ORANGE COUNTY BEACH RESORTS 



J. A. WILLiSOPr 

 Secretary of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce 



NO two beaches along the many miles of Orange County's ocean 

 frontage are exactly alike. They differ in form, feature, and environ- 

 ment, but all are phenomenally beautiful, and it would be invidious 

 to attempt to draw the line of superlative distinction. Newport 

 Beach, however, is certainly one of the finest, as it is one of the most 

 accessible and conveniently located. In short, there is no finer beach on 

 the whole Pacific Coast. Only forty miles from Los Angeles, only eleven 

 from Santa Ana, and a few miles farther from the principal cities of the 

 Interior, the beach is readily reached by the thousands of visitors who seek 

 it annually. The Pacific Electric Railroad, with its frequent service of 

 commodious and fast cars — one of the finest systems of electric roads in 

 the world — makes the hour's ride from Los Angeles to Newport a delightful 

 pleasure trip. From Santa Ana the few minutes' jaunt on the Southern 

 Pacific, with Its admirable service, is no more than riding from one city 

 block to another, while the journey from Redlands, Riverside, San Bernar- 

 dino, and other points on this line is rendered charming by the attractive 

 scenery along the way. 



East Newport is approached from the parent beach city of Newport by 

 the delightful drive along the smooth, level beach, or when the tide is in, 

 by the way of Surf Avenue, only a few yards above, a beautiful 50-foot 

 driveway, the continuation of Ocean Avenue, passing through the Hunting- 

 ton Tract, with its wide sidewalk from the original town; or yet, by Bay 

 Avenue, fifty feet in width, which runs direct from the Southern Pacific 

 depot, skirting the bay, through the entire length of the tract. 



Adjoining East Newport on the east is Balboa, City of the Beautiful. 

 Passing along Newport Beach and taking in review its successive resorts, 

 distinguished from each other by name only, is like passing along one of 

 the long galleries of that Parisian palace of art, the Louvre, and viewing 

 its succession of limner masterpieces. 



To the south is the ocean, to the north Newport Bay. The average 

 width of this stretch of the peninsula is about 500 feet. The 4,000 feet 

 frontage on the Pacific Ocean is protected by a bulkhead its entire length, 

 and along it runs a broad sidewalk, the continuation of the broad avenue 

 known in old Newport as Ocean Avenue, and which runs past Huntington 

 Tract and East Newport as Surf Avenue. 



The same three avenues that run through East Newport — Surf, Central, 

 and Bay avenues — continue through the entire length of the Balboa Tract. 



No more pleasurable tour can be afforded on any of thsse beautiful 

 California mornings than the hour's automobile spin that will take one from 

 Santa Ana to Laguna Beach. 



Entering Laguna Canon the scenic panorama becomes superbly pictur- 

 esque, its ensemble a picture of beauty, of grandeur, of fascinating love- 

 liness. The canon brings one right into Laguna, which may justly boast of 

 being the most picturesque spot on the Pacific Coast. The first glance 

 affords a spectacle of romantic and picturesque grandeur that is only 

 increased when its many novel attractions are more critically viewed. The 

 hills look down on Laguna and Laguna looks out on the sea. Rising at 

 some points to 1,200 feet, they roll for miles away toward the northwest 

 and southeast, v/ithin only a quarter to three quarters of a mile of the 

 strand, with its variety of contour, smooth and level and rolling and rocky. 



Four miles up the coast from Newport Beach is perhaps the most 

 striking evidence of rapid growth of a seaside resort to be found in the 

 whole shore line from Long Beach to East Newport. This is Huntington 

 Beach, a live prosperous town to-day, but four years ago a stubble-field, 

 purchased for a song by the then owners and laid out as a town. Huntington 

 Beach has the advantage of being backed by the best agricultural country 



