Though Disneyland and adult Disneyland (South Coast Plaza) remain high on the visitor to-do list, more and more vacationers are exploring its impressive art museums, luxury golf courses, and breathtaking natural parks, proving Orange County is more than surfboards and shopping sprees. The following hotels offer a sampling of everything Orange County is renowned for: great service, delectable dishes, and a lot of sunshine.

A recent survey by Glamour magazine found the average woman spends $25,000 on shoes in her lifetime. This figure is surprisingly low to Orange County shoe connoisseurs. A single shoe excursion at Fashion Island costs well into the thousands with a killer pair of Louboutin pumps running more than $1,500 and Tory Burch sandals starting at $275.

Local boutique owners understand the nature of the shopping beast and pride themselves on exceeding client expectations through one-on-one customer service, in-depth knowledge of fashion trends, and premium merchandise. The Haute 5 fashion boutiques surpass the local shopping standards and promise to test the limits of the closet and the Black AmEx.

Summer fun in the sun on Malibu’s influential Carbon Beach has officially begun with the Style by the Shore 2010 Summer Series. With the waves crashing in the background, crowds gathered at a private residence on the beach for a raucous performance by the Street Drum Corps who also welcomed Tommy Lee as a special guest.

This week’s Haute 5 features the best home interior stores ranging from sleek and modern pieces to comfy, quirky and traditional. Whatever the style or reason, these boutiques are beaming with options for that next family heirloom or statement piece.

Celebrities came out to Palihouse to watch the lively debate on environmental change between Simran Sethi, an environmental advocate, and Phelim McAleer, a climate change skeptic. None other than Andy Samberg, who was later seen chatting with Ashton Kutcher and Adrien Brody, moderated the Lexus Darker Side of Green debate.

This week’s Haute 5 features salons that surpassed the cut, color and customer service test among our faithful readers. Amid the chosen few are a new celebrity hot spot in Laguna Beach, an oldie but goodie in Huntington and a gentlemen’s only salon in Costa Mesa. It would seem our favorite salons are as varied as our hairstyles, yet all are a cut above the rest.

From Dana Point to Long Beach, masts speckle and wave on the horizon, proclaiming to beachcombers that sailing season has never been better. With the annual Catalina trips almost complete and the Newport to Ensenada race finished, from now until September marks the unofficial beginning of the “stress-free” sailing season.

Thankfully, Orange County has plenty of superior restaurants to satisfy even the pickiest Francophile. Haute Living has selected the top five French restaurants based on authenticity, culinary ingenuity and overall customer loyalty. We implore readers to visit the restaurants and sample the chosen fares, and we guarantee you’ll be hungry for more.