Newport Beach, California, a versatile destination

I covered the beautiful beaches of Key West, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Del Ray, Lake Worth and Palm Beach. Since the snowbirds are coming north and returning to Long Island, now is the time for a fast getaway to Newport Beach, Calif.Newport Beach is home to more than nine miles of pristine beaches. It also features a wide variety of attractions, visitor accommodations, world-class dining and shopping, the largest small yacht harbor in the world and inviting year-round weather (80 degree days and mid-60s in the evening), making Newport the ultimate destination for visiting Southern California. You can surf or play volleyball with the stars while soaking up the sun on Newport's beaches. Boogie boarding and sand castle building is also must-do activities on the beach.Its quaint villages also offer something for everyone. Balboa Island boasts Cape Cod New England architecture and sun-washed beaches best seen on foot. My memories of whale-watching off the shores of Cape Cod and Boston Harbor will have to sustain me for now as Newport's season is from January to late March. For family activity, a stop on the Balboa Peninsula is a must so children can expend some energy at the Fun Zone. Shopper's paradise is found on Fashion Island and Lido Marina Village. Reminding me of the lovely Mediterranean villages in Europe, Fashion Island and the Lido Marina's extensive open-air marketplaces brought me back to my shopping sprees in Taromina, Italy and Tallian, Estonia. Fashion Island is also the location of the upscale stores such as Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus. Nautical lovers have Mariners Mile where visitors can charter yachts or romantic gondolas and dine on the city's best seafood. The ecological-minded and outdoor types must visit Upper Newport Bay, a 752-acre coastal wetland ideal for bird watching, biking, hiking and fishing.April kicks off the area's busy festival season. The red carpet is rolled out at the Newport Beach Film Festival that highlights more than 300 features, short films, documentaries and animation movies from all over the world. Actually, Newport Beach has been a second Hollywood since "The Duke," John Wayne, made his home there. His contemporaries, James Cagney, Shirley Temple, Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn, who either had homes or kept their boats in the harbor, followed him. Rumor has it that tennis star Lindsay Davenport keeps her boat there today. Continuing in the yachting tradition, the Newport-Ensenada Boat Race and the Newport Beach Boat Show are not to be missed. The season continues from June to October with the annual Summer Jazz Series. The series consists of the smooth sounds of jazz concerts performed consecutively on Friday nights. As former president of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association, I'm always looking forward to gormandizing at some of the world's finest food and wine festivals. California is no slouch at staging these events. Newport's Food and Wine Festival, from June 11-13, is no exception. This event, at one of Newport's finest resorts, The Balboa Bay Club and Resort, showcases the finest from California's noted wineries and Epicurean cuisine from around the world.The Balboa Bay Club is also the place where you might rub shoulders with Barbara Streisand, John Travolta or Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. Some of the features of this luxurious resort include spacious and elegant guest rooms and suites with spectacular views of the harbor and a first-class spa featuring wonderful treatments including the sacred stone massage and aromatherapy wraps. If you want to sail with the stars, private yachts are available for sunset cruises.Golf aficionados will find amazing courses in Newport Beach. The Pelican Hill Golf Club and Strawberry Farms Golf Club have turned Newport Beach into California's "Golf Coast." These courses challenge even the most advanced golfer. Players are given the rare opportunity to play golf against a backdrop of rolling hills dotted with wildflowers, within full view of the coastline and nearby Catalina Island.A visit to Newport Beach would not be complete without stops at some of Southern California's noted attractions. Just south of Los Angeles and north of San Diego, makes Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios a short car ride away. Adam Zalta of Atlaz Computers in Inwood and his family found himself getting VIP treatment at Universal Studios when they were recognized as being one of the first straight guys on the Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.To arrange for your visit to Newport Beach, you can contact your local travel professional or the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-94-COAST or at www.newportbeach-cvb.com.Copyright Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com