Newport Harbor Nautical Museum
This museum gives an introduction to the extensive maritime history of this area.
Balboa Island
is a quaint throwback to simpler times, with a strip of stores and restaurants Marine Avenue and a pedestrian walkway which incicles the island. It's accessible from the Balboa peninsula via a short car/passenger ferry, or you can drive there over a bridge from near the Pacific Coast Highway.
True to its name, any visit to Newport Beach is incomplete without a trip to the beach. The city is nestled on the Pacific Ocean and is a favorite amongst surfers. The Wedge, at the end of the Balboa Peninsula, is famed for its challenging surf, but Newport's miles of wide beaches offer plenty of room for everyone, except on the busiest summer weekends. There is a concrete boardwalk running along the beach from the east of the Balboa pier to west of the Newport pier.
Orange County Museum of Art
850 San Clemente Drive, 949-759-1122 email:[email protected] fax: 949-759-5623, (http://www.ocma.net). Tu-Su 11AM-5PM, Th 11AM-8PM. Specializes in contemporary art and houses rotating special exhibitions. Adults $10, Students w/ valid ID & Seniors 65+ $8, Children under 12- free.Muth Wetlands Interpretive Center
Located on Irvine Avenue, and facing out onto coastal wetlands, this is an excellent introduction to the flora and fauna of Pacific Coast wetlands. There is an excellent film presentation, and many exhibits of interest to young and old.