Need some beach time. Suggestions please.

[Tony (admin)]

Need to take bride of admin and the 4-year-old to a beach soon. Looking for suggestions for good beaches and hotel within walking distance.  Can be anywhere in USA or mehico, but Socal is probably the easiest.  San Diego maybe.

[St George Ute]

In SoCal I like Newport Beach best, but there are lots that I haven’t been to which may be more kid friendly. I’m not a fan of Laguna beach. My limited experience with my kids there was that the sand is very course and sharp. Our feet were scraped up pretty bad on that one. Venice Beach is dirty (my opinion). Here’s a list of other possibilities:

SoCal’s Kid Friendly Beaches

[UteBacker]

You can’t beat San Diego.  They have fantastic beaches.  We’re not ones for the tourist attractions (Sea World, Lego Land, etc) but that may interest you since you have a small one.  We love Old Town (fantastic mexican food), a ride over the Coronado bridge, golf, or maybe a Padres game.  You can always go into Mexico if you want as they have some pretty good beaches south of Tiujana, but the site of military protection everywhere makes me a little nervous!  We always have plenty to do in San Diego so don’t venture south much.

Parking at some of the beaches is really tough so finding a place to stay near the beach is wise.  We’ve found a couple of great situations on Airbnb that were really economical (and had driveways for parking).  

Have fun!

 

[Rick]

My two favorites in SoCal are the Hotel Del Corinado in San Diego/Corinado Island and Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach.  Both hotels are right on the beach and both beaches are really awesome.  

[NavyUte]

June gloom in San Diego can suck this time of year. Puerto Vallarta is cheaper minus the flight and good if you are down for all-inclusive. Also has jungle tours, and near where Arnold said “get to da Choppa!!”

[Riot West]

This is important. Southern California in June is cold as s**t and the beach cities are cloudy. Santa Monica, Hermosa, San Diego all aren’t worth visiting in June. Already, it’s warm where I work in the valley and by the time I drive to my house in one of the beach cities, it’s cloud covered and chilly.

But, if you have to go, I’d recommend Hermosa Beach. Fun places to eat and drink within walking distance. It’s kid friendly. Trails up and down the Strand for biking/walking etc. (And you can rent bikes/trailers per hour or for the day and ride around with the kid in tow.)

I like staying at at the Beach House. http://www.beach-house.com/hermosa-beach/.

ETA: Plenty of eye candy. Ride bikes down to Redondo Beach Pier from Hermosa Beach for some crab and shrimp, creepy arcade, etc.

[Tony (admin)]

June gloom.  Never heard of that before. That’s kind of a bummer but thanks for the info.  We want to be HOT on the sand, in the ocean, with little guy digging in the sand.

[Riot West]

Cabo San Lucas. You’re welcome.

[Tony (admin)]

Cabo is our go-to.  Love it.  Been there probably 10 times.  Problem is the resorts we have done the tide is so violent they don’t even let you go on the beach.

[Rick]

If you like Cabo try Grand Fiesta Americana next time and the whale watching season there is fabulous.  Just stay only the Cabo side so you can enjoy the ocean.

[Riot West]

They like to rhyme down here. May Gray and June Gloom. We have nicer weather in December and January than May and June…

[Ute_tastic]

Ok I have 2 suggestions. first is the Carlsbad Seapointe Resort in SoCal. great condo style resort that is across the street from the pacific ocean. not crowded when we were there during the week before UEA weekend. The ocean is on the cool side with surf-able waves this is also very close to Legoland and in between SD and LA. Second is Casa Del Mar Beach Resort on Longboat Key, FL. Another condo style resort right off the beach to the Gulf of Mexico. Longboat Key is just north of Sarasota. It’s about 2 hours away from Orlando and 1 hour south of Tampa Bay. The gulf is warm with almost no surf which is good for young kids. Longboat Key is off the beaten path and the beach is private so no loud parties. Let me know if you want any more info.

[Tony (admin)]

My best bud has a condo on the beach in Tampa, free for me to use.  I like socal because it’s only 2 hours of flying for the 4-year-old, but free is a good price for lodging and the beach looks nice.

[Tacoma Ute]

Open your wallet and go to the Seychelles! 😉

[Tony (admin)]

Just googled Seychelles.  Could that be any farther away from SLC?  With the 4 year old anything more than a few hours of flying might be rough.

[RedLine]

Another vote for SoCal. Was in Cardiff a few months ago.  Great place to visit. Lots of attractions in nearby San Diego. 

[Tony (admin)]

Hmm temps in San Diego even in late June only in the low to mid 70’s.  Boo.

[Utahute72]

Poipu on the island of Kauai.

[RiptideRush]

Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort & Spa FTW! I’m headed there this weekend. Beach, Kids club, great pool for the kid.

[Eggers]

If you want something different from the usual beach trip, consider a fun, family-friendly spot like Westgate River Ranch in Florida. It’s not a beach destination, but it has plenty of outdoor activities for a little one to enjoy, like rodeo nights, glamping, and horseback riding. There’s even a water park opening soon, which could be a game-changer if you postpone your trip closer to summer 2025.

If you explore non-traditional vacation ideas, you can easily find details about their offerings and see if they fit you and the family well.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

You can’t beat the weather in Hawaii. Poipu is my favorite. Jan-March humpback whales and 80 degrees. I’m sitting on the beach in Maui as I make this post. Been here two weeks and the weather and beach have been awesome. T shirt shorts and flip flops is all you need. Sunscreen!!

[GameForAnyFuss]

Roatan, Honduras.

Thank me later.

[bopahull]

Have you considered the sunny beaches of Boise?
If nothing else, there are the extremely unusual beaches of the Great Salt Lake which has the added advantages of being within easy driving distance, unlimited brine flies and you can’t sink in the water so you can just throw the kids out there and forget about float devices.

[Tony (admin)]

Wow. Someone resurrected an old topic from 2017. Good information though!

[Tony (admin)]

Wow. Someone resurrected an old topic from 2017. Good information though!

[Author]

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