Open Newport Beach Photo Gallery Before reaching Newport on the PCH, you will pass Pacific View Cemetery. Some of my cohorts were amazed to discover memorials over 100 years old; this highlights the age of the region. John Wayne lived on Balboa Island and is here somewhere; but hidden in case Native Americans want to piss on his grave. Nearby Santa Ana airport was named in his memory, although I am told he actively petitioned against it.
From the cemetery, it is possible to see Balboa Island a mile or two away. The area is linked by a bridge and driving around the cute, brightly coloured wooden houses just above sea level explains their value. For many, it is accessible to hook your yacht up next to the Ferrari. Balboa plays home to a number of cute shops and restaurants more for the tourists.
Why not take the 2minute ferry over to Newport Peninsula? The peninsula creates Newport Bay in which Balboa Island lies among a plentiful amount of boats. From here you can see nearby (1hr drive) snow-capped mountains. Nearby the ferry is the Balboa Pavilion Built in 1906, it played a prominent role in attracting development of Newport Beach as was the new train network. It attracted real estate buyers to an area formerly designated as “swamp and overflow” land. The Balboa Pavilion is one of California's last surviving waterfront recreational pavilions from the turn of the century. The Pavilion continues to serve the public today as a marine recreational facility and is Newport Beach’s most famous landmark, as well as its oldest standing building.
Next to it lies The Fun Zone, an amusement arcade, ice cream parlor, a ferris wheel, bumper cars and frozen bananas along an enjoyable promenade. It is easy to see this area as once having a “Disneyland” style highlight; although our Sunday morning stroll offered only a little merriment. We played a simple target game at “The Fun Zone” where the points were rewarded with tickets; which together could be redeemed for Christmas cracker toys suitable to make any 6yr old boy glow.
A few yards from the harbour side is the Pacific beach, which with adequate parking is long, yellow, windy and superb for surfers. There are two piers and groins to avoid the sand moving further up the coast. You may see some large construction vehicles stealing it back!
Close by is Fashion Island, an outdoor, small and circular mall filled with many of the usual up-market home and clothing stores, cinemas and restaurants. It was in the “Guinness Book Of Records” for having the largest windchime! Fancy that!
