🌱 How will Dana Point’s landmark harbor hotel be transformed?
Dana Point, California Patch AM: a 4 min readCoffee in hand, Dana Point? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- How will Dana Point’s landmark harbor hotel be transformed?
- Why Highway 1 road-trippers should start in Dana Point, not L.A.
Also on today's calendar: DFC Expo Fall 2026 and 9 more events.
Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)
- Saturday: Mostly sunny and hot, with a high of 95 and low of 72 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
- Sunday: Sunny and toasty conditions, temps: high: 95, low: 70.
- Monday: Very warm with plenty of sun, with a high of 91 and low of 69 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Dana Point's 371-Room Laguna Cliffs Marriott Becomes a JW Marriott (tophotel.news) — A longtime blufftop resort above Dana Point Harbor is being transformed into The Ocean Cliffs at Dana Point, a JW Marriott Resort, with extensive renovations to rooms, pools, and event spaces. Locals can expect an expanded event lawn near Lantern Bay Park, a new ballroom, and a chef-driven restaurant, all aimed at keeping the property aligned with Dana Point’s evolving waterfront scene. 
• Return to… Highway 1 (wanderlustmagazine.com) — Dana Point gets the spotlight as the official southern starting point of California’s Highway 1 and a prime launchpad for whale-watching safaris. A travel writer describes spotting fin whales off the coast and argues that beginning the iconic coastal drive here, rather than Los Angeles, gives visitors a richer first taste of the Pacific and the town’s marine life.
📸 Around Dana Point
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🗓
Upcoming Events in
Dana Point
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
-
DFC Expo Fall 2026 →
Hotel Fera Anaheim - A Double Tree By Hilton, 100 The City Dr S, Orange
10:00 am
Saturday October 3
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
-
Live Music Harbor Cruise (21+) →
Dana Wharf, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point
8:00 pm -
Frisby Uncorked →
Frisby Cellars, 34673 Golden Lantern, Dana Point
1:00 pm -
Culture on the Coast →
Dana Point Harbor, 34571 Golden Lantern, Dana Point
1:00 pm -
Returning to Yourself: Trusting Your Inner Self →
Dana Point CA -
Dana Wharf 1/2 Price Tuesdays →
Dana Wharf, 34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point -
Fall Floral Workshop | Ivory & Olive →
Dana Point CA
5:30 pm -
Dana Point City Council Meeting →
Dana Point Council Chamber, City Hall, 33282 Golden Lantern, Dana Point
6:00 pm -
Farmers Market: Dana Point Harbor →
Dana Point CA
9:00 am -
Certified Farmers Market →
Dana Point Harbor, 34571 Golden Lantern, Dana Point
9:00 am -
Sunset Paddle at Baby Beach - Dana Point →
Baby Beach, 34451 Ensenada Place, Dana Point
6:00 pm -
Laguna Community Concert Band Presents "An Afternoon at the Opera" →
The Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach
2:00 pm
Saturday October 3
Sunday October 4
Tuesday October 6
Wednesday October 7
Thursday October 8
Sunday October 11
📣 Dana Point Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Dana Point PatchAM possible:
- Ron Pickett Coldwell Banker Realty — 9492468500
- TheGiftShopOutlet — (714) 462-4111
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Huntington Beach is hosting the air show Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
Thanks for the info everyone! Who remembers the old days when El Toro Military Base & Airfield flight path flew right over the ridge of Laguna… (Nextdoor Niguel Shores) - I need someone to help clean a couple of rooms this tomorrow Saturday Sunday.
please let me know if you're available I'm in the Lantern Village area near the RH Dana School. please let me know here. (Nextdoor Lantern District)
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts posted a job opening for Male Spa Attendant (Part Time) - Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort and Club in Dana Point. Apply here.
- Costco Wholesale Corporation posted a job opening for Meat Cutter in San Juan Capistrano. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Dana Point here.
🗞 Nearby News
San Juan Capistrano
- San Juan Capistrano's 250th anniversary connects local history to a national milestone (abc7.com)
- Armored Saint's John Bush Breaks Down The References In 'Not On Your Life' Alongside A New Video (wildfiremusic.net)
- The Overlooked Way PFAS May Enter the Body (medscape.com)
San Clemente
- San Clemente Already Tried Taxing Itself to Save Its Beach Once. Voters Said No. Now They're Being Asked Again (realtytoday.com)
Laguna Beach
- Diane Keaton's Laguna Beach Home Hits Market: Report (patch.com)
- Days-Long Scorcher Triggers Heat Advisory For Laguna Beach (patch.com)
Ok Dana Point! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
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