MIMM: Balboa Island, Seal Beach, Long Beach Day Trips

Early morning boot camp - I honestly love waking up for class on Saturday. Today we had a sub, the same instructor I had for a dance class last night, and the class wasn't nearly as challenging.

I did notice that my leg still has scrapes and bruises from last weekend. 

My cousin wanted brunch and after being stuck in parking lots, we found a big enough local restaurant without a wait, Jon's Coffee Shoppe in Huntington Beach. We loved the old school signage and they had real turtles in their fountain.

2 cups of coffee for a person who never drinks coffee. Whew! I had some chicken sausage since I already ate my protein pancakes at home.

On the way home, I spotted a Jeep with Barney attached to the spare.

I often forget that this is my drive to work. I'm trying to make an effort to take advantage of my surrounds.

I checked out Sweet and Saucy Shop for their decadent macarons. They also had a beautiful display of full-size and mini cupcakes, small parfait-like desserts, and cookies. The shop is located across from Crystal Cove and very upscale.

Salted caramel macaron

Someone told me these were better than Sprinkles. Verdict: Not only are they better than Sprinkles, they're better than SusieCakes and of course, they're better than Casey's Cupcakes. *All located in Newport Beach.

One of my co-workers is leaving so they got her flowers. These are the most gorgeous flowers. I took a picture for (if ever) wedding inspiration, or in case anyone wants to get me flowers.

I got off work early and decided to check off one of my local to-dos, walk around Balboa Island. In addition to the strip of "downtown," there are gorgeous waterfront homes.

House gawking reminded me of walking through Charleston.

Signature Balboa Island frozen banana dipped in chocolate and cinnamon crunchies

Old school candy shop

On Sunday morning, I wanted to breakfast again. I woke up super early (6:15 A.M.) and dragged my cousin out of bed. I usually don't go out this much but wanted some fresh bread from Crema Cafe (500 reviews & 4.5 stars on Yelp!).

I chose to make an omelet with prosciutto and avocado and goat cheese. The meal came with fresh fruit or roasted potatoes and fresh bread. My cousin went with roasted potatoes and the hearty breakfast crepe (chorizo, eggs, and potatoes).

I got my coffee fix at Javatini's Espresso. A bunch of old timers were having coffee at this nice local coffee shop - always a good signal. I just got a regular coffee.

 

Afterwards, we walked on Main Street and all the way to the beach.

Seal Beach Pier

I climbed mounds of sand and dipped my feet in the ocean.

We took Highway 1 north to Long Beach.

Farmer's market at Alamitos Bay

We stopped by a cool strip of vintage shops on Cherry and 4th Streets.

 

Reminder that I missed yoga today as I was roaming around:

The rest of the day was spent relaxing: grocery shopping, painting my nails, practicing yoga to make up for missing class, and watching "The Oscars."

How do you take advantage of where you live? My former roommate asked me how often I go to the beach. Well, never, so I decided to take advantage of my surroundings. I made a list of specific day trips for whenever I have a few hours or more off.