Location: Laguna Beach: Along Laguna Canyon Road and Coast Highway
When: Summer only! 2013 dates: June 28 to Sept. 1: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily (except July 4, when the trolley will run only until 7 p.m.)
Cost: Free!
For ages: All

A fabulous way to get around Laguna Beach in the traditionally-crowded summer months is to leave your car parked on the outskirts and use the hop-on/hop-off open-air trolleys that run up and down the city’s two busiest streets.

Continuous service runs every 20 minutes along four routes:

• Canyon Route — Up and down Laguna Canyon Road, servicing all of the art shows (Sawdust Festival, Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters, plus the playhouse) down to Broadway
• North Route — Up and down the northern part of Coast Highway, from Broadway up to Viejo Street (services Heisler Park and the Laguna Art Museum)
• South Route to Aliso Creek — Up and down the southern part of Coast Highway, from Broadway down to Aliso Creek Inn (services The Montage and south galleries)
• South Route to 3rd Street — A second shuttle going up and down the southern part of Coast Highway, from Broadway to 3rd Street

Here’s a great map. Free maps are also available on the shuttles themselves, along with friendly instruction from the Hawaiian-shirted trolley guides. For additional information about the trolley and other forms of transportation, visit the City of Laguna Beach’s Transit section of their website here.

The numerous trolley stops are easy to spot in the summer — they’re usually the same as the bus stops, and each has a little rainbow sign to make them easy to discern. In addition to being a great way to get to all the art shows, the summer shuttle is a fun way to hit up Main Beach, as well as all of residents’ favorite ice cream parlors, surf shops, galleries and even tour the city’s renowned display of public art.