Stylish.Classy.Creative: California: Day Two

We started our second day of vacation off pretty early! We drove to Balboa Island, and had a delicious breakfast at Wilma's Patio, a favorite among locals. After breakfast, we went to 8:00 Mass at the St. John Vianney Parish right down the street. Such a cute little church!

After Mass, we took the two minute ferry ride across the harbor and parked our car. We rented bikes, and began the 11 mile ride to Huntington Beach. The bike path ran right along the wide, sandy beach. We passed the cutest beach cottages tucked very close together right along the edge of the beach. Families gathered on outdoor patios enjoying breakfast, and wetsuits hung over the railings of porches. Locals whizzed by on road bikes and cruisers, and young kids long boarded barefoot along the beach path. People jogged or walked with their dogs. It made me miss my two Norwiches!

We rented our beach cruisers at Balboa bikes

Cruisers

precious dog at the bike shop

waiting for renters

One of the many charming beach cottages

The weather was a bit cloudy and it was a little chilly, but we still had a great ride. Bike riding is a passion of mind, so I'm always pretty content on my bike no matter the weather. Biking is always a great way to see the area that you are traveling in. It lets you get up close in personal with the local way of life.

The parking lots at the public beaches along the way were filled with RVs and station wagons with surfboards strapped to the roofs. Young, old, and in-between could be seen zipping up their wetsuits in preparation to go catch some waves. The atmosphere was so slow-paced and relaxed. Just what I needed.

Once we made it to Huntington Beach, we parked our bikes and walked down Huntington Pier. The area was pretty packed, due to a car show and a stand up paddle-board tournament. It was definitely your typical "tourist area," but the pier offered great views of the surfers.

Huntington Pier. Surfers can be seen behind us.

Vintage car in the car show

We rode back to Balboa and returned our bikes, and then drove to The Wedge, a large jetty that is a popular spot for surfing.

Mom and Dad near the wedge. (loving my mom's yellow Patagonia re-tool snap tee!)

In the afternoon, we headed back to our resort to enjoy a poolside lunch. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading, lounging by the pool, and working out.

For dinner, we headed south to Laguna Beach to eat at Nick's. The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious. I enjoyed some sea bass fish tacos, and we split the famous butter cake for dessert.