Best Beaches in LA/Orange Counties?

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

So I’m vacationing in and around Anaheim/LA this week with my wife and kids. We’re staying in Anaheim and did Disneyland for the past two days, later this week on Tuesday we’ll head down to Carlsbad to take the kids to Legoland and then up north to Universal Studios on Wednesday, before doing one last day at Disneyland Thursday. Tomorrow is our “day off” from all the theme parks, and we thought we’d head to the beach. The thing is, we’re not sure where to go. My wife’s sister and her family came here in September and they did Huntington Beach because it’s close. My uncle, who’s visited numerous times before recommended we go check out Santa Monica, he said it’s way nicer than Huntington, which he said was a dump full of homeless people, junkies, needles and weirdos. The thing is, according to map apps Santa Monica is nearly two hours of driving to get to from our place in Anaheim. Not sure that my kids have that much a drive in them considering we’ve also got long drives to Carlsbad on Tuesday and Universal on Thursday.

Should I just settle for Huntington tomorrow? Should I invest the time to go up to Santa Monica? Is there some middle ground to be found, like a beach that’s nicer than Huntington but closer than Santa Monica?

I need advice from anyone that really knows about this stuff.

 

[PaleMoonlight]

Go to Newport Beach, it’s on the way to Carlsbad. I think there’s a cove in that area, along with a reef.

HB is ok but nothing special. Hell no on Santa Monica, it’s a tourist trap.

 

[zapataxiv]

Manhattan Beach

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Go to Newport Beach, it’s on the way to Carlsbad. I think there’s a cove in that area, along with a reef.

HB is ok but nothing special. Hell no on Santa Monica, it’s a tourist trap.

Is Huntington not full of junkies and weirdos then? I keep imagining my kids coming across Borat in a g-string if we go there.

 

[PaleMoonlight]

Is Huntington not full of junkies and weirdos then? I keep imagining my kids coming across Borat in a g-string if we go there.

Nah. Huntington Beach is safe cus it’s in Orange County. I think your uncle got it confused with Venice Beach. That one has weirdos and vagrants.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Manhattan Beach

This. Manhattan Beach is where the locals come if they want to go to the beach. It's not a tourist trap, just a nice beach with a walking pier and a small aquarium at the end which is newly renovated and fun for the kids. Also serviceable public restrooms and open showers to rinse off after jumping in the ocean. Also good clean restaurants, ice cream, shops on Manhattan Beach Blvd as you walk up the street from the beach. There's also free public parking on N. Ardmore Ave off of Manhattan Beach Blvd, across from the police station but if that's full, plenty of paid parking available too. Also really nice houses along the strand and my wife and I would take guesses on the values to see who could guess closer.

I've been there 1000's of times - grew up in the area (but in Hawthorne/Inglewood). Haven't lived there in years but was there earlier this year and it's the same nice beach. IIRC @Karl_Hungus also grew up in the area but looks like he's been banned (WTF).

@Law Talkin’ Guy the other beach in the area I'd recommend is Palos Verdes. Drive to Malaga Cove school and there's free public parking across the street right near the cliff face. Walk down the trail and there's a great local beach with rocks and sand. Before my dad passed, this is the beach I'd drive to at 5 am (while I was still on east coast time) and go for a run on the beach. No public facilities but you can see dolphins in the surf at early morning and Palos Verdes near the cliff face is the wealthiest neighborhood in LA County.

 

[Your Account]

Venice is the name

 

[stalehotdog]

So I’m vacationing in and around Anaheim/LA this week with my wife and kids. We’re staying in Anaheim and did Disneyland for the past two days, later this week on Tuesday we’ll head down to Carlsbad to take the kids to Legoland and then up north to Universal Studios on Wednesday, before doing one last day at Disneyland Thursday. Tomorrow is our “day off” from all the theme parks, and we thought we’d head to the beach. The thing is, we’re not sure where to go. My wife’s sister and her family came here in September and they did Huntington Beach because it’s close. My uncle, who’s visited numerous times before recommended we go check out Santa Monica, he said it’s way nicer than Huntington, which he said was a dump full of homeless people, junkies, needles and weirdos. The thing is, according to map apps Santa Monica is nearly two hours of driving to get to from our place in Anaheim. Not sure that my kids have that much a drive in them considering we’ve also got long drives to Carlsbad on Tuesday and Universal on Thursday.

Should I just settle for Huntington tomorrow? Should I invest the time to go up to Santa Monica? Is there some middle ground to be found, like a beach that’s nicer than Huntington but closer than Santa Monica?

I need advice from anyone that really knows about this stuff.

Also something to consider. You’ll possibly need to add even more time to the estimated 2 hours. There was a huge fire damaging the 10 freeway intersection in downtown and is closed indefinitely.

 

[TeTe]

Considering driving times and what you said about your kids lack of patience.. I'd stick to going to the beach in OC... Newport Beach like others said or Laguna Beach. It'll be much easier to get to from Anaheim.

Personally, I like going to Venice and Santa Monica because I kind of like the griminess and stores on the boardwalk. And I always make it point to work out at Gold's, but I think considering everything you're trying to get done and where you're staying you could always go another time.

 

[Protectandserve]

What are you looking to do at the beach? Huntington is fine, it’s a lot nice than most LA Beaches. Newport Beach is good as well.

 

[eddymotto]

So I’m vacationing in and around Anaheim/LA this week with my wife and kids. We’re staying in Anaheim and did Disneyland for the past two days, later this week on Tuesday we’ll head down to Carlsbad to take the kids to Legoland and then up north to Universal Studios on Wednesday, before doing one last day at Disneyland Thursday. Tomorrow is our “day off” from all the theme parks, and we thought we’d head to the beach. The thing is, we’re not sure where to go. My wife’s sister and her family came here in September and they did Huntington Beach because it’s close. My uncle, who’s visited numerous times before recommended we go check out Santa Monica, he said it’s way nicer than Huntington, which he said was a dump full of homeless people, junkies, needles and weirdos. The thing is, according to map apps Santa Monica is nearly two hours of driving to get to from our place in Anaheim. Not sure that my kids have that much a drive in them considering we’ve also got long drives to Carlsbad on Tuesday and Universal on Thursday.

Should I just settle for Huntington tomorrow? Should I invest the time to go up to Santa Monica? Is there some middle ground to be found, like a beach that’s nicer than Huntington but closer than Santa Monica?

I need advice from anyone that really knows about this stuff.

if you are staying in Anaheim, keep it simple and go to one of the OC beaches. HB is perfectly fine - I don't know why somebody would say it is full of junkies. Newport is nice IMO. Laguna Beach is really nice for families.

If you are going to Carlsbad, consider trying to work in Torrey Pines State Park to your schedule. If you go during anything other than high tide, you can do a small loop where you walk back along the ocean. A strip of beach opens up and you will have cliffs on one side and the ocean on the other. It is a walk vs. a real hike. Very accessible.

https://hikingguy.com/hiking-trails/hiking-san-diego/torrey-pines-hike/

 

[AbominableJoman]

Looks shite

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Got home last night just after midnight. Thanks for the feedback everyone. Did two short excursions to the beach, one on Monday which was our only day off from doing the theme parks (we did two days at Disneyland, one at Disney California Adventure, one at Legoland and one at Universal Studios), and another short visit yesterday before our flight out of LAX. On Monday we did Newport Beach (Balboa Pier) and yesterday we did Manhattan Beach. The visits were both relatively short but always nice to see the ocean, even if only for like an hour at a time, and the kids like the little aquarium they’ve got set up on the pier at Manhattan beach, and we got ice cream from “Ruby’s” or whatever it’s called at Balboa Pier.

@PaleMoonlight
@zapataxiv
@ChickenBrother
@TeTe
@Protectandserve
@eddymotto

 

[Shaun K]

Not in the area you wanted but when i was living there ive always been a big fan of scripps/ la jolla. My back yard was imperial beach but not as nice

 

[Morning Star]

Santa Monica sucks dick. Go to Crystal Cove in Orange County.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Got home last night just after midnight. Thanks for the feedback everyone. Did two short excursions to the beach, one on Monday which was our only day off from doing the theme parks (we did two days at Disneyland, one at Disney California Adventure, one at Legoland and one at Universal Studios), and another short visit yesterday before our flight out of LAX. On Monday we did Newport Beach (Balboa Pier) and yesterday we did Manhattan Beach. The visits were both relatively short but always nice to see the ocean, even if only for like an hour at a time, and the kids like the little aquarium they’ve got set up on the pier at Manhattan beach, and we got ice cream from “Ruby’s” or whatever it’s called at Balboa Pier.

@PaleMoonlight
@zapataxiv
@ChickenBrother
@TeTe
@Protectandserve
@eddymotto

Glad you made it to Manhattan Beach. For anyone visiting the area with kids, that's the #1 beach spot I'd recommend for a few hours of low key family fun. For whatever reason, it's still under the radar for most tourists but often hosts events. Most of the televised beach volleyball tournaments on ESPN are held there (or adjacent Hermosa or Redondo Beach) where you can see male and female 6' 5" Sherdoggers battling it out next to the surf when they're not busy banging LA 10's.

Not in the area you wanted but when i was living there ive always been a big fan of scripps/ la jolla. My back yard was imperial beach but not as nice

Oh yeah, Scripps Ranch and La Jolla are pimp. The cliffs in La Jolla are pretty much the San Diego equivalent of Palos Verdes, maybe even nicer. I always thought of that area as LA beach lifestyle with less traffic at 2/3's the cost of living.

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

Not in the area you wanted but when i was living there ive always been a big fan of scripps/ la jolla. My back yard was imperial beach but not as nice

I actually took the family to the beach in La Jolla during our trip to San Diego in 2019. Was very nice. @TeTe

 

[CubicleGangster]

So I’m vacationing in and around Anaheim/LA this week with my wife and kids. We’re staying in Anaheim and did Disneyland for the past two days, later this week on Tuesday we’ll head down to Carlsbad to take the kids to Legoland and then up north to Universal Studios on Wednesday, before doing one last day at Disneyland Thursday. Tomorrow is our “day off” from all the theme parks, and we thought we’d head to the beach. The thing is, we’re not sure where to go. My wife’s sister and her family came here in September and they did Huntington Beach because it’s close. My uncle, who’s visited numerous times before recommended we go check out Santa Monica, he said it’s way nicer than Huntington, which he said was a dump full of homeless people, junkies, needles and weirdos. The thing is, according to map apps Santa Monica is nearly two hours of driving to get to from our place in Anaheim. Not sure that my kids have that much a drive in them considering we’ve also got long drives to Carlsbad on Tuesday and Universal on Thursday.

Should I just settle for Huntington tomorrow? Should I invest the time to go up to Santa Monica? Is there some middle ground to be found, like a beach that’s nicer than Huntington but closer than Santa Monica?

I need advice from anyone that really knows about this stuff.

Check out Laguna Beach or Balboa Island