Your Guide To Balboa Island

Often overlooked for the Channel Islands and other larger and more visited Californian islands, Balboa Island and Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach are two places anyone in SoCal should visit at least once.

Even if you are a tourist spending a few days in the Greater L.A. Area, a visit to Balboa Island can be a rewarding side-trip.

What is Balboa?

Named after Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa, this resort island has endless options for fun water activities, great sightseeing, or just experiencing the island atmosphere and natural beauty. You can visit the island by ferry or by driving on Jamboree Road, or take the ferry from Balboa Peninsula (Balboa Island Ferry). As the island is best experienced on foot and has limited street parking for visitors, we always recommend that clients travel here by the affordable $1 ferries instead of driving onto the island itself.

One of Balboa’s main attractions is understandably the amazing architecture of the many beautiful little cottages found here. Now multimillion-dollar homes and vacation homes, it is funny to think that these cottages once sold for under $300 in the 1920s! Balboa Peninsula, which was created by a mistake in the early 1930s, is now home to some of the best beaches in Orange County as well as the Balboa Pavilion & Fun Zone.

Whether do dine in one of the great restaurants, stroll down the quaint tiny roads, check out the famous landmarks, lay on the beach, rent a beach house, or any other reason for visiting Balboa – contact us for your limo transportation today. Many of our clients love to go here for recreational activities such as kayaking, surfing, jet-skiing, whale-watching, and much, much more. Along the island’s main street, Marine Avenue, people come to window-shop and check out the cool little stores, cafés, and bars.

Do not forget to try out the island’s signature Balboa Bar ice cream and shave ice! Balboa has one of the highest population densities in the country, even higher than San Francisco, and has some of the most expensive real estate prices – real estate prices are even higher than in Manhattan!

What can I do on Balboa?

The options for activities at Balboa are endless. You can for instance go parasailing over the Pacific with Balboa Parasail or jet-skiing with Balboa Water Sports. Another favorite among many renting an LA limo service is to head here for one of the great whale-watching excursions. Companies such as Davey’s Locker Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Balboa Newport Landing Whale Watching offer great whale-watching excursions from Newport Harbor.

Want to rent a boat, head to Duffy Boat Rental! Prefer a chauffeured boat for an ocean adventure? Check out Newport Coastal Adventure. And for paddling or kayaking, head to the Island Paddle Board or Balboa Surf & Style.

Maybe the most popular for those traveling with children is to visit the Fun Zone on the Balboa Peninsula. The Balboa Fun Zone is home to several rollercoaster rides, cotton candy vendors, and everything else you’d find at a carnival.

The nearby ExplorOcean museum is a great educational experience for children as well as adults. One of the island’s many famous landmarks is the St. John Vianney Chapel, which is located on the main street, Marine Avenue. This beautiful tiny chapel is a charming architectural piece of art.

Another popular activity for families is to pay a visit to Our Gang’s General Store to check out the unique toys, as well as the Marina Park playground. We transfer not only a lot of LAX sedan customers to Balboa, but because of its close proximity to the John Wayne Airport also a significant amount of people from John Wayne.

Landmarks & Attractions

A landmark worth checking out is the Balboa Pavilion. Constructed in 1906, the Pavilion is a California Historical Landmark and is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is currently functioning as the terminal for passenger- and whale-watching cruises.

While on the Balboa Peninsula, grab a bite at the original O.C. Ruby’s Diner on the Balboa Pier! Also on the peninsula is the famous Crab Cooker, a favorite for many who enjoy seafood. Established in the early 1950s, it has been ranked as one of the world’s best restaurants by Venture Magazine and has also been featured in the television series The O.C., where the restaurant is referred to as the Crab Shack.

To see today’s fresh seafood being unloaded from the dock, head to the Dory Fish Market, a historical landmark dating back to the early 1890s! For a historic landmark, many Los Angeles limousine riders have talked about the Lovell Beach House as the most iconic Balboa house.

More interested in beaching, surfing, and other ocean activities? The Wedge on the peninsula is a tremendously popular surfing spot, while all of the peninsulae is recognized for its pristine beaches. Didn’t make it on a Malibu wine tour? Check out the Balboa Island Wine Walk! Two 1920s landmarks worth checking out include the Balboa Theater and the Balboa Inn.

Where do I stay?

Wanna spend the night here but cannot afford a vacation home rental? You are not alone! While there are no hotels on the island per se, there are numerous hotels in surrounding areas, including on the Balboa Peninsula. Here many prefer staying at the Balboa Fun Zone to ride the Ferris wheel and other rides. There are also many eateries, cafés, and souvenir shops in the Fun Zone area.

At the nearby Newport Harbor Nautical Museum you can see exhibits on the Pacific Ocean and California waters. You can for instance see ship models dating to the late 1790s, or check out the tanks with various native species found in the waters off California. Two nearby hotels worth checking out if you are looking for accommodation are the Island Hotel and the Newport Beach Marriot Hotel & Spa.

Looking for a snack, drink, or restaurant? Head to Sugar & Spice for the original Balboa Bar chocolate ice cream! Disappointed you never made the Malibu wine tour? Let’s head to Basilic for a delicious meal and great red wine to accompany the steak, turkey, or dish of choice. For a delicious breakfast, get a Los Angeles limousine and head to Wilma’s Patio for a great egg- or omelet dish.

Looking for a place to enjoy an evening cocktail? Head to the Village Inn for great live entertainment and a drink of choice. Remember to go by Dad’s Donut & Bakery to pick up a delicious chocolate banana to bring home.

Island of Celebrities

With its luxury housing and secluded character, many celebrities have found their home on Balboa. While Chuck Norris once owned a restaurant here, John Wayne bodysurfed here during summers. Visitors include everyone from Frank Sinatra, Richard Nixon, as well as Nancy- and Ronald Reagan.

LA limo service clients have made us aware of the many movies filmed here, including Shadows (1922), To Have and Have Not (1944), The Breaking Point (1950), and many more.

Whether you are looking for an LAX sedan to get here from the airport, or maybe a party bus to get into LA from Balboa, we can help you! On Balboa, don’t forget to check out the outstanding two-mile Island Boardwalk to see the boat parade and scenic views.

For art lovers, the Balboa Island Artwalk is an annual happening drawing over a hundred artists for live music, painting exhibits, custom-made jewelry, and much more. For a signature, Balboa shopping experience, see the selection of unique oil products and more at Olive Oil & Beyond, the ideal place to find gifts for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

With just 0.2 square miles and about 3,000 inhabitants, Balboa is a small island that is easy to navigate, discover, and enjoy! Bon voyage!

4 Most Visited Tourist-Attractions in SoCal

As the top-rated luxury transportation company in Southern California, we transport thousands of tourists on a yearly basis. With more than 14 million foreign visitors per year, the City of Angels has one of the world’s largest numbers of tourists.

For us locals, it is easy to forget all the great landmarks and activities that signify the Greater L.A. Area. We have listened to all the tourists and visitors riding with our services. Here are our customer’s most popular tourist attractions in the city.

4. Sunset Strip

Just making up 1.7 miles of Sunset Boulevard, the Sunset Strip with its flashing neon signs and billboards is one of the most popular LA limo destinations. Besides being the place with the highest density of rock clubs in America, Sunset is also famous for its many rock venues, shops, and nightclubs. Some of the most popular places to visit here include the Viper Room, Whisky A-Go-Go as well as the Rainbow Bar & Grill.

The Viper Room is one of the most famous nightclubs in town, previously run by Johnny Depp and the location of River Phoenix’s death. Marilyn Monroe went on blind dates at the Rainbow Bar, a place where also Guns N’Roses regularly had concerts. Jimi Hendrix performed regularly at the Whisky-A-Go-Go.

Other popular places here include the Sunset Plaza, famous for its European stores and restaurant, as well as the Sunset Tower Hotel and the Standard Hollywood. Famous for its gigantic billboards, it’s not seldom that tourists book an LAX airport sedan just to head to the Sunset Strip to see the billboards. Come to the Sunset Strip to people-watch, head out to the bars, or party all night long. The House of Blues, the Comedy Store, and the Roxy are additional key attractions on the Sunset Strip.

3. Hollywood

Of tourists utilizing our Los Angeles limo service, Hollywood is an incredibly popular destination for various reasons. Besides famous landmarks such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Sign, Hollywood is also the largest hub for popular culture in the world with film studios and numerous musical performances throughout the year.

Hollywood is also home to some of the greatest nightlife in the city, and many visit the area with limos to skip the hassle of finding a designated driver, deal with traffic, and struggle with finding parking. Having a chauffeured luxury vehicle at hand makes it also significantly easier to go club- or bar hopping to various places throughout the city. Why stay confined to one area, when some of the most happening places are spread throughout the city. Many also decide to order buses to go out on town, for instance, locals ordering a Calabasas party bus to head partying in Hollywood is a common thing. What’s better than drinking and dancing in a bus on your way to the clubs!?

Many have called our representatives and asked about opening times for clubs in L.A. and complain about the nightlife ending early. It is a common misbelief that the nightlife ends at either 2 am or 4 am. That is not true. Avalon Hollywood closes for instance at 5 am on Fridays and not till 8 am on Saturdays, while Downtown’s Exchange L.A. closes at 6 am on Saturdays. And with limousines or party buses of your choice, the party in Hollywood ends when you want it to.

2. Santa Monica

Third Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Beach and Pier are some of the most iconic L.A. landmarks and attractions. Many come to the Third Street Promenade to experience some of the city’s best shopping. Other Santa Monica attractions include the Pier Aquarium, Muscle Beach, the Museum of Flying, the Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome, and many more.

At the Third Street Promenade is for example where you’ll find one of the region’s most popular shopping malls: Santa Monica Place just a few blocks from the beach. After shopping at the promenade, head down 3rd Street Promenade until you reach Santa Monica Beach. This is where you’ll find the famous pier and its amusement park, the Pacific Park. Along the seaside are numerous shops, restaurants, cafes, and more.

Just the other day we serviced clients with a Calabasas party bus to head from Calabasas to Santa Monica Beach in style. After partying their way down, without the worry of traffic and parking, they arrived in Santa Monica and biked to nearby Venice Beach to enjoy a locally crafted beer at one of the many beachside restaurants. Prefer wine tasting? Book an L.A.- or Malibu wine tour to experience the best of Southern California wines.

1. Universal Studios & Disneyland

Disneyland in Anaheim is the 7th most visited tourist attraction in the United States and one of the most visited places by our limousines. We even often have customers booking our LAX airport sedan services to head directly to Disneyland from the airports! With more than 16.1 million visitors per year, Disneyland is California’s most visited attraction and a must for anyone visiting Southern California.

Yet another hugely popular amusement park visited by our Los Angeles limo service is Universal Studios and adjacent Universal CityWalk. Here people come to learn about the movie filming at the Universal studio tours, enjoy the cool rides, or stroll along the Universal CityWalk next door to explore the great shopping and restaurants found along this famous street.

Want something faster-going? Six Flags Magic Mountain is a 260-acre amusement park with the highest number of rollercoasters in the United States. Rides such as Viper and Goliath are some of the fastest rollercoasters in the world. Go for one of America’s quickest roller coasters, followed up by a beer and dinner at one of the park’s many restaurants and cafes.

Prefer something for the smaller kids? The younger crowd usually falls in love with Knott’s Berry Farm, a smaller and less crowded amusement park. Many LA limo clients also head south to Orange County and visit North America’s biggest indoor water park, the Great Wolf Lodge in Garden Grove.

Other popular amusement parks for grownups and kids alike include Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, the Legoland California Resort in Carlsbad, SeaWorld San Diego, Santa Monica’s Pacific Park, Knott’s Soak City in Buena Park, Adventure Park in Anaheim, Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach, and many, many more. Many of the smaller parks are less crowded with fewer lines and oftentimes more affordable.

What is your favorite L.A. landmark? Iconic L.A. landmarks that didn’t make our list include Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, the Getty Museum, L. A. County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Exposition Park, Olvera Street, Venice, Staples Center, Madame Tussauds Hollywood, the Hollywood Bowl, the Grammy Museum and many, many more attractions and landmarks found throughout the larger LA Area.

Where you find Hollywood celebrities

The-choice-for-a-Beverly-Hills-limo-service The City of Angels might be the most popular in the world as far as celebrity sightseeing. And having become the largest and top-rated provider of Los Angeles limousine services we have witnessed an increase in locals and tourists alike asking for tips on where to spot famous people.

While some may tell you: “It’s Hollywood, just go to a K-mart and you’ll see celebrities”, we all know the chances are pretty limited in one of the gazillion convenience stores throughout the city. Not only do we provide local L.A. city tours, but we have also transported celebrities for numerous years. Without revealing too much about our LA limo service clientele we can mention Will Smith, Kim Richards, Jeb Bush, Gary Busey, and many more.

Our limousines have been featured in a variety of movies and TV shows, including but not limited to the Bachelor, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the Biggest Looser, Hell’s Kitchen, and numerous others. Being the top-rated provider of L.A.- and Calabasas party bus vehicles, we offer the best in LA transportation.

Areas in which to see celebrities

limousine-Los-Angeles-city-tours-by-LA-limo-service-and-celebrity-tour In all of Southern California, you really do have the potential of seeing one of your favorite celebrities, but certain cities, districts, and areas of town are more popular than others. As you probably guessed, both the communities of Beverly Hills and Bel Air fit this category. Other celebrity enclaves, such as Calabasas or Hidden Hills, also are popular communities for many of L.A.’s rich and famous. Being home to celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Khloé Kardashian, our Calabasas party bus rentals are for example hugely popular in the region.

In Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive from Julia Roberts’ Pretty Woman is a popular street for the ultra-wealthy. The street might be the most prestigious shopping street in the world, and many L.A.-visitors using our LA limo service love strolling up and down this street while window-shopping in the far-high-end boutiques on the lookout for celebrities.

The once sleepy neighborhood of Westwood was developed into Bel Air in the 1920s, making it one of the most expensive neighborhoods in America, packed with multi-million dollar mansions and some amazing views overlooking the city. In Bel Air, Hotel Bel-Air might be your best bet for celebrity spotting. Other areas include the Century City Shopping Center, which is with its many high-end vendors a place our clientele often experience to spot a celebrity or two.

The famous Sunset Strip, which is adjacent to Beverly Hills, is a little over a mile from Sunset Boulevard, but also a city center for the city’s nightlife. Be on the lookout for paparazzis!

So where can you spot celebrities?

The-Premier-Los-Angeles-Limo-Service-and-LA-tour-company As celebrities maybe surprisingly are like most other people, it is not too easy to pinpoint the exact location of celebrity swarms… At least many believe so. On the quite contrary though, serving stars and other notables for over fifteen years, we know some of the spots where celebrities hang out. Except for the general stuff, such as the airport (LAX sedan requests are maybe destination number one of L.A.’s rich and famous), there are also various other destinations where you are even more likely to spot a celebrity or two.

For once, the wineries of the Malibu Canyons often served on our Malibu wine tours, are great retreats from celebrities’ city life. It is also widely known that celebrities such as Matt Damon and Jennifer Lawrence are among the many frequently staying at the Ace Hotel in Downtown. Kim Kardashian, Michael Douglas, and Nicole Kidman are among the numerous seen at the Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows.

Movie stars such as Reese Witherspoon and Ben Affleck are known to love the Brentwood Country Mart, while Runyon Canyon’s over 150 acres are popular with celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Matthew Morrison, and so many more. Other places with great chances of spotting your favorite artist or movie stars include the Piano Bar Lounge upstairs at the Mastro’s Steakhouse, Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood, as well as George’s California Modern in La Jolla.

Premier-LA-limo-service-presents-Beverly-Hills-and-Los-Angeles-limousine-tours So let’s cut to the chase, would you really wanna see celebrities and get a glimpse of their personal mansions? Book a trip with our Los Angeles limousine company and go on exclusive tours to neighborhoods packed with famous residents. We know all the spots!

Whether you are looking into a Malibu wine tour to the beautiful Pacific coast for some wine-sipping, or you’re heading out for a party with friends in a party bus, we will be able to accommodate all your needs for the perfect limo experience. Offering an exclusive price-match-guarantee on all our rides, including wine-tasting tours and LAX sedan services, you have nothing to lose by calling us for your SoCal transportation!

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