State Bliss Blog

If you are a college student looking for a good time, Spring Break in California is one of the best places to go! Warm sun, sand, water, and tons of other students ready to get their party on in their bikinis will be littering the beaches. Get ready for some beach volleyball, surfing, or whatever your heart desires. How much better could it get? Some of the best beaches to visit for the perfect Spring Break parties:

Venice Beach 

Street performers, shopping, drum circles, endless food opportunities, and Muscle Beach. Venice is something that anybody in California should experience at least once in their lifetime. With a year-round party atmosphere, Venice would not disappoint for the Spring Breaker.

Source: discoverlosangeles.com

Huntington Beach 

Can you say beach volleyball? With tons of courts, grass for picnics, and Ruby's on the pier, Huntington Beach is the perfect place for a college student to catch some rays during the day and go out to the bars at night.

Source: vice.com

Newport Beach 

Like to SUP? Enjoy relaxing and watching the boats go by? Newport beach is the perfect place for you. Balboa Island offers the perfect backdrop with fun old time games and rides, and stores for shopping.

Source: travelchannel.com

Santa Monica

Enjoy Santa Monica's amazing expanse of beautiful sandy beaches, then play around on their iconic pier and get some lunch and go shopping up on the street level.

Source: straightatours.com

Manhattan Beach 

If you enjoy the LA vibe, the perfect place to get your surf on is at Manhattan Beach!

Source: sergeys.us

 

Pacific Beach

Perfectly located near all of the most fun San Diego attractions, Pacific Beach always draws a young and fun crowd ready to have a good time during Spring Break.

Source: pacificbeachonline.com

Lake Havasu

If you are looking for an insane party scene where drinks are abundant and music is blasting, make your way over to Lake Havasu. Especially during Spring Break, this is the place to go to get some sun while meeting a ton of new people and letting loose!

Source: tripadvisor.com

   

Pinot Provence at The Westin South Coast Plaza has new menu items and some may cause you to jump for joy. The Frog's Legs special is offered in a buffalo style sauce with Rocquefort dressing, beurre blanc sriracha, with a lovely kick at the end. Or you can opt for the sauteed frog legs and served with a black garlic puree, forest mushrooms and dijon jus. Or try the Spring Snap Pea Salad with baby greens, pea tendrils, La Quercia prosciutto, burrata cheese in an absolutely delicious and aromatic elderflower vinaigrette. Take advantage of this cool weather by indulging in one of the Cassoulet, such as Duck Confit, a cast iron pot filled with duck, Tarbais beans, braised pork belly and duck jus. The pork belly is finished by searing it to a crispy perfection on the outside and a soft, melt-in-your-mouth interior. Or, the braised Australian lamb shoulder with cannelini beans, mustard greens, date puree and lamb jus. For reservations, please call Pinot Provence on 714-444-5900. The restaurant is located at The Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Months ago, I signed up for my first of many 5K races this year and was completely psyched – I even compiled the perfect playlist for running. However, upon waking up this morning, I was greeted by steady rain, constant winds, and a dreary forecast: Of course, the easiest alternative plan to take for such a catastrophe would be to spend the first Saturday of the month indoors, in fleece pajamas, sipping hot chocolate while binge-watching House of Cards on Netflix. However, if you’re desperate to get out of the house today, there’s a variety of activities you can look into that won’t involve having to be outdoors to bear the cold weather and has your brain constantly engaged, leaving no room to be depressed over the climate. Here are a couple of suggestions on what to do on a rainy Saturday in California, for your consideration:

1. Jump!

To cater to the kid within, take a trip to Presidio, San Francisco and visit House of Air. It is an indoor park that features jump structures comprised of more than 40 trampolines, including a few on the sides for maximum fun. You can freestyle, play trampoline dodge ball, and take classes! There’s even a Bounce House for kids ages 3 to 6. Fun, huh? Normally, weekend tickets sell out fast and House of Air recommends that you reserve slots ahead of time, but I took the liberty of checking today’s schedule, and it looks like there’s a lot of slots available! Go to the website and buy your tickets ASAP.

2. Tour!

The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion in San Jose that used to belong to Sarah Winchester, widow of William Wurt Winchester, a gun magnate. Construction of the mansion took 38 years (from 1884 until Winchester’s death in 1922), mostly due to the widow’s belief that her family and wealth were constantly haunted by the ghosts of those who died because of the Winchester rifles and that building the house for their spirits would appease them. You can choose between touring just the mansion or the entire grand estate, both of which include a look into 110 of the 160 rooms in the house, windows built into floors, staircases and doors that lead to nowhere, and upside down posts! You can even learn a little bit more about the history of the place through a special behind-the-scenes tour. Day-of tickets must be purchased at the counter, but you can call ahead to ask about availability.

3. Climb!

If you’re the athletic and outdoorsy type and really looking forward to getting a workout in this weekend, you can check out MesaRimClimbing & FitnessCenter in San Diego, a place that boasts to be the largest and tallest climbing gyms in the west coast. With over 200 routes, 150 boulder problems, and 450 lead bolts, any mountain climbing aficionado would love the scaling the walls of Mesa Rim. The facilities include a center for yoga classes, a ping pong table, board games, and a library. Their rates include an all-in-one day pass that give you access to climbing, yoga, and fitness

4. Fly!

Who says you have to be outdoors to skydive? iFly Hollywood gives you an idea of what it’s like to jump out of an airplane 2,500 feet high, only you’re indoors and safe within the confines of a booth with a strong blower. It’s a lot more fun than it looks and requires less courage to actually do if you’ve been dreaming of one day giving skydiving a try and are always finding excuses to bail. You can book your flight today. Other locations in California include one in San Francisco and one in Perris Valley.

Going to Disneyland is almost certainly every kid’s – and every adult’s, really (that’s where I went on my honeymoon) – dream come true. It is the happiest place on earth. You will never run out of things to do at the park: go on awesome rides more than once, watch shows, see your favorite Disney characters come to life. You can even go on a scavenger hunt, but instead of looking for whos its and whats its and thing-a-mabobs, your task is to find all the Hidden Mickeys in Disneyland. A Hidden Mickey is a design element cleverly added into various Disney properties, including movies and TV shows, merchandise, and yes, locations, rides, and other attractions in a Disney theme park. The most obvious and popular Hidden Mickey is composed of three circles combined, making it look like a shape that resembles someone needing no introduction: While it may seem easy to spot potential Hidden Mickeys everywhere there are circular objects, true Hidden Mickeys will always be proportionally correct: one big circle, two smaller circles exactly where Mickey’s ears should be. They are also rather obscure and camouflaged, making it more challenging to find them. Finally, Hidden Mickeys are always hidden within Disney-related things and places, so if you run into a live giraffe with a Mickey-shaped spot, no matter how incredible that is, it doesn’t count. On your next trip to Disneyland, do allot some time to go on a Hidden Mickey hunt with your companions (the more, the merrier!). They are everywhere in the park, but here are some places you can start your search:

Your car

Yes, the ‘Find all the Hidden Mickeys in Disneyland’ contest may start the moment you get into the car with your family and friends. When you look up Disneyland Drive on your smartphone for directions, switch on the satellite view. It’s between the Grand Californian and Paradise Pier Hotels: BAM. Your first (and the biggest) Hidden Mickey, and you haven’t even arrived at the park yet.

Parking lot

Check the concrete floors on the Daisy level in section 2A and you might find a Hidden and textured Mickey on the ground two spots away from the pillar. Also check every level for posters that have Disney characters dancing amidst confetti – some of those pieces are Mickey-shaped.

Posters, signs, posts, and statues

Once you arrive at the Entrance Plaza, there will be a number of benches around the plaza that obviously have Mickey-shaped arm rests as well as a compass on the floor in the center of the esplanade, so you might as well skip those. Try finding a Hidden Mickey masquerading as a Dalmatian spot at the Disneyland Kennel Club. Check all the ticket and information booth signs and posters you run into, for some of them may have the familiar symbol in them.   The iron tree guards encasing plants in the plaza have Mickey-shaped rivets, while window counters have Mickey-shaped brackets. Most sign posts, street lamps, and turnstiles have Mickey patterns in them, and some are completely noticeable and out in the open.

Décor, rides, and games

Paintings, bookcases, gift shop displays, wallpapers and the like will almost always include an homage to the beloved Disney character – observe how certain objects are arranged and see how they form the three-circle configuration whenever possible. Check doors and wall designs for decorative accents that form a Hidden Mickey. Screws that keep rides together will most definitely be in the shape of Mickey. Go over every door, window, machine, console, cubicle, and gondola you get into and you’re bound to uncover a myriad of Hidden Mickeys. For a more comprehensive Hidden Mickey expedition, consult this list*.   *compiled by FindingMickey.com

1. Quality is everything. At In-N-Out, their motto is literally "Quality You Can Taste", and it couldn't be more true. Making things the old fashioned way, there is no freezing, pre-packaging, or over-processing. Made fresh to order only with the best high-quality ingredients, you can rest assured that you are eating a darn good burger. Source: cisl.edu 2. The menu is SO simple. I don't know about you, but I like my burgers fast and simple. Super hungry? Order that #1. Looking for a smaller meal? Go for #2. Don't like cheese? That's where there is #3. Add some extra fries and maybe swap out your drink for a shake and you are good to go! Never been easier. Source: mywanderinglife.com 3. But...there is also a secret menu if you want to get crazy. Haven't heard of the secret menu yet? Well then you are missing out. With names like Flying Dutchman, Animal Style, and Protein Style, these burgers and fries are the way to go if you like to mix it up a little bit or have specific dietary restrictions. What kind of other burger place can you indulge your cheesy fantasies or follow your Atkins diet while still loving the same product? Source: seriouseats.com 4. Their employees are amazing and the customer service always comes with a smile. Going to In-N-Out is like visiting an old friend every time. They ask how your day is, cater to your needs, laugh and joke, and always top it off with a huge smile. Along with that outfit - who doesn't like seeing an adult in a huge diaper pin and a sweet hat? Source: mantecabulletin.com 5. They cater their fresh deliciousness with food trucks. Have you ever been at an event, say pool or beach party, and thought...wow I could really use a double double right now? Well guess what? YOU CAN. One of the best days of my life was when I first saw an In-N-Out catering truck. They pull right up to your event, open the doors to their food truck, and still cook your burger fresh to order any way you want it. Why BBQ when you can have the incomparable taste of In-N-Out? Source: adamsaget.com 6. It's in my favorite state! Unless you live in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, or Texas, California is the only other place that you can consume these beautiful burgers. With most of it's locations in the Golden State, here on the West Coast we have no limit to how many times a day we can enjoy a delicious shake or some crispy fresh fries. One of the many pluses to living in California! Source: sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com