STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

subwolley · Kate Spade

Where's the best beaches in Cali?

rosie_the_riveter · Gucci

Do you like doing beachy things, like wear bathing suits and play frisbee or are you more into scenic beaches? The Monterey Bay has beautiful beaches, IMO.

These are the beaches in Monterey (more scenic

This might help http://www.best-california-beach.com/

subwolley · Kate Spade

I think I'm more into doing beachy things. Though who says I have to limit myself to one beach?

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

Carmel/Monterey are pretty, but foggy, and the water is COLD. You'd just be doing a lot of walking along the beach, admiring the scenery, wearing a sweater. Southern California is where it's at, hands down. I grew up in Northern California, and the beaches up here don't even begin to compare - they're cold, the water is gross, they smell, there's a lot of fog, and the wildlife is boring. If you want great beaches, head for the following:

Los Angeles beaches:

Malibu (gorgeous)

Santa Monica (there's the boardwalk, lots of shopping, some great little restaurants)

Manhattan Beach (not everyone's favorite, but I thought the area was really cute, and the beach was nice)

San Diego Beaches(My personal favorite) - I went to college in San Diego, and LOVED it.

La Jolla Cove - not actually a beach, but worth seeing. It's so beautiful! And there are many great restaurants nearby. You can see La Jolla Shores from the Cove.

La Jolla Shores - beautiful water, scenery, the waves are pretty small. You can rent a kayak from this beach and kayak La Jolla Cove. Last time I kayaked here we had dolphins swimming around us. It's also a very popular place to take surf lessons.

Del Mar - Gorgeous beach. Probably my favorite in San Diego if we're talking just about the sand and water. Photographers are always taking pictures of dolphins playing in the waves here, and it's also another popular spot for learning how to surf. Del Mar also happens to be a cute little town.

Pacific Beach/Mission Beach - Not my favorite. The crowd is rougher around the edges, they allow drinking on the beach, and it's dirtier. But Pacific Beach is a true beach town, and sometimes it's fun to walk along the boardwalk. On the weekends there's a near-naked old guy on rollerblades, and lots of other characters.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of the above, or want more recommendations for things to see and do in San Diego.

-- Edited by gingembre1 at 12:42, 2006-08-16

Lilykind · Hermes

Malibu has gorgeous beaches but IMO the water is disgusting. Some of the highest levels of pollutants are found at Will Rogers state beach (one of the beaches in the area). Taking too many environmental classes totally ruined my ability to enjoy it.

I like Manhattan Beach and Newport Beach (in Orange County. I don't do Orange County in general but Newport really is straight out of the...ummm...OC). I adore Manhattan Beach...I want to live there in the future. Also Venice is good but more surfer-focused and kind of hipster-seedy so it's not for everyone.

I find Santa Monica to be less 'beach' and more awesome with 'stuff to do three seconds away from the beach'...IMHO the beach itself is just 'eh'. That said I want to live in SM so maybe I'm just jealous.

La Jolla is gorgeous too, but I'd rather look at seals than go to the beach there.

subwolley · Kate Spade

Thank you everyone for the replies! I will defiantly research everyone's suggestions, and will continue to ask questions when needed.

I've never been to Cali, but I live in New Mexico and Cali isn't that far away, so it's a very doable trip. Plus, I just have this crazy idea in my head of what going to Cali would be like, (probably from movies) which is fun in the sun all the time. I know that probably isn't the case, but fun to imagine.

Another question...I think I'm looking into going to Southern Cali. How is the weather year round? Is it warm all the time?

gingembre1 · Kate Spade

For San Diego, your best bet will be summer. It's generally nice all year round, but it does rain and get very cold and foggy sometimes. My first year of college we lived in a constant deluge of rain...it made going to class a real pain in the butt. August and into September are usually nice and toasty. Spring can be good, but you have a pretty high chance of many foggy, chilly days. I'll actually be in San Diego tomorrow through Monday, and the weather forecast is perfect. I'm taking a surfing lesson to brush up on my skills Friday morning - I don't know if surfing was something you wanted to try, but I can give you a review of the lesson when I get back.

joy0302 · Kate Spade

When we visited CA a few years ago we went to Laguna Beach and I really loved it there. It was a cool beach town.

PrincessPink · BCBG

i vote for Manhattan Beach and Hermosa. I would move there if i ever left DC....

Alikat · Kate Spade

I prefer San Diego for beaches - they are just cleaner and San Diego is a fun town to visit. I love the downtown gas lamp district as well.

Alegria · Kate Spade

I like Newport Beach. The best time to go is during the week. Weekends tend to be busy at all beaches. Please don't go to Huntington (unless you want to bonfire, hence dirty sand etc) or Seal beach or Mother's beach (YUCK!). I agree that you need to go Southern Caifornia to get good beach weather. The north is COLD.

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I visited San Diego a few years ago in August and let me just say that water was way too cold for me but I'm use to florida water which is warmer anyways. That said I loved La Jolla and thought it was absolutely beautiful there.

kittenheels · Coach

I really love Zuma beach in Malibu - beautiful and they keep the sand pretty clean. The water around LA can be sort of dirty, so you might want to check and see that it's safe swimming whenever you go! I also love Hermosa beach and anything in La Jolla is just great. Carmel has a lovely beach, but I think it's too cold to go swimming up there :)

subwolley · Kate Spade

Hello everyone. This week as summer is winding down, I find myself dreading winter!! I know it's not even fall yet, but I hate the cold. Anyway, to perk me up some, I've been researching everyone's suggestions. I have another question, if anyone would like to post.

Can you recommend any places on the beach to stay, whether hotels, house rentals, etc?