When you hit the coast for a vacation with the family, chances are that spending some time at the beach is pretty high on your to-do list. However, not all beaches are as child friendly as you might like them to be. And while any public place might have a couple of shockingly underdressed or laughably intoxicated people bent on making your family vacation awkward and embarrassing, and many other places that grownups enjoy are just mind numbingly boring for children, some beaches just tend to be better places to take the kids. Here are 5 of them:
1. Santa Monica pier
Although it has its fair share of tiny bikinis and obnoxious frat-boys, your kids will be too busy having fun to even notice. The sand itself has many interesting play structures that your kids can climb, and the pier features restaurants, a carousel, and even an amusement park. And if just being on the edge of ocean and earth isn’t enough to give your kids their fill of the sea, a small aquarium is available for viewing. Some of the resident marine life can even be touched.
2. Will Rogers State Beach
First off, the waves at his beach are pretty tame. That means that you can let your child enjoy the beach, without having to burst a blood vessel in your brain every time they decide to get their feet wet. Additionally, lifeguards are usually on duty, so you have that bit of added stress relief. There is also a snack hut for when junior realizes just how hungry running around in ankle deep sand can make a person. And if you need to run back to the car for some sunscreen or extra towels, you won’t have far to walk at all; the parking lot is right up against the beach.
3. Mother’s Beach – Kid-Friendly Beaches In The L.A.
You might not have imagined that there could be a friendlier, more kid centered name for a beach than Will Rogers. Well, you were wrong. Mother’s Beach is as child friendly as it’s name suggests. With an area of protected, filtered water for your young one to practice their swimming skills, and an amazingly cool pirate ship play area, your kid will think that you skipped the beach and took him straight to Disneyland.
4. Zuma Beach
Although it’s one of the largest beaches in L.A., Zuma is still pretty kid friendly in that it is absolutely loaded with play areas and structures. It also has life guard stations and various food huts. What really puts this one on the list, however, is the fact that Whales migrate past the beach in the early spring, and there’s nothing more exciting for a kid than being able to see something that majestic and mysterious with their own two eyes.
5. Paradise Cove
This is the big one. The water is pristine and protected, and no surfing is allowed at all. There are loads of facilities for your family, including restrooms, showers, and even a high quality beach cafe. Unlike the other beaches on this list, however, this one can end up costing you a pretty penny. In fact, a day at the beach in L.A. can eat into your trip fund pretty quick, so if you need more money, have some wired to you through Sigue Money Transfer Services. That way, you won’t have sell juniors sand-bucket just to be able to pay for parking.
Vincent Stokes is a freelance writer and avid traveler. Years on the west coast have given him in depth knowledge of local scenes that he likes to share with fellow travelers, as well as how to survive a trip using crucial money transfer services like Sigue.