Written by: Camille Mesite ‘81

Our local Penn State alumni had a great time on our annual Summer Bar Tour in Newport Beach. I took the free Balboa Peninsula Trolley so I wouldn’t have to worry about finding a parking space by the Newport Pier. They started this last summer and I highly recommend it. It’s free to ride, and free to park your car in the parking lot at Tustin St & Avon St, off of PCH in Newport Beach.

We started out at 2 pm at Baja Sharkeez. Only a handful of people were there that early, but by the time we left for the second bar, we were up to 9 people. Some of the early birds were Brian Snyder, Patti & Terry Brennan, and their Penn Stater daughter Caitlyn, visiting from New York. Sharkeez gave us a drink special of buy one, get the second for 50 cents. They also provided a free appetizer platter to share.

Our next stop was Stag Bar & Kitchen, from 4 to 5 pm. This place was more crowded than I have ever seen it at our previous Bar Tours. Fun fact: Stag Bar is a historical site! It’s the oldest bar in Orange County, established in 1908. We kept our tradition of taking our group photo in the front, outside of the bar. By this time we had about 16 people, before moving on.

Next we moved to Blue Beet, from 5 to 6 pm. The highlight of this stop is their rooftop patio. We love hanging out up there. Maybe next year, more time on the patio? This fall, our second football location will be here. Stay tuned for details.

Beach Ball was our 4th stop, from 6 to 7 pm. This tiny bar has a jukebox and a couple of pool tables if you are so inclined. Now we are on the beach side of the boardwalk.

Our final stop was Mutt Lynch’s from 7 to 8 pm. The crowd was a bit smaller but we all still had a blast.

It was a fun afternoon and we hope to see even more of you next year! To see more photos, check out our Facebook and Instagram accounts. WE ARE!