California small towns – Newport Beach: part 2 – attractions

Newport Beach, a coastal city in Orange County, California, is a vibrant place full of activities and activities. What is worth visiting in Newport Beach? How best to plan a visit? Discover the main attractions and interesting places with us.

Newport Back Bay

A large, coastal wetland that is an important stopover for birds in the Pacific. Dozens of species can be observed here, many of them endangered. The Newport Bay Nature Reserve and Ecological Preserve comprises approximately 1,000 acres (4 km2) of open space. Upper Newport Bay was purchased by the state in 1975 as part of the Ecological Fisheries and Nature Reserve Scheme. In 1985, the upper western bluffs and land surrounding the bay became part of a regional park that offers outdoor activities such as bird watching, jogging, biking, hiking, and kayaking. The Peter and Mary Muth Translation Center, located at 2301 University Drive, is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. An organization known as the Newport Bay Conservancy (NBC) provides volunteers to answer visitors’ questions.

Oceanfront Boardwalk

The boardwalk that starts in West Newport Beach at the end of 36th Street and runs nearly 3 miles along the Balboa Peninsula. Along the way, tourists will find good restaurants, fishermen, beach houses and a beautiful view of the ocean. Highlights include the historic Balboa Pier, built over 100 years ago, and the Newport Beach Pier.

Pier

The pier is 1,032 feet (314.6 m) long and is registered as California Historical Landmark #794. Completed in the summer of 1888, it was originally known as McFadden Wharf. The wharf served as a shipping link for the owners of the site, the McFaddens, to unload timber, hides and other goods. In 1890, it was connected to the Santa Ana Railroad for commercial transportation to Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. McFadden sold the land in 1902 to W.S. Collins, which began to develop the area for residential and recreational purposes. The expansion of the passenger rail system from Los Angeles to the waterfront in 1905 marked the beginning of Newport Beach’s development as a tourist destination. In 1922, the pier was rebuilt by the City of Newport and remained a shipping terminal until 1939 when it was destroyed in a hurricane.

The current pier was reconstructed on the same site in 1940. At its base is the Dory Fishing Fleet fishing cooperative and lifeguard headquarters. It serves as the base for Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards, a program run by the fire department that allows children to receive basic water training. The Newport Beach Pier is one of the most photographed piers in the world.

Hornblower Cruises

A yacht company that organizes gastronomic events and charters luxury yachts. On Sundays, the yachts invite you for brunch, providing an excellent dining experience with beautiful views.

Newport Paddle Company

Paddle board and kayak rental company.

Newport Coastal Adventure

Whale Watching Tours.

Corona del Mar State Beach

The beach is located on the eastern side of the Newport Harbor Channel, in the Corona Del Mar area of ​​Newport Beach. To the west of the car park is Pirates Cove Beach.

Rendezvous ballroom

Large dance hall built in 1928, located on the beach on the Balboa Peninsula. The 1920s saw the heyday of public dancing to the music of popular bands and orchestras, and large ballrooms were built in most urban areas and even on Catalina Island, 26 miles off the California coast.

After a fire in 1935, the ballroom was rebuilt with an arched roof supported by cross-shaped wooden girders; the same as used in the nearby control hangers for the Marine Corps. The Rendezvous burned down again in 1966 and was never rebuilt. Currently, there are housing estates there. The Rendezvous hosted, among others, such famous performers as the leader of the jazz band Stan Kenton, The Beach Boys, The Challengers and The Righteous Brothers.

Newport Harbor

The largest recreational yacht port on the west coast of the United States, it is a popular destination for water sports such as sailing, fishing, rowing, kayaking and paddleboarding.

Newport Harbor has also hosted an annual Christmas parade since 1908. According to The New York Times, it is “one of the top ten Christmas events in the country.”

Newport Harbor Art Museum The 3,000-piece collection includes modern and contemporary art, focusing mainly on early 20th-century California art and international art. The first exhibition opened on October 15, 1962. In its first decade of operation, the museum presented exhibitions such as Stieglitz Circle (1963), Rico LeBrun (1964), Richard Diebenkorn (1965), Joe Goode/Edward Ruscha (1968) and Robert Rauschenberg in Black and White (1970). Artists whose works can be found in the museum’s collections include: Andy Warhol, Catherine Opie, Richard Diebenkorn, Robert Irwin, Edward Ruscha, John Baldessari, Eleanor Antin, Vija Celmins, Edgar Arceneaux, Charlie White, Jennifer Steinkamp, ​​Kori Newkirk, Rodney McMillan, Hank Willis Thomas, Larry Bell, Mary Heilmann, Amanda Ross-Ho, Helen Lundeberg, and Nancy Reddin Kienholz.