Well look at that…it’s already the middle of May! I haven’t blogged in a month or so as I have been somewhat detached from my reality. But I’m back to my office and now sharing my experiences is going to have to be my “fun” for awhile…or until my next trip!
I’m not one to sit still for awhile. I like having things to look forward to – mainly vacations. But with my job as a Realtor, I have to be in Atlanta for more time than I would like. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE ATL! But I also realize how huge this world is and I am determined to see a lot of it in my lifetime. I have a loooong way to go…
April was a damn good month, I must say. Laguna Niguel, LA, Aruba.. sort of a big deal for little ol’ me. Just going to touch on my CA trip for this post to keep things short (I’ll try my best) and sweet. One of my close girlfriends had a reward trip in Laguna Niguel for her company (because she’s awesome and hit her goals!) and she wanted to stay longer than the actual planned trip (because who wouldn’t?!) but her boyfriend had to go back to work and couldn’t stay that whole time with her. Luckily, I was available!! I’m a great fill-in for amazing trips if anyone else finds themselves in this predicament FYI!
So I flew into LA on a Sunday and hopped in a rental to head to the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel. Oh but I was starved when I landed so I had to make a very necessary pit-stop…
(In-N-Out is a big deal for us east coasters who don’t have the luxury)
There were even some kids handing out In-N-Out gift cards to people in line to encourage people to come to church or something like that. Thanks for the burger, Jesus!
So I scarf down my animal style burger on the way to Laguna and it was MAGICAL I tell you! MAGICAL! Driving those Cali roads, In-N-Out in hand…basically heaven.
Little did I know this trip was only going to get more magical (OK I sorta had a hunch)..
I finally get to the Ritz and meet up with my friend and we head straight to the pool! Bevs & pool. Yes please! That night we went to Laguna Beach for dinner. Ate at a place called Alessa. Good food and nice romantic atmosphere..not that we were being romantical but you get it. Meats, cheeses, pastas…oh my! I even chatted up the hostess to get some deets on Laguna Beach (not the location…who cares about that?! The SHOW. DUH!).
The next day we did a yoga class over looking the ocean, had some beers on the beach, back to the pool, relaxed on our patio (complete with fireplace) for a bit before heading back to Laguna Beach for shopping and dinner. #reallyroughlife
We went to Laguna Beach (a few miles away) a little earlier the second night to do some shopping. There are a ton of cute shops in the area! Then we went to a roof top bar to watch the sunset over the ocean before heading to Carmelita’s for dinner. I had researched some restaurants before the trip and Carmelita’s had rave reviews, however none of the locals had heard of it (turns out it’s really new). Luckily I ran into an old co-worker who now works at the Ritz in Laguna and she confirmed that it was amazing. And that it was! All I have to say is “strawberry jalapeno margarita”…O.M.G. Although all of their margaritas sound amazing. Man, this is hard to write while detoxing (yes, because of all these vacays lately I am doing the 2 day detox…yet again)..
The next day we drove to LA to spend a night there before heading home. Quick trip for me in general but enough to leave me wanting more (of both Laguna & LA). We didn’t have much time in LA but once we got checked in to the Chateau Marmont (ahhhhmazing…and so much history), we went to see all the shops and may have had some sprinkles cupcakes while doing so..
Later that day we started getting ready for our night out. First stop, SUR, for drinks. Only the coolest people will know how crucial it was to go there. And yes, I saw some of my favorite D-list celebs (judge away!!). We then went to AOC for dinner. We sat in the courtyard which was super adorbs. Later that night we went to Bar Marmont where we had the most amazing jalapeno margaritas (what is with me and jalapeno margs? I even started making them at home recently). We also spent time in the outside part of the main hotel restaurant several times over our short trip and the pool bar for a bit. I definitely want to go back to that hotel one day. I like that it has not been updated…although it makes for a real challenging hair & makeup experience..
Overall, it was an amazing trip and alllll thanks to my wonderful friend! I really cannot thank her enough!
P.S. California, if you are reading this, I miss you a lot!
The Lyons Den 