HotelTonight – Mission Viejo Hotels at a Glance
Family reunions can be stressful, but it helps when they take place somewhere like Mission Viejo. Some of my favorite memories as a kid were my vacations down to Mission Viejo. The palm trees, the sunshine and the beautiful lake always stand out in my mind when I think of this pretty city in Orange County. I haven't visited the city in a few years now, so the prospect of going back and spending a week there with my whole extended family made me want to start planning right away.
When I found out that I was in charge of planning my Grandma's 90th birthday and family reunion, I had no idea what to do. We couldn't all stay at her house, so I knew we needed to get several hotel rooms. Fortunately, with HotelTonight I was able to find a great hotel in close proximity to my Grandma's house that we could book for the occasion. In just a few minutes on the HotelTonight app, I had booked a great hotel in Mission Viejo that was in the perfect location for exploring the area's best sights and attractions.
The Outdoors
Mission Viejo is full of natural beauty, including lovely mountains and forests that are perfect for hiking. For a more relaxed outing, there is the Oso Creek Trail, where you'll find several creeks, butterfly gardens and even a man-made plant maze. If you want something more intense, you can venture east to the Trabuco Canyon Trail, which has over 12 miles of land to be explored, and there are several trails within it that range in difficulty levels. We love both of these hiking areas, especially because they are dog friendly so we can bring our pups along with us. If you're not looking to hike and just want to take the family or kids or dog to a park, there are plenty of awesome parks in Mission Viejo. Oso Viejo Community Park, Pavion Park and Aurora Park are all great options. Aurora Park is right near Lake Mission Viejo, and I'd highly recommend taking a picnic there to watch the sunset over the lake.
The Mall
When you have a bunch of people to entertain and it starts raining in Southern California, one idea is to take everyone to the mall – but all shopping malls are the same, right? Nope! The Shops at Mission Viejo is a gorgeous indoor mall with everything you could want. This was a perfect solution for my family when one day, all of us seemed to want to do different things. Some of us had last minute gifts to buy for Grandma, and some of us just wanted to grab lunch at one of the popular little eateries in the mall.
The Lake
Lake Mission Viejo is the city's crowning glory. It is a gorgeous reservoir in the middle of town, surrounded by charming houses and palm trees, reminiscent of the enchanted lakes in Kailua, Hawaii. This lake is truly picturesque, in fact we took our family reunion photos in front of it, with the sun setting in the background. The lake is not only pretty to look at, it also exists for recreation. You can sail a boat, stand-up paddle board, kayak, and even fish.
Wineries
We left the kids at home and ventured out to visit some great wineries in the area. Bellante Family Winery is located in the heart of Mission Viejo and has a charming tasting room. They make their wines from vineyards in Santa Barbara, and each batch is small and carefully crafted. You will definitely be taken good care of when if you decide to make the trip. If you head west, you'll find the Laguna Canyon Winery, which is another nice winery with a great atmosphere and lovely selection of great wines.
Laguna Beach
If you keep going west, you'll find that Mission Viejo is just a stone's throw away from one of the most beautiful beaches in Southern California, Laguna Beach. Laguna is the perfect place to go for a day at the beach, and then dinner afterwards. The area is always buzzing with people and activity, but is somehow still relaxed and laidback. Not one person in my giant family objected to making the trip. In Laguna, you can picnic at the Salt Creek Beach Park, hike down to the tide pools and coves at Crystal Cove Stake Park, or visit the shops and restaurants in the cute area near the boardwalk.
HotelTonight – Great Deals on Last-Minute Hotels in Mission Viejo
This family reunion vacation was a dream come true for my whole family. We had so much fun running around Mission Viejo, spending quality time together and reliving our childhood memories in this great city. I already can't wait to go back. Maybe next time it will be for a wedding or an anniversary celebration, but whatever it is, I know that I won't have to worry about finding nice hotels for everyone. HotelTonight made everything easy and affordable, and I trust my next trip to Mission Viejo will be just as wonderful.
