Author: Trip Trek Go

Newport Beach Annual Anniversary Trip

When my husband and I were married in Newport Beach, we chose this location for the love of boats, the harbor, anything nautical and both of our families having ties to Orange County. We were married on a yacht in the harbor and had our reception at the Harborside https://www.harborside-pavilion.com/. The first tip I will provide for you is letting you in on their amazing happy hour {that lasts all day} that we go to every year on our anniversary https://www.harborside-pavilion.com/menus/food-menus/saloon-menu/. $8 Mai-Tais, Ahi Nachos, Sliders and Coconut Shrimp are just a few of our favorites. When we were married, we stayed at the Newport Marriott Resort and Spa, which is now called VEA https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/laxnb-vea-newport-beach-a-marriott-resort-and-spa/overview/. Many of our guests were also firefighters so their government rate was perfect to have everyone stay together and the room we reserved for the night before and night of the wedding was incredible. It overlooked the golf course, into the harbor and we could see our reception site and the bay we would be married in from our room. Our guests enjoyed the fire pits, bike rentals, restaurants and bars on property, Fashion Island being across the street, Starbucks in the hotel and the option for street parking if you are okay with watching the time. Now that we have celebrated our 15 year anniversary, the hotel has been rebranded, but is still part of the Marriott family and as I mentioned above, called VEA. We still love going to this property or to the Lido House https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/npbak-lido-house-autograph-collection/overview/ to celebrate our annual anniversary trip. We both have the Bonvoy credit card, so this is the perfect trip to use our annual complimentary rooms, and we each have the card so we get to stay for a few nights using our complimentary room perk. Renting bikes, taking an electric boat out in the harbor, paddle boarding, having breakfast in Corona Del Mar, walking around Balboa Island and stopping for salt water taffy are just a few of the activities we like to do in Newport.

I am a huge advocate of having an annual trip. As a kid through college and up until my twenties; Carpinteria State Beach https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30711 was my annual trip and it was camping during the first week in August. I always knew, whatever the year had in store that first week in August each summer would be spent in Carpinteria. There is something comforting about that and it still feels like a second home. I cling to the memories made there and have camped and visited Carpinteria with my own family. Now that we have kids, we have a tradition of spending the first week in August at our girl’s softball tournament in Huntington Beach. Still a beautiful place to visit, but having to be up for early games is not quite as relaxing as camping at the beach.

We do this trip to Newport every year, for just a few days which is a reminder that trips do not need to be long to be meaningful. I look forward to this trip every year and it is typically right at the end of the school year, so it is the perfect start to summer and an excellent way to reconnect and refresh following the school year.

#marriott #thelidohouse #newportmarriott #newportbeach #harborsidepavillion

1. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. Too many options make what should be a time to relax require unnecessary decisions. Make the decisions ahead of time and remember, less is more.

2. Have everyone in your family pack for themselves. Yes; even your kids.

3. Weigh suitcases ahead of time before you get to the airport.

4. Roll your outfits together to stay organized and maximize space.

5. Use shoes to protect items that are fragile. Place the item inside the shoe, especially men’s dress shoes or boots.

6. Remember specific items to your trip. If you are going to a concert or stadium, pack a clear bag. If you are headed to a resort bring sunscreen or items that may be more expensive if you need to purchase there.

Packing can feel overwhelming at times, especially if you are doing it for a family. Since my kids were about six years old, I have had them participate in their own packing. At six, I would tell them how many days we would be out of town and what the weather would be like. I had them lay out what they thought they should bring and at first, I usually had to make a few changes. I would have them add or replace what needed to be changed and now at 10, 12 and 14 my kids all pack independently.

If we are going out of town for longer than a week, we plan to do laundry. I am not an overpacker, despite what our luggage from Maui may look like in the photo below. When we go to Hawaii, we take Southwest and bring our own boogie boards, snorkel gear, beach towels and reef safe sunscreen. This allows us to avoid rental costs on items we use daily in Hawaii, but back to packing…It is easier to have what you need and not have to decide between multiple options.

For a week trip, I would bring the following:

Toiletry bag, 3 pairs of PJs, if it is tropical 4 swimsuits, 2-3 coverups, if it is a cold climate 2-3 jackets, 2-3 pairs of shoes, one outfit for each day of the week, 2-3 nice outfits if we go to dinner or do an activity that requires dressing up, like family photos.

As you know, many airlines charge additional fees for luggage. If we are taking southwest, each person has their own bag. If not, we typically each take one half of a suitcase and bring one additional suitcase with shoes and toiletry bags. Having fewer bags also reduces the issue of ensuring your car is large enough to fit multiple bags. We use the rolling system and roll each outfit up with underwear and socks, included.

My favorite method of checking airfare and truly feeling as if I am getting the best value is by using Google Flights http://www.google.com/travel/flights I check this site weekly, just to see what is out there. Often times, I will have dates in mind of when I may be able to head out of town without a destination in mind until I see what deals I can find out of some of my local airports.

Here are the tricks I use to score inexpensive airfare for my family of five.

1. Search ONE WAY rather than round trip at first so you get an idea of what the prices are for the flight you plan to take.

2. Type in a city rather than a specific airport in the search bar, such as LOS ANGELES rather than LAX.

3. Leave the departure date open when you search and it will display all of the prices for the months surrounding your trip. Simply going a day earlier or leaving a day later can save you hundreds💰

4. Check the prices throughout the week. It is known that Tuesdays are typically the best day to purchase flights, but I have seen prices change throughout the week and even throughout the same day. When you think of it, take a look.

5. Be aware of what the airline charges for luggage. In the picture below, it looks as if the spirit flight is the least expensive, however it is actually the third option United if you are taking a bag with you.

*In this example, United charges $40/per bag, Jet Blue $45/per bag and Spirit $65/per bag. Spirit also only allows 40lb, per bag, where Jet Blue and United allow 50lb. per bag.

Checked bag fee for other Domestic flights: Delta is $35/50lb bag, Southwest is 2 bags under 50lbs for bags free, American Airlines $35 (if you pay online) for a 50lb. Bag, Alaska Airlines $35/50lb. bag, Frontier $49/40lbs.

*please note these prices may vary depending on time of booking and your status with the airline.