Abject failure is the typical result when I attempt to book a stay at the Crystal Cove Beach Cottages.
Still, the challenge hasn't deterred me from trying. Over the last couple of years, I've been able to stay at seven different cottages thanks to a combination of perseverance, flexibility and a sprinkling of luck. And it has been magical.
The rustic 1920s- to 1940s-era bungalow rentals are tucked above a stretch of unspoiled beach between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. The cottages — some with new or worn paint, others dressed in naked wood shingles, and a few cordoned off with white picket fences — are part of a funky village that's something of a near 100-year time warp at Crystal Cove State Beach, a slice of untouched coastline.
