Help! I want to take my kids to the beach this summer — not “The Lagoon” in Woodbridge or Newport Dunes — the real beach. I want waves, snack bars, legions of umbrellas, concrete-floored potties and Cheap Trick blasting from every eight-track player…okay, it’s been a while since I have gone to a real beach, a very long time.
For the last five years I was looking for the “beach experience” without the dangers and trouble associated with an honest to goodness beach because I had little ones. But, now I am ready to take my seven-year-old and four-year-old to a great Orange County family beach. I’m just not really sure where that is now.
I love the beach and even did this segment on Daybreak OC (Orange County’s very own morning news program) about what to pack for the perfect day at the beach…
To watch me on Daybreak OC click this needlessly long link.
Now, I need some detailed advice on where to go to enjoy our pasta salad (for recipe click here) and the big dorky chair and…
What OC beach do you think is the best for kids?
**Me again, in case you want to see what a complete geek I am and hear how cute my mom is, you can watch this video I made for my column about preparing for my appearance on Daybreak OC. Just to reiterate, I know I’m a geek.
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I loved the babypowder tip! I didn’t know that one. My kids like to go to Huntington State beach. I also like dog beach in HB with the kids.
North Beach, San Clemente. Here’s why: you can pull up RIGHT TO THE SAND, so you can unload and be on the beach in less than 3 minutes. There are train tracks, so the train coming by is an added excitement for the little ones. And there’s a small playground with swings and a slide. Plus a snack bar. It’s our fave!
That was a funny video. I take my kids to San Clemente. I think the beach there is the best. My kids love it when the train goes by.
I like going to Corona Del Mar State Beach. Bathrooms are close, there’s a snack bar during the summer, and best of all…the parking lot is close to the actual beach. I like not having to haul all of our 5 kids stuff too far from the car!!
Traci, Clicked through to your website, very cute.
Lovinglife, That baby powder thing really works, too.
GX…Mom, I have heard that before about Corona Del Mar, I like the idea that I won’t have to walk too far with ALL my stuff. You must have a tremendous amount of stuff with 5 kids!
Thanks for the comments!
I recommend checking out a book called Sun, Sand & Surf The Ultimate Guide to Orange County Beaches. It was written by an Orange County mom and includes a description of each beach, directions and activities.
I received it as a gift, but I’ve seen it on Amazon.
I like the beach at the Montage (sp) Its kind of a walk but it is so beautiful and the bathrooms are really clean. Its also a great beach for pictures with the famiy.
We go to Newport. We park right by the pier- in the parking lot that is free. Sand on one side and pizza places, The Beach Ball Bar (where Ed and I take turns running in there to drink a margaritas in the after noon) and cheesy surf shops that will sell you a pail and shovel for like $50 if you are desperate and forgot yours at home.You can also rent surf boards there for very very cheap. We go early since my guys are learning to surf (watch out Corky Carroll)…so parking is not an issue. If we are there early enough- we watch the fish boats come in and they clean the fish right there next to the pier (fish guts is heaven for boys I think). After a few hours of the sand and surf we either go to one of the great places to eat right there….or Ed will run and grab us a pizza and bring it to our little piece of sand real estate we have claimed for the day. Try Newport….it has all the stuff you remember as a kid….the grody showers to wash off before going the car, the wierd hippee surfer dudes on their bokes cruising by and all the sand you would want…..memory making stuff. And I love it.
North Beach in San Clemente is one of those places that blissfully lingers in your memories long after your visit to the beach. We visit almost everyday in the summer. I have a 4 year old and a 15 year old and the beach caters to both of their ages. My oldest likes to skimboard and play volleyball at the courts and my little one makes friends with all the kids playing on the swings and on the slide. Low tide is my favorite. My 4 year old is able to walk all the way out on the sand bar and catch the whitewash, while my husband, 15 year old and I go out to the wave break and bodysurf or bodyboard some pretty fun waves. One of the best memories from this beach is the time my husband and I saw dolphins swimming just offshore and swam out to meet them. They are there everyday! My husband got so close he actually held out his hand to try and touch one. There are lifeguards, showers, restrooms, fire rings, bodyboard rentals, a surf school, train depot and snack bar that serves everything from root beer floats to fish and chips. The cheeseburgers are the absolute best! Hope to see you there.
Hey there - well, I don’t have kids, but since I’m at the beach all the time as the Reg’s beach reporter, I thought I’d give my two cents …and I’m kind of like a 5 year old some times, so hopefully this will be useful:
- North side of Newport Pier: I love this area, and it’s close to a lot of key things like eateries and a bathroom, as well as the lifeguard headquarters. The waves here in summer are usually mellow, key for a safe day at the beach. Parking can be tough, but if you can nab a spot in the lot, there’s no walking involved.
- Laguna Beach: The kids love the tidepools here, and it’s one of my favorites because of the quaint feel.
- Baby Beach: You would think, with a name like that… although there are no waves and kids can play here, nearby bathrooms and a nice view of the harbor, it has really bad water quality and is constantly on the “Beach Bummer” list. Yuck!
- Doheny: Fun family beach with small waves, but rocky bottom can kill the feet. Also iffy water quality.
If you’re headed to the beach, make sure you always check with a lifeguard on duty about any warnings, such as rip currents or sting rays. Have fun out there!
I got the book….Sun, Sand and Surf by Gia Dansen Lucy online…it has all the O.C. beaches in it AND what the beach has to offer…I like North beach the best..easy parking..bathrooms and there is a grill there that has the best fish tacos… It’s a family beach and I like that..i feel my kids are safe there..
Since I’m an HB Mom, I have to go with recommending Huntington Beach of course. We like to park next to the Life Guard Headquarters near the pier. There are plenty of bathrooms, showers, concessions, bike rentals, etc. I love the big sandy beach and waves are really fun. You are also close enough to walk to the pier and downtown. Also, there is a nice long bike path.
P.S. Please be sure to say “hi” if you see me down there. I’m the mom with the two wild preschoolers chasing the waves.