PHOTO BY MARK MENDEZ
I’M A CALIFORNIA GIRL THROUGH AND THROUGH. Born in Hollywood, moved to the LA burbs when I was a kid and now settled in Orange County. Growing up, we road tripped up and down the coast during the summer and visited what I would later learn are iconic cottage destinations in the state: San Diego, Santa Barbara, Carmel by the Sea, San Francisco.
So it was from an early age that I realized these coastal towns all had a flavor of their own. From the Spanish-style charmers in central coast to the post-war bungalows down south and up north the Victorian cottages that looked like candy dollhouses. Of course, the dreamy storybook cottages throughout the state deserve a special mention too.