Can a non-Wasp find happiness in Orange County?

Well, to be shockingly honest, I cannot believe I am loving Laguna Beach.

The Ranch resort, nestled in a natural blend of canyon and sea, is such a lovely getaway within a one hour drive of Los Angeles.

The rooms are beautifully appointed with a Joanna Gaines shiplap influence and light radiating from country chandeliers.

Golfing is the price of a movie, the beach is an easy walk, the spa services are outstanding, the gym is well equipped and the farm to table cuisine at Harvest is top notch (sit with Kayla and Philip).

Monday dawned foggy so we did our walk in Heisler Park with panarama views of the ocean, featuring beautiful gardens and interesting sculpture scattered about.

Then we hiked to Victoria Beach where stands a lonely stone turret, affectionately called the “Pirate Tower”.

The tower, built in 1926 as a stairway to the beach, is sixty feet tall and seems to evolved directly from the sandstone cliffs that surround it.

The tide pools are ferocious.

We took in the dramatic surroundings  and then we conquered the steep climb back up to the Pacific Coast Highway.

Town is laden with beachwear shops and restaurants.

Masks still abound at the resort and on the Pleasantville streets of the  laid back town.

I have been to the Sawdust Art Festival and visited Laguna numerous times, but I definitely witnessed a different side this time around.

Check out Laguna Beach and I highly recommend visiting The Ranch which is truly a hidden gem.