Aug 10, 2018
It wasn’t an exaggeration when longtime Coveite Mike Fenderson described the heyday of Crystal Cove’s tent camping era as “going to live all summer at the beach.” Families pulled up to the sand over Memorial Day weekend with trucks and trailers full of supplies for ingenious tents that they lived in through Labor Day weekend. […]
Jul 13, 2018
Celebrating the Summertime Anniversary of Crystal Cove Beach Cottages “Happiness to All Who Visit This Cottage” “We feel like California time travelers …. we never want to leave. Don’t change a thing; everything is perfect!” This 2009 hand-written entry from the guest journal of restored historic cottage #29 is one of many reflections recorded […]
May 10, 2018
“We figured we were in the world’s perfect spot,” wrote one longtime resident of Cottage #23 — also known as “Casita del Mar.” Offering “splendid views from the deck,” the cottage dates from 1932 and is part of the mid-bluff grouping of the North Beach. Not much is known of the original builders, but drill […]
Apr 13, 2018
Last year, Crystal Cove Conservancy commissioned artist Kevin Davidson to paint each of the 17 unrestored cottages in the North Beach area of Crystal Cove State Park depicting them as they will look upon completion of the Phase III restoration project. Kevin has been a Crystal Cove Park Interpretive Store artist for many years. His […]
Apr 12, 2018
“Our Little Red House on the Hillside” is the name one family gave to Cottage #9. Perched on the lower slope of the North Beach bluff and painted dark red-brown with white trim, Cottage #9 was originally built around 1930 with salvage yard windows and wood that drifted ashore from a shipwreck. Like many of […]
Mar 14, 2018
“Near Laguna” and “Crystal Cove” (pictured) are two of the earliest known color images of the cove, and together the paintings can tell the century-long story of Crystal Cove inspiring the arts. Artists, including those from the famous colony in Laguna Beach, were among the very first visitors to Crystal Cove in the early twentieth […]
Feb 14, 2018
He was a kid from Pico Rivera and she was a girl from San Marino, but during the summers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, they both called Crystal Cove home. Her family’s cottage was in a quiet corner on the North Beach and his family’s tent was on the sand in the middle […]
Jan 17, 2018
On October 9, 1926, a local segment of Coast Highway connecting Corona del Mar to Laguna Beach was dedicated by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. The new 9.8-mile stretch of highway brought increased public attention and access to the previously isolated Crystal Cove, and by 1928 at least ten permanent structures were established there. Among […]
Jan 17, 2018
Join us for a unique program featuring “Crystal Cove Cottages: Islands in Time on the California Coast” 2nd Edition book signing with co-author Laura Davick, Founder and Vice President of The Conservancy on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (two presentation times are available). Learn about the rich history of Crystal Cove […]
Dec 14, 2017
Sip and Savor the Season with these favorite holiday recipes from past coveite potlucks! Dining together was a tradition happily celebrated by many of Crystal Cove’s past residents. Community potlucks brought together Covites, family and friends for fun gatherings that married good food with a convivial spirit. This holiday season, step back in time […]
