When was the last time you took some time for YOU, a wellness trip to reset. A girls trip to share some laughs, maybe a few tears and perhaps also indulge in some delicious foods?

Well last month I did just that with one of my friends, we took off to Newport Beach, California for a girls trip and boy was it fun! Newport Beach is a beautiful area of Los Angeles for a wellness trip, especially since they have a great Wellness Week campaign taking place in the area August 23rd-29th and trust me, you wanna check out this beautiful area wether it be for your own getaway or even with the family. Newport Beach is about an hour from the LAX airport so we rented a Jeep for the trip, also super fun and handy since I had some meetings while in LA.

Newport Beach, California is a coastal fantasyland and is home to some of the best beach vacations in the world. It’s where leisure and style come together in ten distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own unique charm.

Where we Stayed

We stayed at the Balboa Bay Resort and loved it, the views of the water were great and so was the pool. They have these super cute Cabanas set up right now in partnership with Lily Pullitzer, we scored a brand new Swell bottle and sunglasses when booking a cabana as well as the most delicious fruit platter and themed beverages. We actually had a great breakfast at the resort as well, they make an amazing lobster omelette and huevos rancheros. The rooms were spacious and they had valet parking that was appreciated during our stay since we were always in and out of the hotel exploring Newport Beach. The decor of the hotel is beautiful and the staff was very kind, I suggest dining poolside if you can and soak up that relaxation! Click {here} to find out what hotels are a part of the Wellness Week promotion.

Where to Eat

We decided to try out the Malibu Farm in Lido Village for one of our dinners during our stay, you guys know how much I love Malibu Farms but we’ve only ever tried their Malibu location. This Newport Beach location at the Lido Village was just as delicious. We had a yummy dinner with some cocktails, I highly suggest their Butterflied Branzino dish!

We also enjoyed some freshly baked goods and AMAZING coffee at The Honor Coffee Bar in Lido Village, their decor was right up my alley with brass and wood tones in a world of white trimmed walls. Spoil yourself and grab some treats at this spot! Lido Village is a 5 minute drive from Balboa Bay Resort or you can enjoy a 20 minute walk in the beautiful weather. This area also has a Nobu restaurant for you sushi lovers. These restaurants are pretty much all along the marina waterfront too which makes for the prettiest evening dinners! Click {here} to find out what restaurants are a part of the Wellness Week promotion.

Where to Shop

Since this was a girls trip after all, we made time for some much needed retail therapy before massages & pedicures. Lido Village is 100% where it’s at in Newport Beach, there are SO many beautiful boutiques and shops with outfits for the entire family and they also have a Serena & Lily and LeLabo shop. I fell in love with a mommy & me matching swim cover up set in the prettiest blue from Eberjey – my friend & photographer Cori captured my eyeballing them in the store of course haha! They simply had to come home with me, and the navy blue two piece I found in stores too. Even some of the shops in Lido Village have promotions taking place for Wellness Week. Eberjey for example has a complimentary eye mask promotion and Bailey 44 (a brand I fell for while browsing in store) will have 25% off full price items. Be prepared to stock up on goodies for yourself and the kiddos if you shop in Lido Village for Wellness Week.

Lido Village also has a super cute book store where I picked up a book for each of the kids, the owners are super passionate about the love of reading and work hard to bring in special books for their customers. They are so kind and have a huge variety of magazines too!

What to Do

Well there is of course the eating for foodies like us or shopping, the best of therapies haha! But if you are looking for relaxation there are fantastic spas and a local theatre. You can also rent out SUP boards for some fitness or adventure, did you know that Newport Beach is one of the surfing capitals of the world? For Wellness Week you can get 50% of board rentals through Balboa water sports during your visit. The Duffy boats are a fun experience too, you can rent one in the colouring of your choice with a bottle of wine and snacks…they make for super cute photos. We had so much fun!

There is a ton of options in the area if you are a golfer and 2 great spots for lovers of arts & culture;

• Balboa Island Museum and Historical Society preserves the island’s historic photographs and artifacts.
• Discovery Cube’s Ocean Quest is an interactive experience designed to teach visitors about the seven principals of ocean literacy. Exhibits provide an up-close look at maritime history.

Did you know you can go whale watching in Newport Beach too?

By land or sea, whale watching in Newport Beach is ranked as one of the top activities and Southern California has some of the best waters for whale watching enthusiasts to explore. Both Newport Landing and Davey’s Locker offer daily guided whale watching tours by experienced professionals year-round.

View giant blue whales during the summer and fall, and gray whales in the winter and spring. During grey whale season, typically from December through April, crew members will provide a narration of interesting facts and characteristics of grey whales. May through November brings warmer waters and the opportunity to view blue whales. Throughout the year, you can observe dolphins, seals and some of nature’s most incredible mammals at play.

Photography above by my dear friend Cori Cleckner