Dana Point's Lantern District is attracting more businesses and restaurants and will be featured in the city's new app. (File photo by Nick Kuhn, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Want to know what new restaurants are opening in town, what the most popular trails and parks in town are and where they're located, or if there are any cool events happening like car shows or art fairs?
A new travel app was recently released to help locals and visitors get around Dana Point, providing this information and much more, including real-time trolley schedules and lodging locations.
The app, a collaboration between the City and Visit Dana Point, also highlights special events like fun happy hours and other local events, and conveniently links to the City's Trolley Tracker so visitors and locals can find out real-time when the next trolley ride is while also finding out what activities and dining options are available near their current location.
The collaborative team built the app on top of an existing app framework and paid a quarterly maintenance fee of $1,950.
Always known as a laid-back beach town, Dana Point continues to grow and become an increasingly popular tourist destination. Overall, hotel occupancy rates are close to 2019 levels.
It certainly helps that it is trademarked as the Dolphin and Whale Watching Capital of the World and has been designated North America's only Whale Heritage Site by the UK-based World Cetacean Federation. Two annual events, the Whale Festival and the Tall Ship Festival, draw thousands of people each year. The Fourth of July fireworks display off Doheny Beach is the most popular in South Orange County.
“Whale watching is what makes us unique,” says Visit Dana Point Director Heather Johnston, “It's what makes us unique along the coast. Our whale watching charters provide an incredible spectacle that is featured around the world. Every other week, they're amazed at what they see. You can't get that kind of publicity with money.”
But Johnston said there's more to this quaint little beach town than just offshore swimming: Many new businesses have opened in the past few years.
“Dana Point has changed a lot. There are so many restaurants and businesses to experience,” she said. “If there was an app that covers the Lantern District, it would show you places to eat and shop. There wasn't an app like that before. Before, it was all about the Dana Point Harbor.”
Of course, the port remains as popular as ever, especially as it undergoes a $600 million renovation that promises to bring even more unique experiences and businesses to the area: A new marina is already complete, and construction has begun on a three-story parking garage on the land side.
As the app is further developed, it will showcase special events in the city, like trendy happy hours and live music.
“This is a quaint, charming beach town, but we also have world-class luxury resorts,” Johnston said of the Ritz-Carlton and Waldorf Astoria in Monarch Beach. “These are full-service resorts, but this app gives them the opportunity to go off-site and discover other restaurants that tourists might not be aware of. And locals wouldn't know about new restaurants unless they heard about them on social media.”
Not only will they help you navigate the city, but they'll also show you where to see public art.
These include Watermen's Plaza on the south end of town, with its life-sized bronze statues of surfing industry icons who made their mark in Dana Point, and “Stairwave,” a mosaic that runs along the 118 steps of Lantern Bay Park, created by artist Mia Tavonatti and unveiled in August.
Mayor Jamie Federico said Dana Point still retains its small-town charm and community character, but “it's now becoming more of a tourist destination.”
“It's really made a big difference having the tourism bureau working hard to get our name out there and opening new restaurants,” he said. “We've grown a little bit, but the community remains the same. It's a small town, a close-knit community, that's why it's so popular. The character hasn't changed, and people are discovering and remembering why Dana Point is such a fun place.”
For Johnston, the app will also allow users to request city services, marking a step toward greater collaboration with city hall.
“The city came up with the idea,” Johnston said. “It's a good collaboration. There's a lot of overlap in the details, and the introduction of this app is the first step in figuring out how to get information out to the community and visitors. This will open up a conversation about what other collaborations we can have.”
You can find it on Apple – Dana Point on the App Store – and Google Play – Dana Point – the app on Google Play.
