Maybe you have seen the famous "secret pools" picture floating around social media. Maybe you've heard of Thousand Steps Beach ... Something Bry and I love to do is find pictures on instagram, visit the places and find the spots and see them in person. We've hiked as long as 6 hours (lost in the woods) to find a spot in Germany. 

So, how do you get to the famous Tide Pool? First step, get to Laguna Beach, CA! 

First things first, Set your GPS to Victoria Beach, CA - tip: take a smaller car if possible unless you are just an expert parallel parker because you will definitely have to do that (and on busy PCH) Your'e gonna want to park on PCH as close to McAulay Place Road as you can.  Once you're parked walk down  McAulay Place Rd toward the water until it meets with Victoria street bust a Right and walk just a little ways and there will be a narrow stairway on the right which is slightly hidden. Typically you'll see people coming and going so it shouldn't be that hard to find... Once you're at the bottom of the stairs, take a right and walk down the beach. You'll end up hitting what seems like a dead end but no worries! Time to get in the water! I'd HIGHLY suggest wearing GOOD SHOES you don't mind getting wet, otherwise you will be walking on some tough rocks barefoot and the Tide and can definitely be rough. Watch out for the algae/moss on the rocks because it's a guarantee slip if you're not careful. Bring a waterproof back pack (at the bottom of the blog I linked my amazon store which has the exact RVCA gear bag I use!)  keep all electronics stored away, you will for sure get wet crossing the rocks depending on the tide. Also, never do this at night. 

Ok, now that you are through the rocks you should see the pool directly ahead.  Pro Tip: keep track of the tide. You definitely want to visit this pool during High Tide. Usually you can just google this and know a few days ahead and/or day of. If you aren't paying attention to the Tide you could end up making this adventure and only seeing a dried up "pool!" We were lucky enough to do this on a Monday and the crowd wasn't crazy but we did have to sit around for about 1.5hrs to let it somewhat fill up. 

Now, if you're reading this and know the Drone laws you know drone laws out in Cali are super strict. Well, I took the chance on that b/c the shot was worth it :) I also knew I was throwing it straight up and not flying all over the place. If you're gonna try and throw up lets say,  a phantom 4 that's super loud and well, big... you may not get so lucky and may have someone ask you to bring it down. I have heard you're allowed to take off on the shore where the water breaks but I'm really not sure. I truthfully just stood by the white steps near the pool and made sure my settings were where I wanted them to be. Then just launched straight up. I was so stoked when we had the pool pretty much to ourselves and Bry was able to just hang out to create this super cool shot (below) 

Getting the shot: Mavic Air Drone with DJI ND4 Filter. Manual Mode, ISO 100. Increased shutter speed (since it was pretty sunny out.) AEB mode and set to take both RAW+JPEG. That way I know i'll be happy in post production.

ok... so before heading to the next spot, let's talk Acái. Bry and I both could live off this stuff and we love finding places with dang good bowls. 

Taking a break- where to grab some food

We are always on the hunt for a good Acái bowl and we hit GOLD in laguna. Now, for me it's hard to beat my favorite local spot in Tampa, Grain and Berry. I will say this was pretty dang close. AND the bowl was def a bang for your buck. Banzai Bowls off of PCH in Laguna! They offer both small and large bowls. Personally,  I feel like if you hit this place- you gotta go with the Large. When we got there the line was pretty long and time we got our bowls to go the line was out the door. I went with the Maui Sunrise and Bry went with the Banzai Bowl w/ apple juice. IT WAS AWESOME and highly recommend. 

alright, up next: 

The Secret Beach at Thousand Steps Beach

More like 200....To get to this perfect little spot you want to again check the tides. DO NOT GO AT HIGH TIDE.  You will be tossed around. Same rule applies here, good shoes, water proof bag/back pack and keep your phone our of your hands. Getting there: Head down PCH and park around 9th street. I'd suggest parking anywhere between 8th and 10th. The little stairway entrance isn't exactly hidden because of it's popularity but just look for the sign below. P.S No Dogs Allowed! 

Once you hit the bottom of the steps make your way to the right until it literally dead ends. Just like at Victoria Beach, it's time to get wet! If the tide isn't crazy you should only be getting about shin/knee deep at the most but expect the waves to break and make things a bit crazy. As you make your way around be careful where you walk. You'll see a small "cave" that opens up to a beautiful hidden gem! 

Getting the shot: As always i'm in manual mode, ND4 filter- ISO at 100 and toggling with everything else to my liking. Remember Drones are not allowed in the area so just be aware and fly at your own risk! 

If you're trying to hit both places in one day i'd suggest checking out this place first. See what the tides look like that day and plan accordingly. (Be cautious of your surroundings and everything else.) There's tons of rocks and shallow areas, no cliff diving! 

I do know there's more secret pools at thousand steps beach and another cave... when we went the cave was closed and we knew that going. I knew ahead of time that my ultimate goal was finding the Victoria Beach tide pool and thanks to my wonderful beautiful wife, we are now able to cross that off the bucket list! 

Check out the link below to shop my Amazon store where I have tons of cool stuff listed that could be helpful on your adventures!  All you need to do is click the link and shop on amazon like you usually would! 

AMAZON LINK TO TRAVEL GEAR and RVCA BOOK BAG BELOW!