48 Hours in SoCal

A Wedding Weekend in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California

Ali and Carter Edwards Wedding | May 30-June 1, 2025

Trip snapshot: A quick 48-hour Southern California escape built around a joyful wedding weekend, with a charming historic town, Pacific Ocean views, Spanish mission history, great food, and perfect SoCal weather.

Arrival in Orange County

We flew direct from Charlotte into John Wayne Airport in Orange County late Thursday night. On the arrivals board, the destination was simply listed as “Orange County” — which felt like the right introduction to the weekend.

From the airport, it was an easy 20-minute ride down The 5 to San Juan Capistrano, a historic and attractive town located inland from the coast between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Our home base was the Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano — stylish, comfortable, walkable, and directly connected to the history and charm of the town. We arrived in time for a very welcomed drink with other wedding travelers before calling it a night.

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Friday: Crystal Cove, Laguna Beach & the Mission

Friday morning began with low clouds — fairly typical for the SoCal coast before the marine layer burns off. By mid-morning, the sky opened into that brilliant SoCal blue that seems almost staged for postcards.

Crystal Cove State Park, near Laguna Beach, was our first stop — about 20 minutes toward the coast. After a little navigational trial and error, we found our way to the Reef Point and Pelican Point area for a lovely 5–6 mile loop: part beach walk, part bluff-top trail. The Pacific was gorgeous, the temperatures were perfect, and the whole hike was a reminder of why Southern California is so easy to love.

By lunchtime, we made our way into Laguna Beach. The groom had recommended two spots:

•       The Cliff — “more touristy,” but right on the beach

•       Nick’s — “better food”

We chose Nick’s, and it did not disappoint. The fried deviled eggs alone were worth the stop.

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Mission San Juan Capistrano

That afternoon, back at the Inn, we picked up our complimentary tickets to visit the Mission San Juan Capistrano, located just steps from the hotel. This was one of the true highlights of the weekend.

Founded in the 1700s, the Mission is stunningly beautiful — gorgeous gardens, historic buildings, stone ruins, fountains, flowers, and one of the most peaceful courtyards you can imagine. It also offers a meaningful education in the layered history of California, covering the Native tribes of the area, Spanish settlement and the role of the Catholic Church, and Mexican influence on daily mission life.

You can take an audio tour, but the signage throughout the grounds is excellent on its own. The Mission is also closely tied to the famous swallows of San Juan Capistrano, whose seasonal return has long been part of the town’s identity — imagining the mesmerizing clouds of birds returning each spring adds a memorable layer to the visit.

Simply put: the Mission is not to be missed.

Afterward, we found a little time by the pool before getting ready for the rehearsal dinner, held right at the Inn — a beautiful and relaxed setting to begin the wedding festivities.

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Saturday: Dana Point & Historic San Juan Capistrano

We drove to Dana Point for a short walk around the public greenway near the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach. The route loops around the golf course, down toward the beach, and back up through a city park. A surfing competition was underway, which made the whole scene feel even more classically Southern California. At about two miles, it was the perfect light morning walk.

Back in San Juan Capistrano, the town had gotten decidedly busier — and it was easy to see why. From the hotel, you can turn right, walk past the Mission, and quickly find yourself on the main drag with restaurants, shops, bars, and plenty of people out enjoying the day. Worth wandering into the historic district, where old buildings and quiet streets tell the town’s story.

The whole town feels walkable, unhurried, and very easy to enjoy without much of a plan.

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The Wedding

The wedding and reception were held at a lovely outdoor venue plaza nearby in town. The setting was beautiful, the evening was fun, and catering by Ellie’s, a local favorite restaurant, was excellent.

It was one of those wedding nights that felt completely connected to the place: warm air, outdoor dining, music, friends and family, and a historic California town as the backdrop. We were sad to leave early the next morning.

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Local Recommendations (From the Bride & Groom)

Ali and Carter had several favorites — some we made it to, some will have to wait for next time.

Heritage Barbecue — Clearly very popular and very authentic. The line was about two hours when we checked it out, so we punted. Worth planning around.

Swallow’s Inn — Named for the famous swallows, this is the ultimate local dive bar. Worth popping in for the atmosphere alone.

Other spots to put on your radar:

•       Rancho Capistrano Winery

•       Trevor’s at the Tracks — located by the train line, where the scenic coastal Amtrak route runs right through town

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Final Thoughts

San Juan Capistrano is an easy place to underestimate if you are simply passing between Los Angeles and San Diego. But it is absolutely worth a stop — whether for a day, a night, or a full weekend.

You get historic California, coastal access, excellent food, walkability, a beautiful mission, nearby beaches, and the relaxed charm of Orange County — without feeling like you are in the middle of a major city.

For us, it was a quick 48 hours built around a wonderful wedding. But even without the wedding, San Juan Capistrano would be well worth the trip.