1. Doheny Blues Festival
City: Dana Point, CA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (949) 360-7800
Address: 25300 Dana Point Harbor Dr.
Description: This mid-month event is a kick-off to summer with headlining musicians, various attractions, an international food court, a microbrew tasting station, and wine lounge. Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, John Fogerty, Brian Setzer, and B. B. King have all graced the stage of this two-day rockin’ event. Best of all, the toe-tapping takes place on the beach.
2. Monarch Beach Golf Links
City: Dana Point, CA
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (949) 240-8247
Address: 22 Monarch Beach Resort Dr.
Description: This 18-hole, par 70 course enjoys a Pacific Ocean location that debuted in 1983 and underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2001. Designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Jr., and only one of two oceanfront courses in The OC (Pelican Hill is the other), Monarch Beach Golf Links’ pro shop is consistently ranked among the Top 100 Golf Shops by Golf World Business. The 1,200-foot clubhouse, overlooking the course and pounding surf, serves breakfast and lunch daily and is operated by the nearby St. Regis Resort.
3. Ocean Institute
City: Dana Point, CA
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (949) 496-2274
Address: 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr.
Description: On weekdays the Ocean Institute hosts a number of school-age children who visit with their teachers to get a better appreciation for the sea, but on weekends the public is welcome to experience salty sea sprays, observe live specimens, and get a better understanding of migrating whales. This family-friendly museum also includes lab activities, sea creature viewings, octopus and jellyfish feedings, and living history programs based on Richard Henry Dana’s book Two Years Before the Mast, which takes place aboard the historic brig Pilgrim. There are even art classes available for kids.