beach

San Diego ~ a look at our favorite beaches

shaunaaguirre — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 17:08:55 +0000

As avid beach goers, we hunt for the best beaches when we travel. We are fortunate to live in San Diego where there is an abundance of great beaches to visit. We will share our 5 favorite beaches in San Diego with you. Whether you’re looking for the perfect swimming /surfing beach or a long walk to watch the sunset, it’s all here. La Jolla Shores Considered one of the top 10 beaches in the Country, this beach has something for everyone. If you have kiddos, this is a perfect beach for them. The waves rarely get big here and the gentle shore break make it easily accessible for children. Because this area is a marine preserve, the snorkeling here is some of the best in the city. During the months of July thru September, the leopard sharks come here to spawn. You can find hundreds of them here. They are harmless to humans as they feed on clams, shrimp and fish eggs. They range in size from 1-4 feet and are an exciting site to see. The north end of the beach has a gentle wave that is perfect for the beginner surfer. In addition, there are several kayak rental places located close by. They offer kayak tours to the La Jolla caves. This is a bucket list experience for tourists and locals alike. to Torrey Pines If it’s a picturesque, long walk on the beach you crave, this is the storybook beach for you. From the Shores, you can walk for several miles to the North. You’ll pass by the Scripps Pier, flat rock beach and can go all the way to Torrey Pines state beach. Sunset’s from this beach are epic. It is not uncommon to see dolphins & seals playing in the waves. During the months of October – March the California Grey Whales are migrating and whale spotting is common. TPSB is accessible from the parking lot along California State Route 1 to the North of La Jolla, just South of Del Mar. The parking here is ample and provides easy access to the beach. Additionally, you’ll find plenty of public restrooms and fresh-water showers. The swimming here is fun! If you are into fishing, this is just North of the preserve and surf fishing is world-class. The presence of sandstone cliffs makes this an incredibly picturesque location. Just like The Shores, you will often see Dolphins, seals and during the whale migration, plenty of California Grey whales. If you’re looking for an amazing beachside hike, this is it. The trails that lead up from the parking lot allow for an easy yet scenic hike and end with a path down to the beach. OB is our “home” beach. Nestled in the quaint hippie community town of OB, this beach features “swim” only and “surf” only areas. There are many surf shops available nearby that offer rentals. This is a perfect beach for the beginner surfer. If you’re into swimming, the waves are generally small and a perfect place for kiddos to boogie board. Just to the south is the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier. Built in 1966, it is the longest concrete pier in the world and the second longest ocean pier in California. Stretching just under ½ mile long, you can enjoy a great walk while checking out the surfers in the waves below. Just a short walk to the North is the unique Dog’s beach. Everyday, you’ll find hundreds of dog owners with their fur children enjoying the waves, water and company of other dogs. One of our favorite places to ride bikes, Stand-up paddle and fish is Mission Bay Park. Mission Bay Park is the largest aquatic park of its kind in the country. Mission Bay boasts 27 miles of shoreline, 19 of which are sandy beaches with eight locations designated as official swimming areas. There are several landmark hotels that line the bay and offer private beaches, bonfire pits and beach front accommodations. At the west end is a network of channels and islands – a perfect spot for everyone from windsurfers to water- skiers. There are numerous places to swim or rent boats and paddle boards. Our favorite jump off point on the bay is Dana Landing. This location is a hub for all bay and ocean activities. They offer day rentals of everything from SUP’s, kayaks, small boats, jet skis and fishing charters. This one stop shop features beachwear, a full-service bait and tackle shop and one of the best deli’s in San Diego. Whether you’re looking for a great pair of sunglasses, flip flops or a place to stock up on sandwiches, beer and wine and snacks for your day on the water, The Dana Landing has it all! Coronado State beach No visit to San Diego is complete without a visit to the island of Coronado. You can get there two ways. A ferry ride from the docks at the Broadway street pier or a drive over the 200-foot-tall bridge. This is one of the most special places Southern California has to offer. Coronado state beach is set against the backdrop of the Hotel Del Coronado. This beach boasts miles of walking, great shelling, spectacular views of the Point Loma peninsula and at the North end, a great dog beach. Ferry Landing Marketplace offers a sandy beach area adjacent to fishing/ferry pier. With a grassy lawn and sweeping views of San Diego Bay, this is a great place to take in views of downtown San Diego while enjoying the tranquil waters of the bay. Coronado beach dunes Access to the main Coronado Beach is from the area near the “Hotel Del.” There are free parking spaces along Ocean Boulevard. This wide family-friendly beach gets crowded, but it is wide enough that you can find a place to spread out comfortably. Sometimes near the hotel there are elaborate large sandcastles to view and photograph. Apparently, sometime back in the 1980s, a city maintenance worker who cleaned up the beach sand with heavy equipment was trying to get rid of tons of seaweed washed on shore after a big storm. Having no place to dispose of it, he started piling sand over the seaweed, creating the dunes. However, in a fun twist, he decided to be creative and formed the dunes to spell out the word “Coronado.” Although only visible from the air, these dunes provide a fun place for children to play, a great place to exercise and are a historic piece of Coronado. While in San Diego, be sure to visit one of our favorite places, Old Town!

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Kaua’i, HI. ~ A locals tour of the best beaches on Kaua’i

shaunaaguirre — Sat, 02 Nov 2019 14:00:41 +0000

One of our best friends lives on Kaua’i and so we do our best to get there at least once a year. We spend our days bouncing from beach to beach and we will share our favorites with you in detail. Our favorite days are our beach days! Our typical flight from Southern California arrives about 5pm as do most from the mainland. We always make our first stop at Costco to stock up and then straight to the closest beach we can find. 5 best beaches on Kaua’i Polihale State Park Beach: You’ll drive down a dirt road to get here and 4wd is recommended however you can still make it in a car. You’ll need to get a permit to camp here but that is fairly easy. Poipu Beach: Awesome snorkeling and swimming beach with many resorts nearby for food and beverage. This beach has been voted #1 beach in America. Parking lots are ample and access is easy. Brennecke’s Beach: Located adjacent to Poipu Beach, this is the perfect beach for body surfing and boogie boarding. Maha’ulepu beach: You’ll take a 2 mile dirt road with some bumps in order to get here. Great hiking and lots of trees for shade. Salt Pond: Great beach for swimming in the coral reef protected cove and awesome beach for a sunset. Polihale Beach Camping over-night at Polihale beach on Kaua’i is an epic experience usually reserved for locals. Campsites line the bluff and you can camp out under the stars without a tent. This beach is the longest stretch of beach in the State of Hawaii. The road leading to the beach is an old sugar cane hauling road. Even though we recommend a 4wd you can still easily access it without one. Access to the road is where the Highway 50 ends. This seventeen mile stretch of beach sits on the edge of the Na Pali coast and the views are spectacular. Swimming is limited to the area called Queens Pond due to strong rip currents. You can fish along the shore line, take the longest beach walk ever, do some epic shelling and enjoy the spectacular sunsets over the Forbidden Island of Ni’ihau. Even if you are not going to spend the night, this is a great beach to spend the day. There is no shade on the shoreline so you’ll want to bring an umbrella. Be sure to stop at Ishihara Market to stock up on water, beverages and some of the best Poke on the Island (Check out our blog on best places to eat on Kaua’i.) Poipu Beach State Park They aren’t joking when they say this is one of the best beaches in the world, this beach really has something for everyone. Considering this is the sunniest part of Kaua’i, beach days here are long and therefore, awesome. The series of coves of volcanic rock make it an epic snorkeling spot and a great place for kids to swim. Due to the fact that there are lifeguards here every day, it is considered one of the safest beaches on Kaua’i. In addition, the bonus is that there are several hotels nearby and you can access them for food and drinks or belly up and have a cocktail. Not only are there many rental kiosks which offer snorkel equipment, stand up paddle boards and surf boards there are also restrooms and showers that are plentiful. Brennecke’s beach We love this beach! If your looking for a perfect body surfing and boogie boarding beach, this is it. It’s just adjacent to Poipu beach and within walking distance of Brennecke’s beach deli where you can get delicious sandwiches and any supplies you might be missing. The snorkeling is great here and turtles are usually around and close to shore. Maha’ulepu beach Just down Poipu road past the Grand Hyatt take the 2 mile dirt road and you arrive at Maha’ulepu beach. The drive is about 15 minutes to the dirt parking lot. A short walk down a dirt trail and you you’re greeted with a visually stunning and secluded beach that is definitely off the beaten path. You can also access this beach via the Maha’ulepu Heritage trail that takes you along cliff and sand dune bluffs and provides great vistas of Shipwreck beach. While this isn’t the best swimming beach, if you want to get away from the crowds, this is the perfect place for a picnic, a book and a beer. Salt Pond This beach is named for the natural salt ponds that lay adjacent to it. The beach is flanked by a coral reef and so it is mostly calm and a great place to relax and play in the water. Although this is in fact a mostly a locals spot, it’s a great place for sunset and you can see the Forbidden Island of Ni’ihau. It is also a great beach for shelling! Secret Glass beach Shhhhhhh! Just over by Port Allen Harbor behind the Kauai Island Brewing company, is a beach full of sea glass. If you’re on your way to Waimea Canyon, be sure to take the short detour. It’s just about a two minute drive off Highway 50 and you can spend some time checking out the glass. Additionally, if you’re crazy about sea glass like we are, it’s absolutely worth the trip. Although the glass is remnants of an old bottle and auto glass dump here, if you have never seen a glass beach, you won’t want to miss it. McBryde Sugar Plantation Cemetery – Added Bonus If you continue along the dirt road past Glass Beach you’ll come to a bluff and just on your right is the McBryde Sugar Plantation Cemetery. The cemetery contains the graves of Chinese and Japanese sugar plantation workers of the late 1800s and early 1900s. However before 2013, the cemetery was totally overgrown and it was difficult to see. Due to a massive clean up effort by a local resident, you are now able to view them. It’ definitely worth the few minutes it takes to get there. Check out our other blogs for the best eating and site-seeing on Kauai!

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San Felipe, Baja Ca Sur, Mexico ~ a fishing village on the Sea of Cortez

shaunaaguirre — Sun, 21 Jul 2019 20:33:00 +0000

San Felipe has been a vacation destination for our family since we were children. This seaside fishing village sits on the north west side of the Sea of Cortez. From San Diego it is about a 4 hour drive and about a 6 hour drive from Phoenix or Los Angeles. This is our go-to spot whenever we are craving a quick Mexican get-away. Activities in San Felipe range from swimming, paddle boarding, snorkeling and fishing to just relaxing. The beaches in the center of town offer an abundance of rentals that include banana boats, sport fishing trips and kayaks. Because of it’s proximity to the desert, there are ample places to rent ATV’s to explore the off-road areas. There are a great deal of beaches to explore however, San Felipe experiences a huge tidal flow. At low tide the water can recede to over a mile out. Be sure to check your tide charts when planning your beach visits. South beach is one of our favorites. It’s just south of town and offers swimming with waves, snorkeling with lots of fish to see and shelling. However, if you head south on route 5 there are many more beaches that are less populated. Did someone say fish tacos? San Felipe is the birthplace of the fish taco. It is said that Ralph Rubio of Rubios restaurants got his original recipe from the fishermen in San Felipe. All along the Malecón are a series of open air taco shops that feature shrimp and fish tacos and other seafood selections. This is where we eat 90% of our meals when in San Felipe. We don’t specifically recommend one, just pop into the one that looks fun and enjoy some of the yummy fresh seafood. Our favorite places to stay Stella del Mar is about a mile south of town and has small single unit bungalows. There are 14 beachfront units that feature individual palapas that will provide shade during the day and a quiet place to watch the waves at night. The feature bar service to the palapas and the beach vendors pass by regularly selling palettes and souvenirs. The restaurant here is excellent and the machaca breakfast here is some of the best we’ve ever had. You can walk to town via the beach or taxi service is easily available. The El Cortez is a half a mile south of town and has charming rooms and easy access to a beautiful beach. There’s also a nice pool and a fun restaurant and bar with epic margaritas. Additionally, they have a rental service for everything you need. If you are looking for more upscale accommodations, you can find some out of town luxury condo rentals on VRBO. If you’re looking for Camping in San Felipe, there are many campgrounds and beaches that allow camping with beachfront views. On weekend nights, the Malecón erupts with activity. Families line the walkway and the parade of cars “cruising” the strip is nonstop. Street vendors are plentiful selling elotes, fresh churros and more. The music from the bands of mariachis cascades out over the crowd into the air. There is an overabundance of bars along the street where you can grab a beer and enjoy the spectacle. Valle de los gigantes (Valley of the giants) One of the more spectacular sites in San Felipe is about 20 minutes south of town on route 5 at Rancho Punto Estrella called the Valle de los gigantes (Valley of the giants.) This forest of Sahuaro cacti is a true gift of nature. Some of them reach as high as 50 feet into the sky. You can tour them from the car but you’ll definitely want to get out and walk around these magnificent species. Back in town there is some fantastic shopping. Here you can purchase everything from souvenirs to tapestries, textiles and hand-blown glass. San Felipe is charming town to get away to and relax, enjoy some remarkable food and make some great memories. Be sure to check out our blogs of La Paz and Puerto Peñasco for other Baja, Ca. Sur road-trips!

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Puerto Peñasco, Baja Ca Sur, Mexico ~ 48 hours in a sleepy Mexican town

shaunaaguirre — Sun, 19 May 2019 03:44:42 +0000

One of our favorite Mexican weekend getaways is Puerto Peñasco. It’s about a 5 hour drive from San Diego and 4 hours from Phoenix or Tuscon. It sits on the Northeast corner of the Sea of Cortez directly across from San Felipe as a crow flies. Puerto Peñasco (or Rocky Point) was a town my father spent a lot of time in when he was young so it is really special to us. There are a dozen or so high-rise hotel/resorts to the north of the main town that are pretty much all the same place. They are all high-rise buildings with patios and ocean views. They have full amenities, restaurants, large pools, rental offices. You can book boat trips and rent beach gear at most of them. They all sit on a beautiful beach that goes for miles. There is snorkeling, swimming, shelling, and fishing. If you’re here for a beach vacation, they are perfect. The Dream Weaver Casitas Our favorite place to stay in Puerto Peñasco is the charming Dream Weaver Palapa Casitas. Their casitas sleep from 2-9 people. This little piece of paradise is located on of a small hill on the south side of Old Port and a block from the Malecón. Two of the casitas have a private balcony with a magnificent view of the Sea of Cortez. The location of the Dream Weaver puts you walking distance from restaurants, bars and shopping. The party on the Malecón at night emits the classic feeling of Old Mexico. Families line the walkway, mariachis play, street vendors with everything from souvenirs to elotes hawk their wares and the vibe is bewitching. Our favorite restaurants in Puerto Peñasco Max’s is on the Malecón and breakfast on the patio is a perfect way to start the day. The Point sits on stilts over the water. The fresh seafood is heavenly. Choices range from whole fish to shrimp stuffed avocado salad. The view is serene and it is a great spot to enjoy a delicious meal and a sunset. Pedros is a little hidden gem just off the Malecón. The quaint restaurant features fresh local seafood, great margaritas and excellent service. The Tekila bar is a tiki themed restaurants. There are a few tables on the back deck. Another great spot for a cocktail and sunset. We have two main things we love about Puerto Peñasco. Firstly, the fresh seafood. Secondly is the beaches. There are miles of them with easy access. There are many places to snorkel, swim and fish. Our 3 favorite beaches in Puerto Peñasco Sandy beach ~ There are a lot of activities available at this beautiful beach area, including swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, parasailing, jet skiing, surfing, fishing and more. Tucson Beach ~ Located in Cholla Bay this small stretch of beach is perfect for wading and swimming due to its very calm waters when the tide is in. When the tide is down it will reveal its rocky landscape where it’s common to see families of sea lions relaxing on these rock. Playa La Joya/Playa Encanto ~ These two beaches lie next to each other and are about 12 miles from Puerto Peñasco. Both of them offer beautiful scenery and serenity. They are the perfect beaches to go for a walk, swimming, shelling and relaxing in the sun. These two beaches are less inhabited than the others therefore, they are much more peaceful. When you visit Puerto Peñasco, be sure to bring a cooler. You’ll want to take home some of the fresh Mexican prawns that are available at the outdoor fish market in the middle of Old Puerto. Dozens of stalls line this street and the local fisherman have seafood fresh every morning. They’ll pack it in a double bag and give you some ice to keep it fresh for the ride home. Be sure to check out our other blogs of places to visit in Baja, Ca. Sur.

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