Laguna Beach is a special place for Steve and me. We went there on our very first date and we were married there as well. So when we have an opportunity to return to this magical seaside town, we go.

We spent the day meandering its familiar streets and shops.
A side detour took us to the almost hidden Brown's Park. This wonderful Laguna Beach park was donated by Joseph E. Brown after his grandfather's beachfront 1920's era home was destroyed by a winter storm in 1998. It is an oasis of calm with bronze statuary chairs, a dedication plaque and poem, and spectacular stained glass fencing where the walkway culminates in a fantastic oceanview overlook.

We were delighted by a number of the outdoor art pieces we found as we explored. I wish you could see this one more clearly. Los Angeles-based artist Douglas Turner has installed the temporary sculpture Nine Billion on Forest Avenue. The installation references the projected world population growth of 9 billion by 2050. To me, it is also a nostalgic nod to the old days when 'kids' would have competitions of how many people they could cram into a thing. Phone Booth Cramming was a late-1950s fad with a simple premise: cram a phone booth full of dudes (and/or ladies) and take a picture before the people on the bottom suffocate. As you can imagine, this pastime was most popular among college students, and led to international rivalries. Yes, kids, this is the kind of thing we thought was fun back before we had video games...and when we still had phone booths. Love it.
We came to Laguna, specifically to attend the Pageant of the Monsters... "Just when you thought it was safe to go backstage, the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters brings a monster of a good time back to Laguna Beach! Only returning to the Festival grounds every five years, it offers attendees a frightfully fun time with ghoulish tricks and treats."
What was super cool was the fact that part of the night allowed us to go backstage through the workshop labyrinths and behind-the-scenes catacombs to follow the footsteps of legendary archeologist, adventurer and treasure hunter “Cincinnati Smith” on a whimsical and haunted spoof of a popular movie series. Cincinnati was on a perilous quest to recover the greatest treasures from exotic locales across the globe. He set his sights on the holy grail, a golden idol, and the arc of the covenant all while allowing us to go places we never thought possible in a place we have visited numerous times as patrons of the arts, not explorers. What fun.
The Scarecrow contest was like none we had ever seen before. Each was incredibly unique and awesome.

Joan Crowford got our vote. Wow, right?

If you are not familiar with the Pageant of the Masters which happens here every summer,  you are missing out. Famous works are recreated, in a human tableau with lifesize paintings. We found it truly amazing that the backdrops for many of the 'attractions' were paintings from the pageant. We loved The Demented Chef and the nod to Venice.


Yes, we even witnessed an Alien autopsy! There was something for everyone.
Just another one of those diverse days which make life unforgettable. Fun stuff.