Mrs. SFO has been grounded in low humidity Denver since her May back surgery and has wanted to go to the ocean. So this weekend, we are off to Southern California for some R&R and to visit our SoCal travel buddies, who we are going to Israel with at Christmas. Many things go to the airport in Denver, apparently.





Progress on the new Westin...



Mrs. SFO was not amused when I answered "who are we flying today?" IMO, Frontier is the best of a bad lot and preferrable to United or Southwest. While UA does have a First Class cabin on some of their DEN-SNA flights, it's not worth $1,400+ roundtrip for two pax. Frontier's stretch seating has more legroom and only costs $564 roundtrip for two pax. Frontier offers a la carte pricing so our $282 per person roundtrip included a base RT fare of $202 plus $25 each way for Stretch seating and another $15 each way for a (non-personal item) carry-on.



Denver-Orange County
Frontier 271
A319
2:05P-3:15P (sked)
1:55P-2:55P (actual)
August 15, 2014
Stretch Seating Econony
Seats 3C and 4D







The Mrs. back in 4D...



The Frontier vending machine.



Tempting, but not today.



Water is free, with or without ice.



All-in-all, a reasonably adequate way to fly for two hours, considering the garbage alternatives. Anything more than two hours, probably not.

After a quick stop at South Coast Plaza to replace for a forgetten Apple AC adapter, we headed down CA-73 and arrived in Laguna Beach 25 minutes later, and the gorgeous Montage Laguna Beach Resort.









Our Ocean Surf King room.











After we checked and toured he grounds, we headed down (or rather up) for an early dinner at The Loft. Sunset from our room.





The next morning, time to check out the beach.









Reserving our pool chairs.



After breakfast, more beach time...









As Mrs. SFO and one of our friends set up on the beach.



Baby shower, SoCal style.



Lunch at the Mosiac Grill.



And back to the pool after lunch.



The lobby lounge for cocktails.



And down to the ocean side Studio for dinner, with an Indian wedding next door... not nearly as elaborate as the ones we saw in Delhi and Jaipur.



And beautiful outdoor dining at the Studio.






For lots more pics of Laguna Beach and Montage, please see my trip report at SFO777.com

Nice, I will be heading to the SFO777 page, hoping to see some better pics of that pool area... ahem....

It is a good thing that LH no longer has an F cabin, otherwise, you'd probably have flown via FRA to get to Southern Cal.

Nice as always^

Wonderful trip report as usual. Makes me miss SoCal (raised in San Diego -- living in Oakland now)

Interesting report on FR vs. UA vs. WN. I'm usually an AA/AS guy (and now dabbling in US) so I like reading new perspectives.

Quick question... how come you chose to go to (presumably) an Apple store to replace the charger?

They sell genuine Apple products at the same price at Target, etc. (price control), and off-brand chargers at half the cost. Ross/TJMaxx/Marshalls have chargers at a fraction of the cost. And your hotel likely had plenty of chargers (left behind from other guests) for you to poach or at least borrow.

I'm just curious, since it seems like an unnecessary backtracking side trip after landing.

Wouldn't count on it.......Go to the blog

Great as always SFO777 - nice pics and resort looks lovely.

After breakfast we left Montage to meet our friends on their boat in Newport Beach.



Montage entrance.



North on the PCH.



Mrs. SFO and friends...



Awe...



Heading out of the harbor.







Sunning themselves on a buoy.





Down to Dana Point.













Back in the harbor between Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula.

















And the mandatory airplane pic, taking off from SNA.



Apparently John Wayne's old yacht, now a tourist boat.



After our cruise, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant.



Great location, fun atmosphere, meh food.






For more pics, please visit my trip report at SFO777.com.

Or that LifeMiles has closed that amazing loophole.

Thank you offerendum.

Thanks very much saturnino3.

Thank you LAXative. The back-track was more my familiarity with South Coast Plaza vs. the unknown. From SCP, it was a straight shot down CA-73.

Thanks stu1985.

Beautiful pics. Did you try the cheese course at the Montage? One the restaurants has it.

You take alot of photos, and I appreciate that (although I would never get away with it with my partner. 'too obtrusive'.)

However, this one made me laugh as it looks like you are taking a picture while they are saying grace! Have you no bounds?

Thanks SuperDudley. The Loft is the restaurant with the cheese courses but we were too full to enjoy.

LOL. I hadn't noticed that but it sure does look like it. They weren't BTW. Mrs. SFO is so used to my pic taking by now that she fully expects it. Indeed, when we check into a hotel, she tells me to "take the room pics so I can mess it up."

SFO777, it seems like you're on vacation every month. I want to be like you when I grow up.

Perhaps the off spring of the DIA devil horse.... Or a Match .com date for him?