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Remember the movie BEACHES?

 

 

 

 

Yep..that is the movie that was filmed in the cutest little cottage in Crystal Cove.....

Each of the cottages have these cute li'l ceramic plaques on the cottages..

Come on in...let's take a look around the cottage....

You can rent the little shingled cottage for special events...

I can just see CC Bloom and Hillary sitting here in the adirondack chairs on the porch, looking out at the ocean..can't you?  That was  great movie and I want to rent it to show my girls.....they don't make movies like that these days do they? What a tear jerker though...

I do think they needed to plant some flowers in this flower bed...I think I would love to be on the board that is responsible for reconstructing the cottages...what a dream that would be.  I'd love to shop for vintage furnishings and decide what paint colors the walls need to be painted....wouldn't that be an awesome job?!!  

 I think all the cottages need a potted plant near each door....

climbing roses on the fence here....

this is the entrance to the community bathroom...I think a hanging wicker basket full of colorful flowers..would be fantastic...

Here we are headed up to our Cottage called...

Sunset Bungalow..you can see an awesome sunrise or sunset..

Right from this vintage iron bed...at night we could hear the waves crashing on the beach..nothing is more soothing and relaxing than that!

Here is the vintage petite stove {display only}...we had one like this growing up but it had a grill in the middle....I have great memories of my parents cooking great meals on it...

Vintage-looking frig, I would love one of these in my own kitchen as well as a bigger size of the O'Keefe and Merit stove or Wedgewood {i'm on the prowl for one} when we redo our kitchen. 

This cottage kitchen was done all in pink...so very quaint. I would love to see some vintage aprons hanging on the wall for effect...but I don't think I'd paint my own kitchen pink....but you never know!  In this cottage it is perfect!

This is the side door into the bungalow...all cottages have hand held brooms to sweep off sandy feet.

Here was another white shingled cottage down the pathway....from ours.

and another with an Aloha Theme...I think there should be some planted ginger out here...huh?  or Bromiliads?  Something tropical...

Yes with the pacific ocean just outside our door...I could stay here again and hopefully will.  It was a fantastic get away....the weather was gloomy but that was ok...we had a great time...I highly recommend the Cottages IF you can get a reservation....that is the hard part they are quite popular as you can see why...you step back in time and relive a little bit of nostalgia.

Bye Cottages at Crystal Cove...hopefully we will see you soon! 

Museums of Crystal Cove

Many of the vintage cottages have been converted into museums and/or show rooms to show what some of the rental cottages look like inside.

 

There is a main central area where a couple of the buildings are replicated for you to see.  One was done in a Hawaiiana style very popular in the 3o's and 40's.

Shall we take a look inside {of course I love the vintage clawfoot tub turned into a planter}

Lots of vintage style prints and hawaiiana floral prints with bamboo.

Here is the visitor center and to the right a gift shop.

A nice little lanai...with my favorite chairs....

Cottagey style kitchen with vintage stoves...

lots of driftwood art for sale like this birdhouse and vintage signs to buy..

Daddies waiting patiently for us to shop....

California Native succulants in cute planters...like this...

a nod to the nautical theme abounds all around..

even hanging in a tree....my favorite, Japanese fishing floats...

even my feet had to join in the action.....

Do you recognize this building?  So lets play a little game if you can guess what movie this cottage was in, the first one to leave a comment that is correct I'll send you a sea cottage prize.   Good Luck..I'll reveal in my next post.

 

 

Historic Cottages of Crystal Cove

This year was different for us then any of the past Independence days....with my girls growing up and doing different things, {insert Sports commitments and being teeenagers}.  We didn't head to the local firework show as a family, the girls went with friends instead.  Also on the actual fourth of July we got the opportunity to head to the Historic Cottages at Crystal Cove on the Newport Coast. I was in heaven to say the least and took a ton of pictures{which I'll have to split into several posts}.

Here I am with my girls and my besties...

This is a small alcove called Crystal Cove and in the 20's through the 50's  families that had homes in Los Angeles or inland would bring their families here and stay in the rustic cottages during the summer to escape the heat.  I would guess most of the families owned them because it was a place for the "well to do". Because it was a great locale it was used as a film location for Hollywood, think of Gidget or Beach Blanket Bingo, although they were not filmed here..that's the feeling you get when you are there, as if you would see Gidget out riding the waves on her surfboard.  One very famous film was filmed there that I will share with you in the next post.  Over the next few decades they fell into disrepair and just in the last several years a local restoration group called The Crystal Cove Alliance  have been restoring them to their previous historic cottagey glory.  They have reconstucted the cottages in phases, 14 more cottages will be worked on in the coming years. 

This one is a my favorite that will be restored to it's former vintage beauty,  I can see how beautiful it will be when she is complete.  The restoration has to use 80% of the wood that is in the original structure so the process takes time and of course money.

Here is one that is similiar that has been restored, as you can see all of the cottages are different...most have shingles...

some are single story and others double story...

Some are dormitory style and hanging on a cliff....

Looking towards Huntington Beach.....from upon the bluffs are the Cottages on the Cliff with panoramic ocean views..

Going back down on the beach you look towards San Diego are the tide pools..

Lots of Sea Anemomes, crabs, seaweed and sea glass.

 

The girls loved looking for the sea creatures and sea glass.  A few of the buildings have been turned into mini museums to educate the public on what a special piece of history this place is.