From Balboa, drive south to reach Laguna Beach. Nature has been attracting artists here for generations. Art aficionados can contemplate works of American Impressionists and California artists at the Laguna Art Museum. At the annual Pageant of the Masters, enjoy incredible artwork re-creations, with cast members posing to look exactly like the original works of art. Savor the coastal views along the bluffs of Cliff Drive in Laguna Beach's Heisler Park. Hike in a picturesque canyon in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

South of Laguna Beach, at Dana Point, windsurf at the Dana Point Marina or sport-fish in deep water. At the Marine Institute, take a tide-pool tour and visit the floating laboratory. Mariner's Village, on Dana Wharf, re-creates the feeling of the port's early trading days through its shops and cafés.