Home to seven miles of sprawling beautiful shoreline, Dana Point is Southern California’s original surf town. Located in Orange County, about halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles, it’s easy to see why it’s a family favorite beach destination.
We decided to pack up our families for a taste of what Dana Point has to offer, including a stay at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa.
On a dramatic bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, you immediately feel a sense of relaxation mixed with the salty air of the sea breeze. Having just gone through a multi-million dollar renovation, the resort has a great vibe. Right from check in, our kids got to pick out gifts and once we reached our rooms, we were treated to a beautiful, and delicious, welcome.
We were excited to check out the two heated outdoor pools, with our eye on the splash pad boasting actual surfboards for the kids. Our boys had such a great time “catching waves” and “hanging ten.” They also were eager to golf on the putting green next to the pool. The Kahuna Laguna Kids Club is open seasonally and great fun for the little ones.
We love that Laguna Cliffs Marriott and Resort is walking distance from Dana Warf. Dana Point is well known as “The Whale Watching Capital of the West” and offers year-round whale watching. So of course we had to try it for ourselves. Tour boats leave daily from the twenty-five hundred boat and yacht slip marina. To add a little extra learning and creativity for the kids we picked Wyland’s Whale and Dolphin Adventure Art Lesson.
Art in the Wild is an exclusive art lesson before the whale watching via video feed by renowned environmental artist, Wyland. It takes place every Saturday starting at 9am for children 3-12 years old before our 10am Whale Watching trip. At the end of each lesson, children will submit their drawings to be judged by Wyland himself! We enjoyed creating our masterpiece and then enjoying the adorable sprinkle whale and pink dolphin cookies the instructor made.
Then it was time to spot whales and we actually did! We had the most beautiful morning on the ocean and got up close with whales and sea lions. We set our expectations to not see any whales as we weren’t sure what their migration patterns would be like, but we were beyond thrilled to get the opportunity to see four or five whales! We didn’t see any dolphins but we did encounter a buoy full of sea lions basking in the sun and barking away, which was sure to capture the attention of our boys.
Full of our stories from the high seas, we grabbed lunch on the wharf and then headed back to the hotel for a little more fun in the sun.
Whether it’s blazing hot, or cooler with a breeze, it’s so important to protect your skin in the sun which is why we love the swimwear from Snapper Rock. Designed in New Zealand, where the ozone layer is very thin, the founder and her family has the expertise creating the line of UPF50+ swimwear using the latest fabric technology, colors and designs to ensure Snapper Rock continues to lead this market segment.
We love that they have family matching suits and colors. Getting to wear the same patterns as mother-daughter and to have father-son suits the same is so fun, but also stylish. This way whether we were by the pool or on a boat, our skin was protected from harmful sun rays.
We’ll definitely be back to Dana Point so we can continue to explore!
**We were gifted one night’s stay at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott and Resort, a Wyland art class and whale watching tour, and family matching suits from Snapper Rock but all our thoughts and opinions are our own.
