner. As always, all stated opinions are my honest and genuine thoughts. I only recommend products and services that I truly believe in.