Secrets to making summer easier

Summer along the Orange Coast can be the best of times. Because

everyone knows that, it also can be the worst of times, as crowds

back up traffic for miles and parking spots become more scarce than

at 9:15 a.m. in Manhattan.

Unless you’re a local -- then you know just where and when to grab

the spot with the busted meter.

You also know where the best meal for cheap is. Which beach is

right for your guests. Where a secret secluded spot with a view is.

Of course, no one is a local everywhere. But with these hints, you

can spread your knowledge beyond your back door.

NEWPORT BEACH

One great parking tip is good on Sunday mornings, when metered

parking spots near four Balboa Peninsula churches are free. Christ

Church by the Sea, 1400 W. Balboa Blvd.; the Christian Science Church

and Reading Room at 3303 Via Lido; St. James Episcopal Church of

Newport Beach, 3209 Via Lido; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic

Church, 1441 W. Balboa Blvd. are all surrounded by parking spots that

are free from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sundays.

The Orange County Transportation Authority has bus routes that can

help beachgoers dodge parking nightmares. Just park somewhere inland

and jump on the bus. Call (714) 636-7433 for route information.

In general, the secret to parking on the Balboa Peninsula,

insiders say, is to get there early. Those in the know arrive in the

Balboa Village area in time to enjoy a late breakfast at one of the

local restaurants before hitting the sand.

Looking for a little seclusion? One of the best

get-away-from-it-all spots in Newport Beach is also one of the city’s

best-kept secrets. The eastern side of Mariners Drive dead-ends in a

residential neighborhood that overlooks one of the most serene spots

to enjoy the natural beauty of the Back Bay.

Not every tip is about helping you out. One, to keep you out of

trouble is if you’re having a cup of coffee at the Harbor House on

the Balboa Peninsula, think twice before you do anything potentially

embarrassing. You’re probably on camera. Harbor House is just one of

six sites where the www.TalesOfBalboa.com Web site has one of its Web

cams positioned. Other cameras are at Balboa Bay at Lido, Balboa

Beach west, south and east, and the famous Wedge. The site is also a

great resource for checking out beach conditions before getting in

the car and for waving to friends far away.

One of Newport’s greatest adventures comes courtesy of Balboa

Para-sailing near the Balboa Fun Zone. You can sail airborne outside

the harbor, pulled by a motorboat. A 90-minute trip costs $45. For

more information, call (949) 673-1693. And while you’re around the

Fun Zone, don’t forget to take visitors on the Balboa Island Ferry.

It might not seem like much, but it’s a crowd pleaser.

Finally, it’s good to remember where you can’t go on the Fourth

of July. Just as in years before, a number of streets in West Newport

will be closed to traffic. From 12:01 a.m. July 4 until 3 a.m. July

5, traffic will be rerouted on portions of Seashore Drive and the 100

blocks of and alleys between 32nd Street and 54th Street, Balboa

Boulevard, Back Bay Drive and Newport Boulevard.

COSTA MESA

The city known for being home to the Orange County Performing Arts

Center is home to another, lesser-known artistic destination: the

concerts at Fairview Park.

Held at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays, the concerts boast a wide variety

of musical styles.

“My tip of the summer is to come to the summer concerts at

Fairview Park -- get there early, park at Estancia [High School] and

hike in,” Costa Mesa Councilwoman Libby Cowan says.

And parking can be a snap, if you know how to do it.

“If you buy a county parks parking pass, then you don’t have to

pay the meter and don’t have to fight tourists for metered parking,”

Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley says.

LAGUNA BEACH

Here, the most important tip is how to park and get around town. A

few sound ideas:

1. Public transportation: Trams won’t run after 6 p.m. on the

Fourth of July. Traffic is so heavy, the trams wouldn’t go anyplace,

anyway.

2. Parking: Bring quarters. Metered parking is $1 an hour, most

with a maximum stay of three hours, some as short as 30 minutes.

3. For all-day parking, stick with unmetered lots. Fees vary, but

you can count on $7 to $10. The cheapest parking is in town is at ACT

V on Laguna Canyon Road, owned and operated by the city. It costs $3

for the day, and the free Festival Trams are right there. The

Festival parking lot, 651 Laguna Canyon Road, across from the

Festival of Arts, charges $8. Unmetered public parking is also

available for $8 a day at the Lumberyard parking lot, next to City

Hall on Forest Avenue and at Wells Fargo Bank, 260 Ocean Ave., with

entrances on Ocean and on Broadway, between South Coast Highway and

Forest Avenue.

A best bet, if that’s possible, on Saturday mornings, is to try in

front of City Hall on Forest Avenue or nearby on Ocean or Forest

avenues and Third Street. The farmer’s market is open in the morning,

so cars constantly come and go.

The Laguna Beach Library parking lot, under the library on the

corner of Glenneyre Street and Laguna Avenue, is open to the public

for a fee when the library is closed.

Once parking the car is no longer a worry, the focus can turn to

what else to do in Laguna. A hidden gem for a quick swim is the

Laguna Beach High School and Community Pool, 625 Park Ave. 25 yards.

Handicapped accessible. Children under 11 must be accompanied and

supervised by an adult. Swimmers must shower before going in the

water. Lockers are available. The drop-in fee is $2; a 20-visit

summer pass costs $30. Children 24 months and younger get in for free

-- but they must wear rubber pants or pool diapers.

For pool information, call (949) 472-1450.

If you’re in the mood for something a little different, the Laguna

Beach Recreation Department offers summer classes that range from

belly dancing to children’s activities to yoga, many of which allow

drop-ins for a modest fee. So no planning ahead needed. For

information, pick up a summer brochure at the Community Services

Department 515 Forest Ave. or call (949) 497-0716.

Another secret spot: the Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club. Free

lessons for groups or individuals. Daily game fee is $1. For more

information or for lessons, call (949) 494-1811.

A key to enjoying Laguna is its public restrooms. They can be

found at the bus depot on Broadway between Beach Street and Forest

Avenue; the parking lot in the 200 block of Ocean Avenue, between

South Coast Highway and Beach Street; the Lumberyard Mall, 384 Forest

Ave., sometimes locked, but keys available; the Laguna Beach Library,

363 Glenneyre St., during library hours of operation; Main Beach, one

at the south end, one at the north end; two in Heisler Park on Cliff

Drive; and at Treasure Island Park, south end.

While most dog lovers know about the Laguna Beach Dog Park, on the

east side of Laguna Canyon Road, south of El Toro, the better secret

is that dogs are allowed on most beaches in Laguna from June 1 to

Sept. 16 before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.

And the best kept culinary secret? The Hare Krishna temple on

Glenneyre and Legion streets offers an all-you-can-eat vegetarian

lunch every day but Sunday for $5.

HUNTINGTON BEACH

In Surf City, you can break away from the usual on Fridays at the

Farmer’s Market at the pier plaza Downtown, from noon to dusk.

Flowers, fruit, bread, nuts and specialty foods sold fresh. Entry is

free, so you can take a quick hike onto the beach for a break from

this break.

Another break can be had at Chimayo by the Beach during happy

hours, from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Fridays. The restaurant’s

famed blended mango martini topped off with a fresh slice of mango,

normally $7.50, is just $3.

With those few extra dollars, you can get a few games of Frisbee

Golf at Central Park. There are 18 targets and it costs a reasonable

$1 to $2.50 (have you been on a golf course lately?). And children

younger than 16 play for free.

These tidbits, of course, are just the tip of what locals know. So

the last, and maybe best: Ask people their secrets.