r/danapoint

My husband and I are moving to Orange County this summer. We are 27 and looking for somewhere to live. We came across Dana Point and were wondering if this would be a good place for late 20s people to live. We are hoping to make new friends and be able to socialize. We have no kids and don’t plan okay having them anytime soon. Any thoughts or advice would be great!

I took your input from my last draft and made a lot of changes. I will be based out of Dana Point. Yes I know I can’t depend on exact times and prices. It is just a guide and I am down to stray if the right adventure comes my way. I will be doing most of this with public transit and rideshares. If anyone wants to join for anything along the way just DM me.

Day 1:

• 2:45 PM | Queen Mary: I'll arrive in Long Beach for a hero shot from a distance. (Walk: 0.3 miles from the parking loop to the harbor railing).
• 3:15 PM | The "County Line" Drop: I'll get dropped off at the Seal Beach In-N-Out by a friend. I'm definitely grabbing some Animal Style fries and a shake before moving on.
• 3:20 PM | The Rideshare Hack to ARTIC: > 💡 THE HACK: By getting dropped off just over the county line in Seal Beach, I'll book an Uber from the Orange County side. This will successfully dodge the $15+ LA County exit surge fee. Uber usually has better real-time driver density near this specific county line. (Estimated Cost: $20 – $28).
• 4:00 PM | ARTIC Buffer: I'll arrive at ARTIC and grab a drink before the train. (Walk: 0.1 miles from drop-off to the platform).
• 5:56 PM | Amtrak Surfliner: I'll board the Southbound Train 590 at ARTIC. (Cost: $0 - Booked with Amtrak points!)
• 6:35 PM | SJC Arrival & Hotel Transfer: I'll step off the train at San Juan Capistrano. I plan to use Lyft here, as it historically has lower surge pricing at this station. (Estimated Cost: $15 – $20 straight to the Dana Point hotel).

Day 2:

• 10:30 AM | The Lazy Morning Bus: I'll walk 0.3 miles to PCH & Del Obispo to catch the OCTA Route 91 Bus North (Cost: $2.00).
• 10:45 AM | SJC Arrival: I'll walk 0.1 miles from the bus stop to the train tracks.
• 11:00 AM | Heavy Brunch at Trevor’s at the Tracks: We'll walk right in. I plan to order the Seoul Bowl and a White Russian. (The Coconut Carrot Cake will be a great audible if I have the room!)
• 11:45 AM | Mission San Juan Capistrano: I'll walk 0.1 miles directly across the street to the main gate and spend an hour exploring the historic stone ruins.
• 12:45 PM | Los Rios & River Street Marketplace: I'll stroll 0.4 miles around the dirt paths and outdoor market lanes.
• 1:30 PM | The Easy Ride Home: I'll take the OCTA Route 91 Bus South (Cost: $2.00) back to the hotel to wash up and change.
• 2:30 PM | The Free Trolley Move: I'll walk 0.1 miles to the PCH curb, take the Free Dana Point Trolley to the Ritz Carlton, then seamlessly transfer to the Free Laguna Beach Coastal Trolley.
• 3:15 PM | Arrive in Laguna: I'll head to South of Nick's. (Pro-tip: If you have a garment bag or extra stuff, hand it off to the host desk upon arrival).
• 3:30 PM | The Pre-Shoot Feast: I'll grab an early dinner at South of Nick's. I plan to ask for a half-order of the Birria Empanadas to start, and get the Seafood Chile Relleno (stuffed with Mexican prawns and lobster) as my main.
• 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | Photo Session & Exploring: I'll walk ~0.8 miles across Heisler Park, Peppertree Lane, and Forest Ave for great photo ops.
• 6:50 PM | The Post-Shoot Rideshare: Because the free Laguna trolley stops at 6:00 PM, I'll open Obi/Curb to compare Uber and Lyft (whoever is closest wins). (Estimated Cost: $14 – $18 from downtown Laguna to the Dana Point Preserve).
• 7:20 PM | Quick Sunset Cliff Walk: I'll walk 0.5 miles out and back along the dirt cliffside boardwalk to catch the sweeping ocean views.
• 7:50 PM | The Early Trolley Home: I'll take the Free Dana Point Trolley (runs until 9:00 PM) straight back to the hotel to crash early.

Day 3:

• 10:00 AM | Morning Beach Chill: I'll walk 0.1 miles across PCH onto the sand at Doheny State Beach for a quiet morning.
• 11:00 AM | The Short Hop Uber: I'll walk out to the hotel driveway with my luggage. I'll use Lyft, which often has better local availability and pricing for short hops within South OC. (Estimated Cost: $12 for a 10-minute drive to the SJC Amtrak Station).
• 11:25 AM | The Scenic Rail Connection: I'll board the Southbound Pacific Surfliner at SJC (Cost: $0 - Covered by Amtrak points!).💡 PRO-TIP: I'll make sure to sit on the right side of the train to watch the waves crash against the tracks as we pass through San Clemente!
• 12:08 PM | Oceanside Arrival & The Bag Hack: > 💡 THE HACK: Instead of dragging bags around, I'll walk 0.1 miles to a pre-booked LuggageHero or Bounce partner location near the station to drop my bags securely (Cost: ~$5 total).
• 12:15 PM | Top Gun House & Gelato: I'll walk 0.3 miles west toward the ocean to the famous Victorian cottage. I'll step inside to An’s Gelato (Gate D5) and order "The Checked Bag" flavor combo to eat on the porch.
• 12:45 PM | Oceanside Pier Walk: I'll walk next door to the pier entrance, doing the 0.6 miles total out to the very end of the historic wooden pier planks and back.
• 1:45 PM | Return to Station: I'll walk 0.3 miles back to the luggage drop to reclaim my suitcases, then head straight to the platform.
• 1:52 PM | Amtrak Pacific Surfliner South: I'll board my second train of the day bound for San Diego. (Cost: $0 - Covered by Amtrak points! Again, I'll keep that window seat on the right side for uninterrupted ocean views).
• 3:01 PM | San Diego Arrival & Hotel Transfer: I'll step off at Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego. Lyft has a direct partnership with SD transit and is frequently cheaper heading west to Point Loma. (Estimated Cost: $16 – $22 straight to the hotel to check in and relax).

I’ve taken in a lot of advice and research about the OC. I would love a final look at it. I will be based out of Dana Point. Yes I know I can’t depend on exact times with traffic. It is just a guide and I am down to stray if the right adventure comes my way. I will be doing most of this with public transit and rideshares. If anyone wants to join for anything along the way just DM me.

Monday, June 15

• 2:45 PM | Queen Mary: Arrive in Long Beach for a photo op under the iconic red/black smokestacks (0.3 miles walking).
• 3:15 PM | The Orange County Drop: Friend drives 15 minutes east to the Seal Beach In-N-Out (12341 Seal Beach Blvd).
• 3:20 PM | The Rideshare Request: Immediately open Obi or Curb to price-compare. Request a Standard Lyft or UberX (~$20–$28) to ARTIC. By starting the rideshare in Orange County instead of LA County, this bypasses the LA surge pricing. (Drive time: ~35 mins).
• 4:00 PM | ARTIC Buffer: Arrive at ARTIC. Plenty of buffer time to relax in the glass atrium and grab a drink.
• 5:56 PM | Amtrak Surfliner: Board the Southbound Pacific Surfliner Train 590 at ARTIC.
• 6:35 PM | SJC Arrival: Step off the train at San Juan Capistrano. Take a local Taxi or Curb (~$15–$20) to the hotel.

Tuesday, June 16

• 9:00 AM | Departure: Walk 0.1 miles to catch the OC Bus Route 1 North ($2.00).
• 10:30 AM | Frozen Banana: Stroll Balboa Island and grab a dipped banana at Sugar ’n Spice (0.7 miles total walk).
• 11:15 AM | The Ferry: Walk to the Balboa Island Ferry ($1.50) for the bay crossing.
• 11:45 AM | Transit South: Take an Uber/Lyft (~$20-$25) or hop back on the OC Bus Route 1 South ($2.00) to ride down the coast to Laguna Beach.
• 1:00 PM | Lunch at Nick’s Laguna Beach: The Order: Prime Rib Dip and the legendary Warm Butter Cake.
• 3:30 PM | Transit Inland: Uber/Lyft from Laguna Beach inland to San Juan Capistrano (~$18-$25).
• 4:30 PM | History Inland: Explore the Mission San Juan Capistrano and Los Rios District (0.2 miles walking between sites).
• 6:00 PM | Sunset Transit: Take the Route 91 Bus ($2.00) directly to Dana Point Harbor for the sunset walk (1.0 mile loop).
• 9:00 PM | Final Trolley: Catch the free Dana Point Trolley back to the hotel.

Wednesday, June 17

• 9:00 AM | Morning Zen: Walk 0.1 miles to Doheny State Beach. Sit in the sand, get toes in the water, and relax.
• 2:45 PM | Transit Prep: Board the OC Bus Route 1 North ($2.00). The enclosed bus keeps hair and outfit protected from the coastal wind before a scheduled photoshoot.
• 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM | The Photo Shoot: Meet the photographer. Walk roughly 0.6 miles total across Heisler Park, Peppertree Lane, and Forest Ave.
• 7:30 PM | Celebration Dinner: Walk 0.1 miles to an oceanfront reservation at Las Brisas (Taste of Las Brisas menu).
• 9:30 PM | The Luggage Run: Request an Uber with an "Add-a-Stop" (Las Brisas ➡️ Hotel to grab bags ➡️ SJC Station). Expect ~$20–$30.
• 10:30 PM | Station Arrival: Arrive at SJC.
• 11:36 PM | The Night Train: Board Amtrak Surfliner Train 796 south to San Diego. Take a late-night rideshare (~$10–$15) from Santa Fe Depot to check in at the hotel in Point Loma.

Never been to California and having trouble finding people that are able to hang during the week day.

Hi neighbors — looking for advice because I’m genuinely concerned about a dog in a neighboring townhome unit. We don’t have backyards, and it sounds like the dog has been confined inside/in a crate and barking almost continuously since Monday around 9pm. It’s now Wednesday 9p and it does not appear the owner has been home at all.

I’ve already contacted animal control, the sheriff’s department, and the HOA. Animal control came by and left a notice on the door requiring the owner to contact them within 24 hours to confirm the dog is being cared for and not abandoned. I tried calling the sheriff back out, but they seem to think this is just a barking complaint when my concern is actually the welfare of the dog (and honestly potentially the resident too, since no one has been seen for days).

Has anyone dealt with something similar or know of additional steps I can take? I’m trying to do this the right way and make sure the dog is safe.

UPDATE: THURS AM - The carport is still empty, but the notes are finally removed, the sliding door is shut (it was originally open)… Hoping that the dog is okay :(