Leave the driving to yourself with this pop-in/pop-out SoCal weekender.
Though summer is the region’s official “high season,” true connoisseurs of Southern California beach culture prize the fall months of September and October above all others. That’s when the balmy Santa Ana winds start doing their thing, cooling the days and warming the evenings. Meanwhile, the mighty Pacific stubbornly clings to summer, with tepid, not-yet-chilly water temperatures friendly to all-day water play. This California autumn dream can be yours with an easy Phoenix-to-O.C. road trip.
Leg No. 1: Phoenix to Riverside
Veteran commuters sometimes boast they can make the Arizona-to-beach drive in a brisk five hours, traffic permitting. Even so: Why not break the trip up a bit with a layover in Riverside, seat of California’s Inland Empire? A one-time citrus capital with the nation’s highest per-capita income (circa 1895), the city is anchored historically by the Mission Inn (missioninn.com), a magnificent hacienda-like property that holds the distinction of being the largest Mission Revival building in the United States. Combining Old World style (the five-story rotunda is a show-stopper) with modern appointments (including swank steakhouse Duane’s, along with two other on-site restaurants), it’s basically the Inland Empire’s version of the Arizona Biltmore, with the long list of luminary guests (including 10 presidents) to prove it.
Located in the heart of historical downtown Riverside, the inn is also within walking distance of numerous sights and cultural diversions, including the Riverside Art Museum (riversideartmuseum.org) and a variety of street fairs (riversideca.gov/calendar).
Leg No. 2: Riverside to Newport Beach
Whether or not you choose to make it your final OC destination, Newport Beach beckons. Riding in on the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), you’d do well to grab lunch at Taco Mesa (tacomesa.com), a Modern Mexican fast-casual set in a former Taco Bell that has been hooking OCers on the delights of cheesy carnitas quesadillas and blackened calamari tacos for more than 30 years.
A wise second move: Rent an open-air electric vehicle at Newport Beach MOKE (newportbeachmoke.com) to conduct a proper exploration of Newport, which is less a “beach” than a handsome, sun-swept labyrinth of small islands, bays, estuaries and peninsulas, all connected by bridges and narrow roads. Your delightful, easily parkable MOKE will be the perfect companion.
Finally, if you choose to pitch your tent in Newport, book a room at Lido House (lidohousehotel.com), part of Marriott’s Autograph collection and the jewel of modern Newport’s hospitality scene. Done in Cape Cod-style wainscoting with a maritime theme throughout, it offers much to keep you entertained, including all-day flagship restaurant The Mayor’s Table, helmed by chef Riley Huddleston. Don’t leave without diving nose-first into the terrific breakfast menu, featuring chilaquiles with tender, tangy chicken tinga and avocado toast with confit spring onions.
Leg No. 3: Newport Beach to Dana Point
Banking south on Pacific Coast Highway, you’ll glide pass the Gold Coast towns of Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach en route to Dana Point. Sitting atop OC’s picturesque, low-key South Coast region, the enclave of 35,000 has come a long way, hospitality-wise, since its humble surfer-town origins – a transformation best exemplified by the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club (waldorfastoriamonarchbeach.com). Unveiled in the early 2000s, the Monarch Beach is one of the most enticingly insular resorts on the West Coast, with jackpot views of the ocean afforded by its protected positioning on a lush, tree-covered coastal bluff. Fancy a workout and rubdown? The fitness center and spa is massive and impeccably appointed. Feel like a dinner splurge? The resort boasts arguably the glitziest restaurant in the South County in Bourbon Steak, where the culinary acolytes of celebrity chef Michael Mina do pitch-perfect renditions of his beloved caviar parfait and roasted bone marrow steak tartare, a faintingly delicious small plate served with a sheath of crunchy crostini.
There’s even a complimentary shuttle cart to whisk you off the bluff into the sunny embrace of Salt Creek Beach below, a tidy, well-groomed beach playground sheltered from the crowds by a rocky escarpment. In short, the Monarch Beach is the kind of place you want to crawl into like a cocoon and not bother to leave. Until that five-hour drive beckons, anyway.
— Craig Outhier
The Cheech
Created in 2022 by an endowment from comedy legend Cheech Marin, this one-of-a-kind super-exhibit occupies an entire wing of the Riverside Art Museum and is rightly regarded as the most lavish and engaging collection of Chicano art in the world. Keep an eye peeled for several pieces with Arizona origins. riversideartmuseum.org
Oktoberfest Extra!
Head north on the Pacific Coast Highway to rowdy Huntington Beach for Oktoberfest at the Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach. September 17 through November 5. oldworldhb.com
Getting There
You’ve heard of the Interstate 10? Drive west on it… and don’t forget to take the SR-60 shortcut to bypass San Bernardino into Orange County.
