Cabrillo National Monument

I love that end of the earth feeling. It usually involves standing at the edge of a cliff that drops off into a never ending sea full of churning blue water. I can’t help but imagine what it must have felt like to think that the earth was flat and the drop into oblivion was just on the edge of the horizon. What a scary and finite concept.  Cabrillo National Monument is a great place to let your mind get swept back to the days of conquistadores, Spanish occupation, and early exploration.

 

We decided to head over to the tide pools for the first part of our Cabrillo NM tour. I had planned our day around low tide so we would have the best opportunity to view sea life. Unfortunately, and tragically, the Chilean earthquake had hit the day before. Between the tsunami warning and the massive storm that had hit the day prior, the minus tide ceased to exist. The seas were incredibly rough and most of the tide pools were inaccessible. That being said, I felt the rough seas added to the rugged feel that Point Loma possesses.

 

We followed the trail that hugs the cliffs and stood at cliffs edge, admiring the swirling waters below. The scenery reminded me a bit of Point Reyes in Northern California and served as a nice reminder of what the San Diego coast once was.

We did manage to make it down to beach level and spot a few critters that had washed ashore. Since it was the weekend (and the first warm day in over a week), there were crowds down around the tide pools. I think if the tide was lower and people were able to spread out a bit more, it would have had a much more intimate feel.

 

Next we headed over to the visitor’s center to get our National Park passport book stamped and learn about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Cabrillo was the first European to set foot on the West Coast way back in 1542, and historians believe those first footsteps were made on Point Loma.

The views from this area, including the actual Cabrillo monument are filled with vistas of the San Diego Bay and the city beyond. 

 

The visitor center provides educational videos, a small museum, and replicas of 16th century armor for children of all ages to try. My son thought the 16th century sword was particularly cool and wasted no time knocking his sister in the head with it. Luckily, she was wearing a 16th century replica helmet…

 

If you would like to visit Cabrillo National Monument (and you should) check out the park’s website here. We didn’t have time to visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse (the park closes at 5PM due to it proximity to the naval base at Point Loma) but tours are offered frequently. It will be high on my priority list for our next visit.

For more fantastic travel photos, check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Family Vacation
San Diego

The Best Tide Pools in Orange County

Its official. I’m calling it. After a year of extensive  beach research (it was such hard work. I can’t even begin to tell you…), I am crowning the tide pools at Little Corona Beach the best in Orange County. We scampered across rocks in Laguna, frolicked amongst the anemones in San Clemente, and cozied up with the hermit crabs at Crystal Cove. As wonderful as those other tide pools might be, when minus tides appear, Little Corona is where you will find me.

Why? I think the number one reason is diversity. We always find a wide variety of little critters whenever we visit Little Corona. On our last visit we saw starfish (plural), loads of purple sea urchins, more anemones than we could count, tons of tiny fish,masses of mussels, and the biggest limpet I have ever seen!

  

In addition to the tide pool animals, sea birds such as pelicans and gulls frequent the area. The distant barks of sea lions can be sometimes be heard in from the cliffs above the beach.

My kids love to scramble over the rocks and play pirate in a sea cave. Ben could can (and will) sit there for hours, throwing rocks into the crashing waves.

Of course the sunsets aren’t so bad either…

Little Corona Del Mar Beach is located in Corona Del Mar  at the corner of Ocean Blvd and Poppy Avenue.  You park in the residential neighborhood above the beach (and oh what a neighborhood it is!) and then walk down the path to the beach. There are restrooms located halfway down the path. A lifeguard station in on the beach but I have never actually seen anyone on duty. Check tide tables (such as these here) before heading out to be sure you hit the beach at peak tide pooling time.

If you would like to see more fabulous travel photos check out Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday here.

Family Travel Tips
Newport Beach

Venice Beach

Some people may have thought I was a bit odd when I decided I HAD to take my three year olds to Venice Beach. After all, it doesn’t exactly have the same classic family feel as the Santa Monica Pier just a couple miles down the road. But I live in South Orange County, the Land of Homogeneity. There isn’t a lot of variety in our neck of the woods. Everyone sort of looks the same, dresses the same and acts the same. I love where I live and have met a lot of great people but I want my kids to understand that this great world of ours is filled with all different walks of life. And you can find some of the most unique at Venice Beach.

Lucky for me, my brother lives within walking distance of this bizarre little strand of sand. So we piled into the car and headed on down to see Uncle Chris. We walked down past the marina filled with opulent yachts and strolled past yuppies that appeared to be texting each other while sitting at the same table at an outdoor cafe. We drooled at beach front homes with views that most of us can only dream about. The kids played under the pier  and chased seagulls.

Then the scenery slowly began to change. Same spectacular beach front, just a different group of people. Multi-million dollar homes were replaced by knock off sunglass shops, tshirt stores, and “storefronts” promoting that green plant that is legal to smoke in CA with a valid medical prescription.It was a place where performers walked on glass for money and men sold bunnies out of their jackets. A beach where skate boarding and  graffiti were actually encouraged.   It was odd. It was eclectic. And my kids loved it.

A man dressed in a turban, hemp clothing, and the oddest roller skates I have ever seen was serenading passer-byers on his electric guitar. Guys were shooting hoops on the very court Woody Harrelson taught America that white men could in fact jump. Old tan men in speedos were working out alongside buffed out pretty boys on a little portion of  the strand dubbed “Muscle Beach”. It was the carnival of eclecticism that tourists have come to expect from Venice Beach.

 

I really do believe it is important to see America for what it really is- a wide variety of individuals enjoying the freedom to be whoever they want to be. Most people seem to fit into one mold or another but there will always be individuals who strive to break it, and I want my kids to know those people too.

Just a block from the beach begin the canals. Their quiet beauty is a nice contrast to the flamboyance of the beach. Pathways skirt the canals and provide a wonderful place to take a stroll. Kayaks cruise silently past well manicured homes and under quaint little bridges. During the holidays the neighborhoods surrounding the canals come alive with brilliant lights and festive paddle boat parades. Eventually you drift back out of the canal district and into reality. Venice was an interesting urban hike, and it was definitely one I am glad I let my children experience.

Family Travel Tips
Los Angeles

Three Travel Secrets- Outdoors in the OC

When most people think about taking a vacation in Orange County with their kids they think Disneyland. Yes, Orange County is home to the Happiest Place on Earth but there is so much more to OC than Mickey Mouse. What I love most about Orange County is that there seems to be an infinite number of things to do outside. The next time you and your family take a Disney vacation consider taking a day off from the theme park madness and enjoying some of these outdoor treasures that Orange County has to offer:

1. Fantastic Family-Friendly Hiking Trails: Whether you take a hike in in a coastal canyon, a stroll around Newport’s Back Bay or explore Saddleback Mountain in search of Holy Jim Falls, you are destined to find a piece of Orange County that few tourists every see. Orange County is still wild. You just have to know where to look.

2. Beautiful beaches just waiting to be explored: Enjoy Orange County as it has been for generations at Crystal Cove State Beach, explore some fantastic tide pools at Little Corona Beach during low tide or have the ultimate Southern California beach day at Huntington. Either way, make it down to the water. Orange County beaches are nothing short of spectacular.

3. Get out on the water: Did you know that gray whales are thought to use Dana Point in Orange County as a landmark during their great winter migration from the Bering Sea down to Baja? Hop on board a whale watching cruise in Dana Point Harbor and see one of these mighty beasts for yourself. Don’t be surprised if you see dolphins and sea lions along the way. If you would rather to the paddling yourself, rent a kayak and explore Newport Bay. This ecological reserve is a birders paradise and the perfect place for first timers to learn how to paddle.

This post was inspired by Caroline at Kids Go West, who gave me a little shoulder tap in a game of blogger tag that began with Katie at Tripbase. Caroline shared some great things to do in Maui that are a bit off the beaten path but well worth the trip. She then tagged me and other bloggers to share their travel secrets. I will be tagging a few more fellow travel bloggers because I can’t wait to read what secrets they are willing to divulge.

The goal is to create a virtual index of some well kept travel secrets from travelers all over the world. Katie from Tripbase is keeping the list as bloggers keep the tags going.

Kids Save the Beach

 

 

If Mari and Ben had it their way, we would go to the beach every day. I  would happily agree to their demands but we just simply don’t have the funds to live at the beach nor the time to drive out there every day. We do try our best to dip our toes in the mighty Pacific at least a couple times a month. Its one of the greatest perks of living in Orange County. Our gorgeous coastline  attracts people from all over the world. With this fabulous perk comes great responsibility. We must keep our beaches and oceans clean so future generations can get as much joy, peace, and happiness from them as we do. We can all help keep the beach clean, even kids.

Save Our Beach.org, the ladies from Just Spotted, and Carrie at This is Me- A Kid’s First Keepsake Journal all helped organize a fantastic beach cleanup day at Seal Beach. Kids were encouraged to put on some gloves, grab a bag, and start picking up trash.

It was tempting for Mari to go play in the water so we agreed she had to find ten pieces of trash and then she could have a splash break. She worked very hard to find her trash. Seal Beach was a surprisingly clean beach! 

Even though Seal Beach was a very clean beach overall, we still managed to run into plenty of cigarette butts. Attention smokers- the beach is not a giant ashtray! I want my kids to be able to build a sandcastle without having to stop every few minutes to pick your cancer sticks out of their favorite architectural medium. Below are some examples of things we do not want to find at the beach.

And here are a few things we would love to see more of….

  

If you would like more info on how to organize your own beach cleanup click here. If you don’t live near the ocean think about cleaning up a lake, river, or hiking trail near you. And be sure to bring the kids!

Dana Point Marine Reserve Hike

Orange County seems to have a never ending supply of gorgeous beaches. After living here for almost a year, I have seen quite a few but I am constantly finding more for us to explore. Recently, I took the kids to the Dana Point Marine Reserve for a hike along the coast. The reserve is located behind the Ocean Institute (a place I hope to visit soon) near the mouth of the Dana Point Harbor. There is a secluded beach at the beginning of the reserve with plenty of sand to run around on, rocks to climb, and large waves to watch crashing towards the shore.  Tall cliffs rise high above the sand and rocks below. 

Beyond the small beach, the shore is narrow and filled with rocks. A small trail hugs the bottom of the cliff and leads up the coast toward the Dana "point".

Along the way there are tide pools and sea caves. The lower the tide, the further you can follow the trail. The kids loved playing in the small cave we found and I look forward to coming back at a minus tide and venturing out to the larger sea cave.

This is a great family hike and perfect on hot days when it is too warm to hike inland. The cool ocean breezes and dramatic scenery are hard to beat. If you would like more information about this hike click  here.

Things To Do
Dana Point

San Onofre State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every week. I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places . 

Anyone who has driven from LA to San Diego is familiar with the long stretch of desolate coastline within the gates of Camp Pendleton. These expanses of open coastline give us a glimpse of what Southern California looked like 100 years ago. While most of Camp Pendleton is closed to the public, there is a state park right along its northern boundary with some of the most famous waves in the world. Surfers from across the globe trek to surf the break at Trestles, a portion of San Onofre State Beach's pristine coastline.

Getting to Trestles is an experience in itself. This is not one of those beaches where you can pull up to a parking lot surrounded by sand and walk a few hundred yards to the water. Most people park about a mile away off of the Christianitos exit and follow the Panhe Trail under the railroad trestles to the beach.

From there, an open expanse of beach is yours. There are plenty of calm spots around the mouth of the San Mateo creek (which flows all the way to ocean for only part of the year.) for kids to safely play in the shallow water. There are surf breaks for all different skill levels and lots of entertainment for  looky-loos. The rocks are a great place to look for tiny signs of life, from hermit crabs to sea snails.  If you feel like taking a long walk down the beach, you can even find a spot where nudity is popular, even if it is still illegal.

The beach is also a great place to let your inner architect shine while you build a palace for the hermit crabs you discovered during your exploration of the rocks.

However you choose to spend your day at San Onofre,  you will be certain to have a perfect day along a stretch of California's Golden Coast.

If you would like more info on San Onofre, click here.

Things To Do
San Clemente

Torrey Pines State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (used to be every Saturday but I haven't been able to get my act together lately.) . I hope to bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

Torrey Pines is a place known for its, well, pine trees. They are the rarest pine trees in the world and their beauty provides a stark contrast between the forest on the bluffs and the sandy beach below. We visited Torrey Pines State Reserve this past Father's Day and enjoyed the trails and scenery the reserve had to offer. Then we walked down to hill and over to the beach. I had never been to Torrey Pines State Beach and I wasn't disappointed. It was just another example of the little pockets of paradise that can be found  all the way down the Southern Californian Coast.  Gorgeous surf, sand, and sky to enjoy with family and friends. Weather in the mid seventies with a slight ocean breeze. A flock of pelicans flying overhead. Ahh yes, this is the life.

 

 

Family Travel Tips
La Jolla

Huntington State Beach

As many of you know, the California's State Parks are in serious trouble due to budget cuts. In an attempt to bring attention to all the wonderful state parks California has to offer, I am participating in State Park Saturdays. I will be featuring a different CA State Park every Saturday (unless I have a Saturday like I did this past Saturday. Then it will be State Park Monday...) . If you don't live in CA then feature a state park in your home state. Let's bring attention to these treasures to increase awareness of what the state park system has to offer and encourage others to stand up and help protect these important places .

 

Its the quintessential Southern California beach. Wide sprawls of sand filled with umbrellas, mats, and families. Tourists on bicycles they rented at the stand next to the shack that serves hamburgers and shakes. Street performers gathering money from eager audience members to see if he will clear the jump over all those people (he will). Fishermen casting lines off of the pier hoping they will have something to bring home for dinner. Surfers crowding the area with the best break while onlookers wonder how a kid can make something so hard look so easy. Its Surf City just as Jan and Dean sang about it back in 1963. Well, almost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Erik for taking some great pictures during our recent trip to Huntington Beach and welcome to the family!    

Family Travel Tips
Huntington Beach