How To Spend a Day in Old Towne Orange, CA
Typically when we go to California, we spend time at classic California locations, like Laguna Beach. During our last trip, we decided to hit up some more under-the-radar spots, and ended up spending a day in Old Towne Orange. Orange’s historic downtown was so adorable with a classic fountain in the center of the square and local businesses and antique stores on every corner. We had such a great time, we even went back a few days later. Here’s how to spend a day in Old Towne Orange, CA.
Contra Coffee
Start your day off right at Contra Coffee. This spot is very young and has a lot of fun options, including fun specialty lattes, matchas, Vietnamese coffee, and teas. They also have vinyls for sale inside, and plenty of room to hang out for a while!
Country Roads Antiques & Gardens
Make your way over to the shops and hit up Country Roads Antiques & Gardens. I’m not normally an antiquer, but this spot was so inspiring! They had fun knick knacks, but also some great classic looking decor, like earthenware pots and wooden spoons, that give a classic Southern California style. This store took up about half a block, so you can spend a lot of time here!
Vintage Shops
There are a lot of vintage clothing stores, so make sure to hop inside! Some have really old clothing and accessories and even if that’s not totally your thing, it’s cool to step back in time and see the old styles. There’s also some shops that sell vintage cameras and western styles, and that was also really cool to see! If you’re a collector, they’re definitely for you!
Stitch & Feather
Stitch & Feather is my favorite California boutique with locations all over the county. The prices are reasonable and the quality is good, so I love to stop in and see what they have. The staff is friendly and helpful across the board (without being overbearing) so you’ll have a great time.
Bluestone Lane
Stop for some lunch at Bluestone Lane. The interior is California simplicity, and they also have some blankets ready for those who run cold. We went here with a big group and there were very mixed reviews. Personally, I enjoyed my food and my coffee was pretty good, but some people thought it was just average. The service was pretty slow, but again, we were in a very large group and it was during a rush.
If you don’t want to stop here, there are so many different restaurants to try in Old Towne Orange that I’m sure are phenomenal!
After’s Ice Cream
Before you head out of Old Towne Orange, make sure to make a pit stop at After’s Ice Cream. It’s basically a gourmet ice cream sandwich with homemade ice cream in between 2 homemade doughnuts… it’s phenomenally delicious and best shared.
Old Towne Orange is such a great place to spend a day, get some coffee, do some shopping, and walk around the historic downtown and even into the residential neighborhoods.
Until next time - may your weekend be full of creativity and style.
