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Touring the Hidden Corners of Laguna Beach: A Drummer's Guide

@Oscar Finch3/5/2026blog
Touring the Hidden Corners of Laguna Beach: A Drummer's Guide

the first thing that hits you when you roll into laguna beach isn't the ocean-it's the insane parking situation. i mean, i've lugged my drum kit through worse, but this place? it's like they designed the streets to test your patience. anyway, i just checked and it's 19.86°C there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. perfect for wandering with a coffee in hand, or in my case, a stick bag slung over my shoulder.

i heard from a local barista that the best sunrise drumming spot is at main beach, but get there before 7 unless you want an audience of confused joggers. someone told me that the tide pools near treasure island beach are worth the scramble, but watch your step-i nearly ate it on some slick rocks while hunting for a quiet place to warm up.


if you get bored, newport beach and huntington beach are just a short drive away, but honestly? laguna's got enough going on to keep you busy for days. the sound of the waves is like a natural metronome, and the cliffs make for some epic backdrops if you're into that whole "instagram drummer" vibe.

i stumbled into a tiny dive bar on forest avenue-can't remember the name, but it had christmas lights up in july and a bartender who claimed to have seen jack white there once. take that with a grain of salt, but the vibe was legit. for food, i kept hearing about this place called nick's, but it was packed every time i walked by. ended up at a taco stand that smelled like heaven and cost less than a pair of sticks.

a white car parked in a parking lot

a close up of a plate of food with salmon

woman wearing gray hat and black framed eyeglasses


check out the local art scene if you're into that-laguna's got more galleries per block than anywhere i've been. and if you're a drummer, bring your practice pad. the acoustics near the cliffs are wild. just don't leave your gear unattended; i heard a story about a stolen snare that still keeps me up at night.

for more on laguna's music scene, hit up lagunabeachmusic.com or localbeachguides.com. and if you're road-tripping, discovercalifornia.com has some solid itineraries.

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About the author: Oscar Finch

Optimist by choice, realist by necessity.

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