With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I’ve got a SUPERB idea for Mother’s Day gifting, especially for people who truly love the charm and magic of our beautiful Laguna Beach . .
Why not gift TICKETS to our renowned Charm House Tour, which happens NEXT week on Sunday, May 19th?
Some of the Most Unique Properties in All of Laguna Beach
I LOVE this tour! The Charm House Tour is truly as charming as its name, and it’s been in play since 1973. It’s a fully organized tour of some of the most unique properties you’ll see anywhere in Laguna Beach, all of which this year descend from 19th century homestead claims that served as our originating look-and-feel template. And this year’s properties are … hint … quite artsy.
Tickets are $70 for an awesome EXPERIENCE gift whose memory will far outlast the usual flowers and candies … that special mom or sister or aunt or grandmother or DAD Mom in your life will love this fun, unique outing .
Tickets are really moving at this point, and the Village Laguna organizers expect several hundred participants, so go to the website, VillageLaguna.org to snatch up your own tickets. Here’s the QR code here, too:
The Awesomeness of Laguna Canyon
This year, you board your trams for the Charm House Tour at the Pageant of the Masters Festival Grounds, and the trams will move you to, and in between, a series of beautifully unique and creative properties on the tour … ALL of which are based next Sunday in Laguna Canyon.
Now, Laguna Canyon … well, THAT Canyon has a history and story all its own! It was actually first the homesteading site for many settlers and eventually evolved into a significant destination and cottage industry for many of the most talented artists in the world.
Laguna Beach, remember, was first “put on the map” as a come-hither artists’ colony and you’ll find dozens of thriving studios and workshops dotting the canyon still today. And, of course, our famous summer festivals reside in the Canyon - namely the the 1933-founded Pageant of the Masters and the 1967-founded Sawdust Festival. Even our Laguna Art-A-Fair festival finally came to land in Laguna Canyon in 1988.
That being said, many homes and properties in Laguna Canyon are quite the find - what I call true acres of diamonds. And their STORIES are so amazing.
Actually, ALL of Laguna Canyon developed on homestead clams, dating from the late 1870s, the earliest being 1875. If you’ve been in these parts for any length of time, you’ll recognize familiar names - Joe Thurston, who divided the campsites of Sarah Thurston Park … Joseph Yoch who once owned the Hotel Laguna, and Harvey Hemenway whose homestead includes ALL of Canyon Acres in the Canyon. (Now THAT’S a parcel!)
Founded 51 Years Ago and Still Going Strong
Village Laguna, the non-profit organization behind this Tour, is – and always has been – a non-profit group focused on preserving and protecting the village atmosphere and charm of Laguna Beach.
They certainly prove this end with the lovely, historical gems they uncover each year for the Charm House Tour. The Tour was the initial brainchild of Fran Engelhardt, who served as our City’s treasurer for many years and was a founding member in Village Laguna in 1971.
Initially, the Charm House Tour was a “drive yourself to the Xs on the map kind of thing - - kind of a hoot.
But, as the popularity of the tour grew, they started using trams in 1989 and, thankfully, those are still in play.
Logistics of This Year’s Tour
On Sunday the 19th, it all starts and ends at the Festival grounds at the Pageant, and you’ll find all-day parking in the lot directly across Laguna Canyon Road. Trams will be moving ticketed participants between the hours of 12:00 (noon) and 3:00 p.m.
Now, the trams will take you to each of the stops, but you’ll still be doing some walking on some uneven surfaces in and around these homes, so be sure to wear decent walking shoes. Also, because you’re atually in people’s homes, they request no children under the age of 12 on the Tour. You can move through the tour as you please, but plan on about two to three hours for the excursion.
Definitely a fun and memorable gift for anyone celebrating Mother’s Day - but, of course, you can buy these tickets for any reason. All in all, it’s a bird’s eye view into Laguna Beach that most people never have the opportunity to see.
Tickets here … or just scan the QR code here:
A Unique & Superb Mother's Day Gift From Laguna Beach