宴会上的客人 Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & 俱乐部 often meet Lance Murphy soon after checking in. The 60-year-old Southern California native drives a woodie-style tram around the 175-acre property.
"Technically my job takes me to the beach 15 to 20 times a day," Murphy says. "From the tram stop near the main lobby, I drive guests to the pool, or through the tunnel to 盐溪滩, or down to the 君主湾泳滩会."
位于…南边 拉古纳海滩 在北方 丹娜一点, Monarch Beach has been Murphy's "office" since 2014. But his connection to the area runs even deeper—he's lived in southern Orange County for the past four decades.
“ Monarch Beach neighborhood is serene, it's majestic, it's natural,” he says. “It's like an island that's separate from the rest of the coast. There's a heartbeat and a soul here, I get to connect our guests to this beautiful environment."
私人 君主湾泳滩会 is one of the hotel's biggest attractions, he says. "This long stretch of sand flows to the very end of 盐溪滩, that's where the Beach 俱乐部 is located. We have a team on the sand that sets up your beach umbrella and chairs. It's very private and exclusive, almost like a place in the South of 法国."
Murphy, a lifelong ocean enthusiast, learned to surf as a kid in the 1970s. Recently he's taken up the sport again on a 10-foot longboard. “在我空闲的时候, I go to to the beach three to four days a week, sometimes to get in the water and surf or sometimes just to sit on the sand and look out at the ocean. 它是如此的平静,他说, adding that he likes to “head down the coast to Trestles Beach, near where President Nixon used to live in San Clemente. The train goes right by Trestles, it's beautiful to walk around there. It's still a very rural part of Orange County.”
In addition to alluring beaches, the coastline from 拉古纳海滩 to 达纳角港 has a vibrant art scene, oceanfront restaurants, stroll-able attractions. Some of his favorite places to eat include 拉拨立柴, 她曾是Ristorante, Shwack海滩烧烤店. "Everything is so close together,他说. "You never have to get on a freeway."
But Murphy says what stands out most to the visitors he meets is the pristine coastal scenery. "When I'm at work, I always take a moment to appreciate my surroundings. Each moment is brand new because it's just so magnificently beautiful."
五个最爱
Murphy provided a few bonus recommendations that are popular with locals and are sure to please visitors:
最好的博物馆: “ 海洋研究所 in 达纳角港 is a nonprofit museum devoted to marine science and maritime history. I highly recommend people go there because it's an easy way for all ages to learn about, 理解, 欣赏海洋. It's very educational and interactive. Kids can touch sea stars and other creatures in aquarium tanks, you can tour a schooner, the 达纳岬精神."
最独特的店铺: “走在 香水精品店 in downtown 拉古纳海滩 and it's like being in Paris. The walls are lined with glass bottles, each filled with a different scent. It's like a perfume laboratory. You can smell the different scents, the owners will assist you in creating your own personal fragrance."
法国票价: "这就是生活 是非常真实的 法国 restaurant in 拉古纳海滩. They serve beautiful pastries, omelets, quiches, Monte Cristo sandwiches. There's an idyllic outdoor deck in the back that overlooks the beach. There's only enough space for a few tables, but it's a lovely spot for eating outside with an ocean view."
最佳旅游: “ best way to see marine life is to get a seat on Captain Dave's Dolphin and Whale Watching tours out of 达纳角港. They have see-through glass in the bow of their catamaran. You can see dolphins under the surface swimming right alongside the boat. Plus, at the end of the tour, everybody gets a fudge brownie."
甜点: "In 拉古纳海滩, there's a quaint, beautiful passageway called Peppertree巷. It's dreamy, it has two great dessert shops side by side. 冰淇淋天堂 makes authentic 意大利 gelato and homemade waffle cones. It's so good that there's often a long line on the weekends. Right next to it is a charming place called 巧克力街. You walk inside and it's filled with freshly made truffles and other handmade chocolates."