If you're cruising Coast Highway in search of the Fun Zone Ferris wheel, remember to turn seaward at the bridge. Otherwise, you'll end up at Fashion Island in a universe where "Newport Coast" means mustard-and-terra-cotta-tinted mega-mansions and "Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County" is a show on MTV.

Turn toward the ocean to the real Newport Harbor, and the focus softens. Sure, the harbor has plenty of billionaires, and old-timers complain that their porch-front views are increasingly blocked by fiberglass mega-hulls. But kayaks and skiffs also glide through the channels, and fish markets serve up fresh-caught prawns.