Still on the OC Summer Bucket List

Still on the OC Summer Bucket List

Summer in Orange County isn’t over just yet we still have HOT November. There are still beach days to squeeze in, sunsets to catch, food spots to try and a few more reasons to stay out way later than planned.

So before we officially trade summer nights for fall plans, the CAKE Fam is putting together an OC End of Summer Bucket List packed with beaches, food, coffee, matcha, concerts and easy adventures worth checking off before the season ends.

🌊 Get One More Beach Day In

You really can’t do an Orange County summer without spending at least one full day near the water.

Start with Crystal Cove State Beach for one of the more scenic options in OC. You get beaches, tide pools, coastal trails and bluff top views all in one spot.

Another easy move is Corona Del Mar State Beach Park. Grab the group, pack some food and stay through sunset.

If you want more of a classic beach town day, hit Huntington Beach, walk or bike along the coast, grab food near the pier and hang around until golden hour. Laguna Beach is another must, especially if you want to mix the beach with restaurants, coffee and walking around town.

CAKE Bucket List: Beach all afternoon → food run → sunset → no plans to rush home.

🍴 Make a Summer Food Run

Part of the fun is building the entire day around where you’re eating afterward.

For a true beach day stop, The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove sits right by the sand and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in the historic Crystal Cove area.

Heading toward Laguna? The Taco Stand is an easy casual taco and burrito stop after the beach, while Nick's Laguna Beach works when you want to turn the night into more of a dinner situation.

And if Huntington Beach is the move, Sancho's Tacos is right near the pier and basically made for a post beach taco or burrito run.

Orange County’s food scene has plenty more worth exploring too, from coastal restaurants to Vietnamese food in Westminster and new spots opening across the county.

🍵 Go on a Coffee + Matcha Run

Not every summer plan needs to be an all day mission.

Grab a friend and make an afternoon out of finding a new coffee or matcha spot.

Airoma Cafe in Fountain Valley has a huge matcha lineup including Matcha Einspanner, Double Matcha, Matcha Ube and fruit forward options.

Ayer Coffee in Tustin is another strong pick if you want Vietnamese style coffee alongside matcha.

For Irvine, MOri’s focuses heavily on Japanese matcha with drinks ranging from classic Uji matcha lattes to strawberry, blueberry, pistachio and yuzu variations.

Sometimes the summer bucket list can literally just be: get matcha, drive to the coast and see where the day goes.

🎶 Catch One More Summer Concert

There are still some big outdoor shows left before summer completely disappears.

Pacific Amphitheatre has several late summer concerts coming up, including Diana Ross on August 28, Alison Krauss & Union Station on August 29, and Steve Aoki with Tyga on September 3.

That Steve Aoki + Tyga night might be the perfect CAKE Fam way to officially send summer off.

🎨 Have a Laguna Beach Day

Make an entire afternoon out of Laguna.

Start with the beach, walk through downtown, stop somewhere for food or coffee and explore the local shops and galleries.

You can also check out Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters for one of those uniquely Orange County summer experiences built around art, live performance and the Pageant’s famous “living pictures.”

Finish the day at Treasure Island Park and catch sunset overlooking the coastline.

🚲 Pick an Activity You Normally Skip

This is the part of the bucket list where you actually do the thing you’ve been saying you wanted to do all summer.

Rent bikes and cruise the coast. Try paddleboarding or kayaking. Hit a hiking trail before sunset. Have a beach picnic. Go to a farmers market. Get the group together for volleyball. Plan a bonfire. Take a drive down PCH with absolutely no destination.

Even something as simple as grabbing food and watching sunset counts.

The point isn’t to make some massive itinerary. It’s to actually use the last few weeks of warm weather instead of saying, “We should do that sometime.”

🌅 The CAKE End of Summer Challenge

Before summer officially ends, try to check off at least five:


  • Beach day

  • Sunset mission

  • New restaurant

  • Coffee or matcha run

  • Concert or event

  • PCH drive

  • Beach picnic

  • Bike ride

  • Paddleboard or kayak day

  • Laguna Beach afternoon

  • Farmers market morning

  • Stop at Off The Charts is Costa Mesa to pick up your favorite CAKE device 💖


CAKE Fam, summer isn’t done until we say it is.

Grab your people, get outside, try somewhere new and make the most of the last few summer days. No complicated plans needed just good food, good music, the coast and one more reason to stay out a little later.

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