Day trip to the beach?

meljean

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Looking for some advice from those of you who have done a day trip to the beach? Which one did you choose? It will need to be family friendly, kids ages 11, 8 and 5. Also, within an hour or less drive. We would love to take our kids to the ocean for the first time on our trip. Any advice would be great. Thanks!
 
I wish I could help you. We keep thinking of doing a beach day but end up sleeping in and hanging out local to rest on our days off. Still on my radar so will be interested in hearing the answers. I know I asked this same question a few years ago and got great responses!!!
 
You are going during the summer, right? if so, I think Huntington Beach is a good choice for ease of access. I love Newport Beach the most, but it is harder to get to by car unless you do it often and know your way around.

:wizard:
 


You are going during the summer, right? if so, I think Huntington Beach is a good choice for ease of access. I love Newport Beach the most, but it is harder to get to by car unless you do it often and know your way around.

It is super easy to get to Newport Beach. Just take 55 south until it ends. That's it. There is plenty of parking. Download the ParkMobile app and look for the bright green signs.
 
It is super easy to get to Newport Beach. Just take 55 south until it ends. That's it. There is plenty of parking. Download the ParkMobile app and look for the bright green signs.
Maybe it depends on where you go there? It always seemed to me you had to park several blocks from the boardwalk and that parking was not easy to find. Maybe it has changed. I remember Huntington having parking right on the beach and you just walk out onto the sand. My info may be dated though!

:wizard:
 


Balboa Pier/Newport Beach is one of my family’s favorites. Corona del Mar is gorgeous, but parking can be brutal. Huntington is decent, but I’m picky and don’t love being so close to PCH. :smooth: Whichever you pick, I’m sure you’ll enjoy! :beach:
 
Huntington can be kind of trashy sometimes. Newport is much nicer but a little further.
 
Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are both great to visit. Huntington has more parking and a nice pier where you can eat at the Rubys at the end of it (we did that with a visitor recently). There are also fire pits there. If you go early enough to grab one and stay until sunset - it makes for a really fun experience.

Personally, I like Newport Beach for the milder waves. You can rent boogie boards. Also, I recommend renting bikes. You can ride the ferry to Balboa Island and ride there, too. Makes for a fun day.
 
Newport/Balboa Pier for us as well. My favorite beach in that area is Corona Del MAr. A great crescent shaped beach that is just perfect.
 
Maybe it depends on where you go there? It always seemed to me you had to park several blocks from the boardwalk and that parking was not easy to find. Maybe it has changed. I remember Huntington having parking right on the beach and you just walk out onto the sand. My info may be dated though!

:wizard:

There isn't really a boardwalk in Newport. The beach is VERY long and it's easy to find parking all along W. Balboa Blvd (there are meters all along the center divider on both sides). My favorite place to park is somewhere around 15th St., as there is a bathroom and showers right at that beach entrance and it is much less crowded than near the piers. The center strip of parking is one block from the sand.
 
There isn't really a boardwalk in Newport. The beach is VERY long and it's easy to find parking all along W. Balboa Blvd (there are meters all along the center divider on both sides). My favorite place to park is somewhere around 15th St., as there is a bathroom and showers right at that beach entrance and it is much less crowded than near the piers. The center strip of parking is one block from the sand.
You must be thinking of a different part of Newport than I am. We rented a beachhouse on the boardwalk many summers.
 
You must be thinking of a different part of Newport than I am. We rented a beachhouse on the boardwalk many summers.

There are no boardwalks on the entire length of Newport Beach. There IS a pavesd bike trail, with many homes right up against it, is that what you are talking about? It's the Newport Balboa Bike Trail.
 
There are no boardwalks on the entire length of Newport Beach. There IS a pavesd bike trail, with many homes right up against it, is that what you are talking about? It's the Newport Balboa Bike Trail.
OK, that is what I am talking about. And I have always called that a boardwalk. :scratchin

:wizard:
 
But there are no boards! LOL.
True but there is a place to walk! I guess whether there are boards or pavement, the important thing is not the material but a separate place to walk right next to the sand of the beach LOL! Maybe I am confused which would be typical for me!

:wizard:
 
True but there is a place to walk! I guess whether there are boards or pavement, the important thing is not the material but a separate place to walk right next to the sand of the beach LOL! Maybe I am confused which would be typical for me!

:wizard:

I grew up in New Jersey, so Boardwalk has a very specific meaning to me. Plus, no one here calls that path a boardwalk. In CA, there are very few true boardwalks. Even the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk isn't a true Boardwalk.
 
My family (kiddos age 10, 8, 3, and 1) loves Laguna Beach! We've gone to Newport Beach and Balboa Island as well, but Laguna is our favorite. We love both Aliso Beach (easy to find parking with a metered lot right next to the beach) and Main Beach (usually need to park on the streets or small parking lots downtown). There are lots of fun shops to explore, and playgrounds on the beach for our littles while the bigger kids wade in the ocean with dad.
 

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