Conference Outing to Laguna Beach
The UC Irvine campus is located about five miles from the Pacific Ocean, and no trip to Southern California is complete without a trip to the ocean. For this reason, on Wednesday evening, there will be a conference outing to Laguna Beach, which is located on the Pacific Ocean ten miles south of Irvine.
A former artist colony built up between the ocean and steep seaside hills, Laguna Beach is one of the most beautiful seaside communities in California, with walkable streets, stunning beaches, and extraordinary vistas overlooking the ocean. There are no planned activities: conference attendees can spend the time exploring the town and the beaches, eating, and drinking. The town is right up against a beautiful beach that is great for swimming, walking, or exploring the tidepools. Walk the beach barefoot, or even bring your swimsuit and go swimming. (There is a public restroom where there are places to change clothes.) Wear walkable clothes (or even bring your swimsuit).
For those less adventurous, one can walk around the town, exploring its public art and its historic bungalows. There are also paved paths providing ocean overlooks. The streets of Laguna include boutique shops and art galleries. Of course, there are also many bars, cafes, and restaurants.
Please note that there is no planned dinner for Wednesday evening, so participants will need to make their own dinner plans. Fortunately, there are very many excellent and varied restaurant options in Laguna Beach – much better options than near campus and near the conference hotel.
More information can be found in this comprehensive visitor's guide to Laguna, including restaurant options, maps, and guides to Laguna's beaches and beachfront walking trails. There are many beautiful spots to sit on the cliffs and watch the sun go down. Sunset is at 8:05. Heisler park (a quarter mile north of our drop off spot) is particularly recommended.
If you are interested in taking a walking tour of some historic California bungalow style houses, there are self-guided walking tours of two neighborhoods, one a half mile north of our shuttle drop off spot and one a half mile south of our drop off spot. There is also a good amount of public art to see on foot.
Perhaps the simplest thing to do is just to enter the beach at the shuttle drop off point at Main Beach, take off your shoes, and walk up the beach to the north or to the south. The shuttle drop off is right up against the sand.