Happy Pride Month! In honor of this month, here at Limon, we want to highlight LGBTQ+ businesses for a day trip in Orange County. We wanted to highlight two unique cities with many LGBTQ+ friendly companies and many great activities you can do with friends and family members on a day trip.

1 – Costa Mesa

Costa Mesa, home to Orange County’s two most giant skyscrapers, this small community makes a significant impact. Costa Mesa is also home to many LGBTQ+ friendly businesses. But, to make the most out of your day trip to Costa Mesa, start your day by visiting South Coast Plaza, one of the largest shopping centers on the West Coast! South Coast Plaza is especially popular during the holidays, like Christmas. The shopping mall features many high-end boutique shops like Zara, Chloé, Channel, and Louis Vuitton. This year, the plaza is also celebrating its 55^th anniversary.

When starting your day trip in South Coast Plaza, we recommend starting your morning with a quick bite at Dripp, a coffee and tea shop that also serves pastries and locally brewed coffee and tea from around the world! The plaza is also known to have three dining options: fine dining, casual dining, and quick bites. If you’re in the mood for a hot cup of coffee, we recommend trying out their rose latte or Turkish latte that features cardamom. Or, if you feel like cooling off from the sun, try their Maui Breeze with coconut and lavender or Matcha Lemon-Aid, which combines lemonade and matcha.

After chilling out at Dripp, take a walk at Fairview Park, or you can start your day trip by taking a walk at Fairview Park. There’s no wrong order! After a refreshing walk at the park, check out Habana, an LGBTQ+ friendly restaurant known for their mojitos and Cuban cuisine, located at the LAB Anti-Mall, another great mall worth visiting.

Try their chicken empanadas, crab cakes, or fried avocado. Try their Ropa Vieja; shredded beef served with rice and plantains. The restaurant is also known for its brunch menu if you want to try that instead.

After spending time at the restaurant, there’s a gay and lesbian bar/nightclub we highly recommend visiting: Tin Lizzie Saloon! It is also Orange County’s longest-running gay and lesbian bar! Every third Thursday of the month, the saloon also does drag bingo, and the saloon even has a cocktail of the month!

Costa Mesa is a great place to be with friends for a nice night out, and we can’t recommend it enough here at Limon!

2 – Laguna Beach

Laguna Beach is one of the most friendly LGBTQ+ cities in Orange County. Laguna Beach is a coastal town where West Street is the epicenter of the LGBTQ+ community. Laguna Beach does its pride parade every year, and West Street has been deemed Laguna Beach’s unofficial gay beach. Laguna Beach is also home to what was the very first gay mayor elected in 1982, Bob Gentry.

Start your day on West Street Beach by checking out Aliso Point. Or, you can visit Crystal Cove State Park. We’ve covered Crystal Cove State Park. After a long walk and some fun in the water, stop by for a nice sip of cooling coffee at Zinc Cafe & Market. Cool off with their Zinc Sunrise, which combines peach, orange, and raspberries all in one drink. And if you’re in the mood for a bite to eat, Zinc has you covered with their bowls, soups, salads, and sandwiches. This place is a local favorite in Laguna Beach and the perfect place to hang out with friends for hours.

After a nice stop by Zinc Cafe & Market during the day, check out one of Laguna Beach’s best gay nightclubs: Main Street Bar & Cabaret, a hip gay nightclub. This place is unique for karaoke. It’s the ideal place to have fun with all your friends during Pride Month!

We want to celebrate and continue our support for LGBTQ+ businesses here at Limon, so what’s your favorite thing to do during Pride Month? Let us know in the comments!