In Newport Beach, where romance is in the air 360 days-a-year, some of the most amorous activities happen after sundown.

Start with a cozy “stroll” through Newport Harbor’s network of quaint canals in a custom Venetian gondola complete with your very own gondolier who reminds you it is tradition for couples to kiss under every bridge.

Your loved one is sure to get “in the mood” while sipping champagne and roasting marshmallows in front of a bonfire at one of the designated beaches along Newport’s picturesque coast. Or warm up with drinks on the terrace around the fire pits at the Balboa Bay Club’s signature watering hole Duke’s Place.

If sport is more your style, try the newest fitness trend with a twist – moonlit stand-up paddle boarding or outrigger tours beneath the stars. For those who love boating, snuggle up on an electric “Duffy-style” boat or dance the night away under the stars aboard a Hornblower dinner cruise.

With a reputation for stellar weather year-round, moonlight nights lead into warm, sunny Newport Beach days, and many of the area accommodations are offering special stay the night romance packages to keep the passion’s burning.

Here are a few resources to get your romantic adventure started:

Bonfires

Balboa Pier (available year-round)

Corona del Mar State Beach (available year-round)

Balboa Bay Club/Duke’s Place (available year-round)

Boating

Balboa Boat Rentals (available year-round, check for seasonal hours)

Duffy Electric Boat Co. (available year-round, check for seasonal hours)

Electra Cruises® (available year-round)

Hornblower Cruises & Events (available year-round)

Gondolas

Gondola Adventures, Inc. (available year-round)

Gondola Company of Newport (available year-round)

Gondola Romance (available year-round)

Moonlight Paddles

Newport Aquatic Center (check for seasonal hours)

Pirate Coast Paddle Company (check for seasonal hours)

Last year,  Beach Tomato, a very hip online magazine based in the UK, named Newport Beach the #1 Urban Beach in the World!

This year in their feature “Five Waves to California” showcases their top 5 favorite California beaches including…you guessed it…Newport Beach!

It also includes a telling Q&A from one of Newport’s most eligible bachelors…We’ll give you a clue: He often swims with the fish!

Newport Beach’s chefs are sharpening their knives in preparation for the 6^th Annual Newport Beach Restaurant Week. Be the first to know about real-time updates on the participating restaurants, menu spotlights and other special events by joining the Newport Beach Twitter and Facebook sites today!

Additionally, followers are encouraged to rate their top ten favorite Newport Beach restaurants on the Facebook site with the results to be announced at the beginning of Restaurant Week.

The city-wide culinary celebration starts Friday, January 20 through Sunday, January 29. Themed “Savor the Flavor,” new this year is that diners will have nine days that span over two weekends to take advantage of exceptional deals from specially prepared menus by the most talented chefs in Newport Beach, more days to explore the endless options offered by local restaurateurs.

Start making your reservations now!

The holidays are just around the corner, and there’s nothing like an electrifying display of holiday lights to charge you up for the season and zap you with that jolly-good Christmas cheer. Luckily for us, there’s no place in the world that does holiday lights quite like the good ol’ U.S. of A., and we’ve rounded up a merry mix of small towns and sprawling cities that do it best.

From East to West, from dazzling Disney displays to brilliant boat parades, sparkling city skylines to mesmerizing megawatt-lined drives, when these top 10 destinations for holiday lights flip the switch, they mark the spectacular start to the holiday season, guaranteeing spectators a sparkling dose of over-the-top holiday spirit.

2. Newport Beach, CA

For more than a century, Newport Beach’s “Christmas Boat Parade” has delighted spectators with a “Christmas-sea” feeling all its own. A fine flotilla of some 200 vibrantly decorated vessels, from multimillion-dollar yachts right down to simple canoes, glides through Newport Harbor as holiday music and costumed carolers fill the air with melodious merrymaking. The brilliant boat parade (it’s the oldest one in the country) attracts close to a million viewers; it’s held nightly from December 14 through December 18 and lasts about 2.5 hours – show up on the closing night for a fireworks finale. Viewing areas for the beaming 14-mile boat route are on the public beaches and establishments bordering the Balboa Peninsula, the Fun Zone amusement area (where you can hear live commentary from Captain Mike Whitehead, the official voice of the parade), and Balboa Island.

What’s more, many harbor-front homeowners and businesses participate in the annual “Ring of Lights” contest, showcasing their own elaborate holiday displays, while providing a striking backdrop to the boat parade (free; www.christmasboatparade.com). Well worth a detour, the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in Riverside (set less than 50 miles away) is the setting for an extravagant showing of more than 3.6 million holiday lights in its “Festival of Lights” event; expect 400-plus animated figures, live reindeer, and even snow machine-produced flurries – come on opening night for a fireworks display, to boot (November 25-January 8; free; www.festivaloflightsca.com).

From Left to Right: Tamarind of London's GM Maneesh Rawat, Chef Shachi Mehran, CEO Rajesh Suri with Visit Newport Beach's SR VP Marketing Vicki Higgins and President & CEO Gary Sherwin

The wait is almost over for Tamarind of London, the most highly anticipated restaurant opening since Pizzeria Mozza opened in September, and last night, several members of the Visit Newport Beach Inc. marketing team were treated to a “test” dinner. Upon entering the completely renovated restaurant space that used to be home to Sage at the Coast, our eyes were immediately drawn to the dramatic open kitchen where diners will be able to see the magic happen front and center. In addition to a very substantial bar area with a beautiful water feature, there is a lovely outdoor patio with a fresh herb garden and soon-to-be-installed fire pits…both very nice touches.

And the food….for anyone who has never been introduced to Indian cuisine or has had a bad experience in the past, Tamarind is going to make you fall in love with Indian food from now on. EVERYTHING was magnificently prepared with the tapestry flavors one expects, and so many wonderful surprises as well. Chef de Cuisine Shachi Mehran already has a kitchen to be proud of and we can only hope that they will be doing catering in the future, because this food is outstanding!

See previous entry for hours and other information.

The highly anticipated opening of the Michelin Star restaurant Tamarind of London that is located at the north end of the Crystal Cove Prominade is almost here.

Go to their Website and “Friend”, “Follow” and “Sign Up” to be invited to their upcoming Restaurant Opening.

What is a “Michelin Star”?

The term “Michelin Star” is a hallmark of fine dining quality — which is pretty funny considering that Michelin is, in fact, a tire company. But the Michelin company launched its first guide book in 1900 to encourage road tripping in France, and started anonymously reviewing restaurants by means of a three-star system in 1926.

Michelin awards 0-3 stars on the basis of anonymous inspections by reviewers. The reviewers are supposed to concentrate on the quality, mastery of technique, personality and consistency of the food, not on interior décor, table setting, or service quality.

kicking off tonight thru Halloween.  Opens at 5pm. Everyone loves a good old fashioned haunted house especially one that little monsters can enjoy!

For surfers who make a habit of riding the waves in costume, don’t miss Blackie’s Classic Longboard Association’s Annual Halloween Costume Contest! Saturday, October 29 at 7am at the Newport Beach Pier.

And….If you haven’t had your fill Oktoberfest, and let’s face it, who can with Chef Josef in the kitchen, then the Balboa Bay Club is the place to be for authentic German cuisine and beer – menus available thru 10/21.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Congratulations to our fantastic Firefighters and Lifeguards, and especially the winners of this year’s awards:

Firefighter of the Year – Justin Carr

Marine Safety Officer of the Year – George Leeper

Seasonal Lifeguard of the Year – Chip Going

…and a big thanks to the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort for a great party!