Photo courtesy Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau Segway tour of Newport Beach

Or take a Segway romp across California’s only auto ferry and dock at picturesque Balboa Island, decorated like a charm bracelet with quaint shops and boutiques. If you’re a unique edibles nut, you’ll want to hunt down Olive Oil and Beyond, which offers a dizzying array of artisan and organic oils from around the world, plus pastas in wacky shapes and colors.

This is also where you’ll find Wilma’s Patio, serving up home-style American fare from owners Maurice and Wilma Staudinger. A combination of country living room, coffee shop and back patio adorned with dolphin and beach murals, it’s a local favorite for the Belly Bomber, an enormous French bread boule stuffed with scrambled eggs and, in my favorite Jalisco style, tomato, onion, cilantro, fiery serrano peppers and loads of juicy shredded beef. For those who finish the plate, a celebratory nap is requisite.

One challenge with the Newport-on-the-cheap scenario is accommodations. But Newport Beachwalk Hotel is my personal pick: The luxury boutique oasis of 15 cottage-style guestrooms just steps from the sand often surprises with rates around $175 per night. Just down the boardwalk is Balboa Inn, which can be had for less than $200 per night as long as you don’t book a suite, like the “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar” with its 9-foot-high doors.

Photo courtesy Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau Duffy boat on Newport Harbor

Island Hotel Newport Beach is farther inland but has the bonus of being right next to the upscale Fashion Island mall – just try to drag yourself away from Russo’s Pet Experience, which boasts a puppy patio for playing with the wriggling little beasts. And as I happily discovered, there’s free live entertainment in this hotel lounge on weekend nights. For the past year (and for the foreseeable future) it’s been Jimmy Hopper, a fantastic performer who channels David Bowie, Billy Idol, Phantom of the Opera and a touch of Eddie Izzard.

The Island also puts you near one of Newport’s must-visits, the Beachcomber Café at Crystal Cove, which you get to via a secret tunnel beneath the Pacific Coast Highway. Originally a 1930s seaside community comprised of funky salvage material cottages, the historic area has been rejuvenated into priceless property. But the café remains strictly a flip-flops affair with its rough wooden plank structure and wooden chairs draped with blankets to protect from biting ocean breezes.

Photo courtesy Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau Marine Avenue on Balboa Island

I enjoyed some of the best chilaquiles of my life here, the pliant corn tortillas layered with filet mignon, spicy roasted tomato sauce and a perfect sunny-side-up egg all slathered in avocado purée and sour cream. The Café’s amazingly light beignets – another must – are like little flowers under a dew of airy whipped cream.

Not surprisingly, Newport plays off its increasingly glamorous rep. After the show The O.C. debuted in 2003, the Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau printed a map of the spots favored by the pretty teens who starred in the primetime soap. The show ended in 2007, but the attractions still lure folks who envy the glamorous O.C. lifestyle.

The vintage clothes I craved in my youth? They’re harder to find these days amid Newport Beach’s designer salons and $100 sun hats.

The ice cream is still here though. You’ll find it at the classic Balboa Bar, a block of vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and rolled in toppings you choose, like Oreo cookie or nuts.

It’s worth remembering, too, that in Newport Beach, wherever you go, the million-dollar views are free.

Photo by Carey Sweet Chilaquiles, Beachcomber Café

GUIDEBOOK

Elevation
10 feet

Average Summer
Temperatures
June: High 68, Low 60
July: High 71, Low 63
August: High 73, Low 64

Accommodations
Balboa Inn: 105 Main St., 877-225-2629, balboainn.com
Island Hotel Newport Beach: 690 Newport Center Drive, 866-554-4620, theislandhotel.com
Newport Beachwalk Hotel: 2306 W. Oceanfront Blvd., 800-571-8749, newportbeachwalkhotel.com

Activities
Duffy Boats: 2001 W. Coast Hwy, 949-645-6812, newportbeachduffy.com
Segway Newport Beach: 611 E. Balboa Blvd., 949-723-1722, segwayoctours.com
Zclipse Bike Shop: 2210 Newport Blvd., 949-675-5010, zclipse.com

Dining
Beachcomber Café: 15 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, 949-376-6900, thebeachcombercafe.com
Blackie’s By The Sea: 2118 W. Oceanfront Drive, 949-675-1074, blackiesbythesea.com
Pelican Grill: 22800 Pelican Hill Road South, Newport Coast, 800-820-6800, pelicanhill.com
Sabatino’s: 251 Shipyard Way, Cabin D, 949-723-0645, sabatinosausagecompany.com
Seaside Bakery: 2108 W. Oceanfront Drive, 949-675-2533
Wilma’s Patio: 203 Marine Ave., 949-675-5542, wilmaspatio.com/index.htm
Woody’s Wharf: 2318 Newport Blvd., 949-675-0474, woodyswharf.com

Information
Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau: 800-942-6278, newportbeach-cvb.com