From the category archives:

Beaches

How to Visit Catalina Island: A Brief Tutorial on the Basics

August 27, 2010

We go to Catalina Island every summer. We’ve been visiting ever since I was in high school – so that’s 20+ years. I’m surprised how many of my friends have never taken the trip over to the island. It’s a whole other world out there! You feel like you’ve traveled back in time to wide [...]

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Strands Beach and Strands Vista Park in Dana Point: Walk the Loop or Play in the Sand

July 27, 2010

Strands Beach in Dana Point goes by many names. I’ve heard it called: The Strand, Salt Creek Beach Park, and Strand Vista Park. I call it “pure bliss.” It’s just a beautiful spot beneath the Dana Point Headlands. If you can imagine the coastline here, it’s squeezed in the small cove between the point of [...]

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Natural Graffiti: The Artistry of Cairns and Rock Stacking

July 10, 2010

My first experience with rock stacking art was on the shores of Stanley Park in Vancouver almost 20 years ago now. It’s a most beautiful use of nature. I didn’t remember the effect it had on me until I spotted this small installation near the Ocean Institute in 2008: This was small in comparison to [...]

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Califia Beach at San Clemente State Beach: A Tidal Treasure

June 30, 2010

The hardest thing about a trip to Califia Beach is pronouncing it! It’s part of San Clemente State Beach, except you’ll pass the State Beach entrance on your left and continue to the parking lot at the end of Califia. It’s a skinny strand of beach, so you’ll definitely need to watch the tides to [...]

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What To Bring To The Beach?

June 29, 2010

Beach trips can be a snap if you have a system. A big part of my system is having everything pre-packed so that when I decide to take the kids to the beach – we just load up the car and go. I go to the beach year round so I have our routine down. [...]

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Corona Del Mar Beach: Haven for Sunsets and Circle Walks

June 26, 2010

Corona Del Mar Beach is a bit of an oddity in the OC beach scene. It doesn’t fit into any of the regular categories. For instance, it appears to be one beach but there are 3 very distinctly separate areas with different names. I had to enlist the help of readers on our page on [...]

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Some Like It Hot, But Not Me: Tips for Keeping Your Cool This Summer

June 15, 2010

I’m not a fan of hot playgrounds. Make that heat, in general. I’d rather bundle up on a chilly day than sweat like a maniac in 100 degree weather. We lived in the desert when my oldest was born through about age 2 and a half. I know the pain of slogging to playgrounds and [...]

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Salt Creek Trail: It’s All Downhill from Here

June 7, 2010

Salt Creek Trail is one of my favorite walks with the kids. I’ve done it with them in a stroller and this time they were old enough to walk on their own. The ocean breeze, and sometimes fog, make for a cool excursion when temperatures heat up inland. Trail Head Location: We parked on Camino [...]

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San Clemente Beach Trail and North Beach Playground: It Doesn’t Get Better Than This

May 29, 2010

North Beach in San Clemente meets all the requirements of requests from our site’s page on Facebook. It’s so much fun for us to have all of you help us build the site with info you actually WANT! Every time I go to North Beach, I have the it-just-doesn’t-get-better-than-this feeling (except when it’s crowded). Although [...]

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