CHASING DOWN THE MUSE: Holiday weekend was a blast

The power of a vacation can hardly be underestimated.

The long Fourth of July weekend seemed like a tonic, even with the throngs of visitors who flooded our streets and parking spaces.

The weather was generous — cool, fog-laden mornings gave way to sunny, breezy afternoons. Those who dragged beach chairs and umbrellas to the shoreline in the early hours to claim their spaces were not disappointed.

Our unique cove-shaped beaches and recently renovated Heisler Park were packed with visitors of all sizes and shapes. There is no doubt about our continued status as a treasured destination.

With glee I watched parents guide children across Coast Highway, through the “slot” between the city-erected white-and-orange pedestrian barriers. Beach buckets, shovels, pull toys, balls, towels, coolers, Frisbees and paddle balls made their way from parked cars to parked beach spots. Everyone was smiling. Everyone felt the power of getting away from work and basking in the tonic of a day at the beach. Summer has formally begun!

And after the beach?

The restaurants were packed! The bar at Nirvana was raucous, crowded — and oh so much fun! I know for some of our eating establishments, which have born the weight of our economy, that the long drought of spring has been less than encouraging. Now, they turn toward our popular summer months and anticipate hungry crowds, while locals have to remind themselves to once again make reservations.

The Fourth itself is enough cause for celebration, and is certainly a good reason for a party!

Steve and I decorated our house with a multitude of flags, and red and white balloons. Red roses on the dining table mingled with mini-flags.

Our deck provides a great viewing platform for fireworks, even from Newport Beach and Avalon. Years past, those snarky fog banks have hung right at the shoreline, producing a kind of mute-colored cloud blob mixed with smoke, that precluded any actual viewing.

This year, the fireworks show was pure delight with clear skies alive with brilliant colored explosions of Laguna, Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove. No fog nor smoke diminished the display (OK, we couldn’t see Avalon), and every house on our street filled the neighborhood with oooohs and aaaaahs.

Our guests — Lynn Capouya, Skip Kuhn, Lynn and James Brown, Kerri Pike and Cooper Lee — shared food, wine, laughter — and a bag of poppers that Steve picked up at our local Ralphs. The dogs weren’t crazy about the noise. It was Buster’s first Fourth, and he needed strong hugs and reassurance.

We finished our evening with a sinfully rich chocolate cake, thanks to Lynn and James, and said our good nights. Steve and I cleared the dishes and lumbered off to fireworks-filled dreams.

To add more measure to the weekend, the Festival of Arts opening party was Saturday night. And what a great party it was! Plenty of tasty foods, wonderful live music, and people, people, people.

The partygoers arrived in typical Laguna fashion — everything from long evening gowns to flip-flops, shorts and Hawaiian shirts. Columnist Barbara Diamond, dressed in a beautiful white outfit, pen and paper in hand, was madly taking notes and interviewing those who interested her.

The FOA party is before the Pageant of the Masters opens, and is dedicated to the artists. It was a night for the exhibitors — both new and returning — to revel in their work, share conversations with collectors (and wannabes), and even write up some sales. Jeweler Dan Miller received some of my husband’s funds, and I left with a new necklace.

After the party, Kerri, Steve and I found ourselves back at Nirvana (this might be a new trend) for a late evening snack (and to check if owners, Lindsay and Luis, had given birth to their son, Diego).

Also there were Cathy and Greg Abel, along with Barbara and Greg MacGillivray. Yes, too much fun seemed to be the watchword for this holiday.

The weekend ended too soon. Suddenly, it was Sunday afternoon, and the Monday “call” began to rumble around in the back of my head. I tried to put it to rest by taking a short nap on the lounge chair, but when I woke it remained, reminding me of my do-lists and a busy week. Still, I had given myself a decent vacation. I hung up the phone, left e-mails until Monday and celebrated.

As a result, I find I’m refreshed, renewed and recharged — and plotting my next getaway.

CATHARINE COOPER has a new Coastline Pilot blog at www.coastlinepilot.com/ cpblogger/muse/. She can also be reached at cooper@catharinecooper.com