Try these on for size

Imagine this: heading down to Crystal Cove after a hard day’s work to dine on the sand, sip a margarita and watch the sun go down.

Well, imagine no more.

The much anticipated Beachcomber restaurant in the newly renovated Crystal Cove Historic District will open up to the public at the end of July.

Although the exact opening date is still to be determined and the menu hasn’t yet been released, one thing’s for sure. This unique eatery and beachfront bar is sure to be a destination dining spot for tourists and locals alike.

“It’s probably in one of the most desirable locations of any restaurant that I can think of,” said Laura Davick, founder of the Crystal Cove Alliance, which will manage and operate the historic district.

The Beachcomber, along with the counter-part Shake Shack, will be operated by the local chain Ruby’s. Restaurant diners will receive validated parked.

If you go, expect casual dining and potentially long lines. The restaurant won’t be taking reservations and seating will be first-come, first-served, Davick said.

While you’re waiting, the historic district’s mercantile, affectionately named “The Store,” will be open for browsing. The store will feature park merchandise and local art, such as plein-air paintings and beach glass jewelry, Davick said.

Once you snag a table, there will the option of indoor, outdoor or bar seating. The restaurant does have a liquor license and the bar is expected to be extremely popular, Davick said.

Does the Upper Newport Bay seem like one big swamp to you? Get out there and learn about it, and help preserve it at the same time.

The Orange County parks department and California Coastal Commission offer two programs that let you become a naturalist by restoring native plants. Every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. volunteers can participate in “steward days,” collecting seeds from the Back Bay; planting and tending native vegetation; and clearing away invasive plants.

It’s gardening on a massive scale. The activities range from “fairly easy old lady stuff” to vigorous work at a variety of sites around the bay, said volunteer naturalist Mara Gunn.

For those who are busy during the week, the “Roots” program runs the fourth Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers can help restore native plants and learn about the history of the Upper Newport Bay.

Pressed for time? “The nice thing about either of these programs is you can do it once or you can do it on a regular basis,” Gunn said.

The goal is to get the public involved, because volunteers are “the backbone, heart and soul” of Back Bay restoration, she said.

Anyone under 14 must come with an adult, and students can obtain service learning hours for participation. For information or to reserve a spot for steward days, call Matt Yurko at (949) 640-0286 or Jennifer Naegele at (949) 923-2290, or visit www.ocparks.com/unbic.

It’s hard not to be impressed by The Wedge. Even those with little or no interest in surfing are awed by the awesome power of this gigantic wave at the very south end of the Balboa Peninsula.

On a good day, hundreds of onlookers will gather on the beach to watch this massive swell push through, tossing bodyboarders and swimmers around like a fish in a whirlpool. The deep-to-shallow ocean topography of the area, coupled with a nearby jetty, make for a gigantic wave that can reach as high as 30 feet on a huge day.

Visitors aren’t suppose to use surfboards or bodyboards on the spot most of the year when the beach is “black balled” ? that’s when lifeguards fly a yellow flag with a black circle in the middle.

That leaves the spot to dozens of die-hard body surfers. A large swell can draw dozens to the small spot, making for an amusing spectacle as the bodysurfers crash on top of each other and knock heads trying to catch the same waves.

To get to The Wedge, head down Balboa Boulevard onto the peninsula and follow the road nearly all the way to the end. To avoid traffic, hang a right at G Street, then follow Ocean Front until it dead ends. Parking can be tight during a big swell, but you can usually find something in front of someone’s house ? and it’s free. After parking, walk toward the entrance of the Harbor mouth and enter the beach parallel to the jetty.

The best time to go check out The Wedge is when a large south swell is hitting the area.

Most importantly, be careful if you decide to go out in the water. You should always wear swimming fins and only enter the water if you are a very experience body surfer. The beach in front of The Wedge has a very strong shore break and rip currents are common ? even the most experienced swimmer can find themselves in big trouble if they get trapped in an oncoming set.

For a lush oasis in the midst of concrete and bling, head on over to the Sherman Library & Gardens, a 2.2-acre horticultural retreat in the heart of Corona del Mar.

Visitors can unleash their inner green thumb in the gardens, which house a museum of living plants in a verdant setting of fountains, walkways and conservatories.

There is the chance to hobnob with historians, fiction writers and the elementary school proletariat at the library, a specialized research center devoted to the study of the Pacific Southwest featuring hundreds of thousands of microfilm reels, books, maps and photographs.

The museum was founded by Arnold Haskell, who bought the property over 50 years ago. Sherman Library & Gardens is located at 2647 East Pacific Coast Highway at Dahlia in Corona del Mar. The gardens are open from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; the library is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Admission on Mondays is free; on other days, admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children between the ages of 12 and 16, and children under 12 are free. Gardens: (949) 673-2261. Library: (949) 673-1880.

Far removed from the traffic and heat that permeate the summer season lies a cool sub-world of peaceful beauty.

Home to some of Southern California’s best SCUBA diving, Laguna Beach is a treasured spot for divers countywide.

Protected coves, offering rocky outcroppings and reefs ideal for underwater sightseers, give Laguna an edge most will never see.

But the underwater view comes with a price. Before diving down with mask, fins and tank, would-be adventurers are required to have proper certification.

Most dive shops offer beginner’s qualifications through organizations such as the Professional Assn. of Diving Instructors and Scuba Diving International.

Before signing up, the only caveats are that people be older than 12, can swim and are in good physical condition.

Most SCUBA certification programs require students prove themselves in the pool, with a text book and in the ocean.

Once certified, divers will discover why Laguna offers some of the best SCUBA diving around.

Average underwater visibility of 10 to 12 feet opens the eyes to a colorful wealth of fish, sea urchins, eels, octopuses and lobsters.

At depths of around 20 feet is a world away from the routine, where doors oen to a new world of discovery.

Tired of being left out of golf games? Try the Disc Golf course at Huntington Central Park and combine twin loves of playing Frisbee on the beach with golf in a park.

If you haven’t played it before, the rules are simple: Throw a Frisbee toward a target basket instead of using an unwieldy club to jab at a ball.

And if you miss it, you can chuck it. Again and again, till your disc sails through the metal hoop basket. The course, overlooking Lake Huntington in the park, starts off on a hilltop, adjacent to Goldenwest Street, and meanders through shady meadows and dirt paths.

Don’t have a disc? A pro shop on the course sells and trades discs from beginner to high-roller levels and if you need some advice, there’s a pro disc golf player, Jerry, around to help. You can fill up on some snacks and soft drinks too.

For the competitive spirits, there are two-round tournaments held at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of each month. A weekly amateur league meets Wednesday afternoons. Considering the $3 fee, and free admission for under 16-years-olds, some family disc golf would be an ideal way to kick off the summer.

A little factoid to make you look like a pro: The course was one of the first to be built in the U.S. by disc golf founder Ed Headrick in 1977.

The Huntington Beach Disc Golf Course is at 18381 Goldenwest St. in Huntington Central Park. Information: (714) 425-9931

Let’s face it ? everyone loves trains. Big people, little people, young and old people. They’re just fun.

And who doesn’t like things that are free? Combine those two loves by riding the train at Fairview Park, which is free to the public the third weekend of every month, courtesy of the Orange County Model Engineers. The train route was designed specifically for Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park and built in 1990 by the model engineers, said Bill Pemberton, editor of the club’s newsletter.

As many as six trains run at one time, and the club certifies the train operators to make sure they’re safe, he said. The ride lasts about 12 to 15 minutes, and people can ride as many times as they like, provided they wait in line between rides.

Not surprisingly, the trains are quite popular. “A not-so-good weekend averages around 2,500 people,” Pemberton said.

Riders will see the city’s golf course; a built-to-scale water tower created by the model engineers; a bridge trestle that the train goes either over or under; the train compound where engineers work on their engines; and of course the wild beauty of Fairview Park.

Robert Graham, city parks commissioner, called the trains “the success story of the park,” but he added that before or after a train ride, a stroll around the park offers its own sights of interest. A new pedestrian bridge over Placentia Avenue and the bluffs provide good views ? from the bluffs you can see all the way to Catalina, Graham said.

Plants grow and wildlife roams freely in the park, with coyotes and red-tailed hawks among the animals known to live there.