San Clemente, California

Two Sundays ago, I went on a fun half/day trip to San Clemente an adorable beach town in Orange County, California. San Clemente is midway between Los Angeles & San Diego. If you want to feel that “California Vibe”, this town is it. With beautiful beaches, friendly people who look like they came out of a Beach Boys song, and the beautiful palm trees everywhere are simply breathtaking. This town has a 1960’s California feel; representing Peace, Love, Sunshine, & Happiness. Did I convince you to take a trip down there?

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to travel on the weekend, I highly recommend you taking the Metrolink. For only $10 (Saturday & Sunday) you can go anywhere in California with unlimited stops. It’s my new favorite way to travel, no hassle with finding parking, or being stuck in traffic, you can just sit back and relax.

I’ve been really wanting to explore California more and decided one of my goals for this year is to visit all the cities in Orange County. There is so much beauty right in our own towns, why not explore them and appreciate them. I decided to go on a last minute day trip with my sister Sabrina, Brother-in-Law, & niece Sequoia Rain. We met up at FULLERTON TRAIN STATION . This particular station has the METROLINK & AMTRACK 

If you’ve never been on a train before I suggest looking up the train schedules ahead of time, getting there at least 15-20 minutes before hand to ask questions on where to depart from & give yourself enough time to buy tickets (credit cards are accepted). The trains do leave on time so do not be late and be ready to jump on board, it goes by fast. Depending on where you are going, I would bring some snacks, water, portable phone charges, they do have plug-ins but not that many, so it’s best if you bring your own. Or say goodbye to technology and just enjoy the view.

From Fullerton to San Clemente it took us about 50 minutes. It didn’t feel long at all though. One of my favorite moments was seeing the beach from the train. I felt I was transported back to the 1950s and seeing the coast for the first time. It was absolutely beautiful. Right when you get off the train, to the left is the beach and to the right the famous “Spanish Village by the Sea.” San Clemente has beautiful Spanish Colonial architecture through out the city.

What amazed me were the beautiful, endless sight of Palm Trees, the clean crisp air, and how friendly everyone was. And it’s an animal town too! Through out the day, I saw so many adorable dogs, and you know I love towns that are dog-friendly. Our first stop, was grabbing some caffeine! Right across from the train stop, was BEAR COAST COFFEE

You definitely want to stop by this place when you arrive. The service is great, the people working there all look like they came out of a California Model Magazine, and their coffee & Matcha were tasty. They also serve breakfast until 11am ( a variety of toasts, pastries, oatmeal, granola, breakfast bowls, & sandwiches.) And continue to serve pastries, granola, & chia seed pudding until closing. If you sit outside you can enjoy the gorgeous view of the ocean.

Since we only planned for a half day adventure, we wanted to get as much sightseeing as we could. We walked towards Main Street (Del Mar Avenue). A nice 10 – 15 minute walk and nothing too strenuous. Along our way we passed by cute shops & restaurants, the pier, and even stopped by the Farmers Market.

The San Clemente Farmers Market has a wide variety of locally grown & hand-made products. The Farmers Market is from 9am – 1pm every Sunday. For more information click here: http://www.sanclementecertifiedfarmersmarket.com/home.html

If there was one thing I can say about San Clemente is the friendliness of the people, that I even captured moments of locals just walking by. This next photo these local girls totally represented the “California Vibe” and I had to capture it. They were super sweet too.

As we got into downtown, we walked around and did some shopping. San Clemente has a variety of different boutique shops, which I love because the stuff you find is one-of-a-kind. Daisy Lane is my new favorite clothing boutique shop. I don’t shop a lot because one I work so much, it’s honestly hard for me to make time, and two I’m one of those people who is able to work in comfy clothes a lot, so my “going out outfits” I don’t wear so much, so that calls for not shopping so much.  I am a practical shopper, so I only buy what I need if I had all the money in the world, that would be a different story but until that day comes… I buy what I need.

Daisy Lane has the cutest California Style clothes & accessories. This store had a little bit of everything, from clothes, to candles, journals, little trinkets, and more. Me and my sister honestly spent a good 30 minutes or more just shopping. I will be back because it’s hard for me to find clothes that I feel represent me and actually look good on me but Daisy Lane had some amazing pieces. I ended up buying two dresses (both dresses were less than $25), a necklace and a bralette. One of the dresses I bought is featured in one of the pictures below.

We did some more sightseeing, it was nice to just walk around, plus the weather was perfect. Here are some shots I took of the town:

After shopping, walking around, and taking pictures we decided to get some lunch at The Cellar 

This is a must stop when you come to San Clemente, the food was absolutely delicious and their coffees and drinks were on point!

We sat outside, I ordered their Lavender Carmel Latte and their Avocado Toast. Both were delicious especially the Lavender Carmel Latte. My sister ordered, the Kale Cesar Salad with a hibiscus mimosa, and my brother-in-law ordered their classic Breakfast Sandwich; bacon, egg, arugula, garlic aioli, cheese, tomato. The food was exceptional, the service was wonderful, and the ambience was relaxed and welcoming.

We decided to walk back and spend time on the beach. Our train was leaving around 2pm, so we wanted to make sure we got some beach time in.

San Clemente has a small-town atmosphere but there’s something special about this place that you need to experience if you haven’t been yet. Their beaches are perfect for surfing, hiking, sunbathing, or just simply relaxing on the beach while looking at some amazing views. I will be coming back for sure. If you are looking for a nice little getaway away, check out San Clemente, you won’t be disappointed.

My 1st Orange County city to check off my list. That means I remain with 33 cities to check out! Even though I have been to some of them like (Fullerton, Yorba Linda) I want to experience what these cities are known for and let you know about them. I believe every city has something unique and special, whether it be because of beaches, food, culture, etc.. I want the world to know that there is beauty everywhere, and sometimes you just got to go and find it.

I love travelling, I’ve been to 23 countries but I haven’t really seen California. So this year I am making it my mission to Explore my State. Excited to share with you the gems I find along the way!

 

Would love to hear your thoughts & suggestions!

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