A Day Trip to Old Town Tustin
Back in 2019, I visited Old Towne Orange (& wrote a blog post about it). Since then, I have visited this quaint area several times and explored nearby neighborhoods.
One such neighborhood is Old Town Tustin, the focus of today’s post. I have visited Old Town Tustin (which is about 45 minutes to an hour away from my home) several times within the last 6 months simply because it’s charming and simple.
The streets are lined with historical buildings from the 1800s and everything is within walking distance. Not to mention, parking is plentiful!
Let’s dive into what I did this past weekend on my day trip so you too can enjoy this historical area of orange county.
Lunch at Rutabegorz
Although there are plenty of places to eat in Old Town Tustin, I have recently become more conscious of what I’m eating and putting into my body. That is why I chose to go to Rutabegorz for, a health-oriented cafe.
I ate a chicken salad sandwich with pasta salad and chicken & rice soup. It looks simple but it was incredibly delicious and affordable! I paid around $11.75 for this (before tax and tip).
They have an EXTENSIVE menu and it was overwhelming flipping through it (the menu literally has a table of contents). They have everything you can think of. Burritos, wraps, salads, dessert, and more!
You can find Rutabegorz at 158 W Main St in Tustin (they also have locations in Orange & Fullerton)
Shopping
Spice & Tulips storefront
There are several small businesses in and around Old Town but I’m going to spotlight two: Spice & Tulips and Arvida Book Co.
Spice & Tulips sells soaps, spices, olive oil, gifts, jewelry, and more. I found their prices to be pretty reasonable and I ended up purchasing chipotle olive oil for my mom.
Check them out on Instagram to see more!
Arvida Book Co. sells you guessed it, books! I love Barnes & Noble, but I definitely believe in supporting independent bookstores.
Arvida sells both new and used books. They also have a small cafe to get your bean juice and some outdoor seating. I enjoy browsing through the books and walking around the store.
Arvida Book Co. is located at 115 W. Main Street
Morning Lavender
My favorite cafe in Southern California has to be Morning Lavender. This place is a boutique and a cafe (the boutique is in front, the cafe is in the back).
It’s aesthetically pleasing and full of pinks and purples. What impresses me the most is their drink selection. Most of the time when you go to a cafe, they have an assortment of coffee drinks and if your lucky, maybe hot tea (made with tea bags that have been sitting around collecting dust).
As a tea lover who is not big on coffee, I loathe this. I want to walk into a cafe and be able to order handcrafted tea (hot or cold). Morning Lavender exceeded my expectations with this.
Besides coffee, they sell milk tea, iced tea, hot tea, and more. They also have a lovely outdoor area to enjoy your drink. Cheers to that!
My BFF Adam and I at Morning Lavender
