Newport Beach Beaches:

The photo of Lido Isle above was selected to sum up what the island is mostly about. This manmade island, one of a handful of residential islands in Newport Beach, doesn't have much beach and certainly is not known as a tourist hot spot for beach-going. What it IS known for is boating.

Lido is not gated and is easily accessed by a bridge connecting the island to the mainland at Via Lido street in Lido Village. "Surrounded by water and accessible only by one bridge, it's physically and culturally, a world unto itself," writes Lenard Davis, a retired history teacher, who grew up--and still owns a home on Lido Isle.

While it's hard to fathom much happens on Lido, Davis gives an insider's view in his book, "Lido Isle--An Illustrated History." The one-mile long island named after a posh island in Venice has been home to the likes of Natalie Wood, Shirley Temple, Joan Crawford, Jane Wyman, Dick Powell, June Allyson, Rock Hudson and so many more celebrities, film stars and entertainment personalities.

The 800+ homes on the island vary in design and decor ranging from Spanish, Italian, French and Polynesian to ultra-modern in the 200 block of Via Genoa. Famous Architect Richard Neutra, known for his  use of glass, designed that home. (His handiwork can also be seen not far away at Huntington Beach Central Library.)

This slice of paradise doesn't come cheap. You'd be lucky to buy a house for under $2 million, and one home has reportedly sold for over $20 million.

NOTE: Before SeeCalifornia.com was ever a thought, and long before most people used the Internet, I moved to California and my new friends included a guy nicknamed "Cash". He lived with his parents on Lido Isle. As a photographer I used their boat dock for a photo session with Cash's cousin, Kristen, who recently had moved to the region and opened a lingerie shop in Lido Village, as I recall. Time spent on Lido involved boats, bays and gourmet wines.

My friends formed an Orange County chapter of a club, Les Amis du Vin. I attended a wine function and first met famed vintner, Michael Grgich of Grgich Hills Estates. The charming gent 30 years my senior told me with a smile and twinkle in his eyes that I was lovely. He took my hand and invited me to his estate in Napa Valley. Was he serious? I was flattered but kept my emotions in check -- realizing it was the wine talking. That's my Lido Isle story about the McCandless family.