Crystal Cove, Pageant of the Masters, etc.

Today's photos show Crystal Cove (between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach,) circa the early 1950s. The black and white photo is specifically from Sept. 1953. The area is now part of a state park with a historic district featuring 46 rustic cottages dating back as far as the 1920s. The Register's website has a great interactive map of Crystal Cove, along with more historic images. (You can now also make reservations to rent one of the cottages.)

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This post is in honor of the Weiss Family, who are enjoying the Crytal Cove area this week (and who were very gracious hosts yesterday evening.) You may already know Werner Weiss from his excellent Yesterland website. His daughter, Laura, inherited the history gene and is now learning about all the history-related career paths that are open to her. My thanks to Carey Baughman of the Old Courthouse Museum and to architectural historian Cynthia Ward for taking time from their busy schedules to come down to the County Archives and let Laura pick their brains.

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The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach will celebrate it's 75th anniversary with a recreation of the 1933 "Spirit of the Masters" parade at 11am Saturday. All the various people involved in this year's pageant will parade (in costume) down the sidewalks of downtown Laguna Beach. Read more about it in this article in the Register.