The Best Beaches in San Diego, California
No visit to San Diego is complete without taking the time to get your feet wet in the beautiful Pacific Ocean. San Diego County offers a rugged and beautiful coastline that runs from the Mexican border to Orange County. Along this stretch of ocean, you will find some of the best beaches in the world each with its own distinct personality.
One of the most legendary modern beaches in San Diego is Swami’s in Encinitas. This beach is a popular surf spot and is located in a very modern beach town. However, there is limited parking at this beach so be prepared to hike a ways to get your feet wet. Although the hike is well worth the exercise for this beautiful beach spot. Another excellent beach to visit if you want to watch surfing is the Seacliff Roadside Park. Under the right conditions, you can expect to see some huge waves at this popular surf spot.
If you continue to travel south, you will find the beaches of Torrey Pines and La Jolla. The Torrey Pines beach gets its name from the rare Torrey Pine Tree, which is unique only to this stretch of coastline. This beach is a wild and beautiful location to enjoy the Pacific Ocean. Above the sandstone cliffs that line the beach, you will find the Torrey Pines State Reserve, which features over 2000 acres of beautiful bluffs and eight miles of scenic hiking trails. This beach is the ideal picnic spot.
If you continue heading south along the cliff side at Torrey Pines then you will arrived at Black’s Beach, which is the only “clothing optional” beach in San Diego. This beach is also located directly below a popular hang glider bluff. However, nudity is very carefully monitored here and you should make sure you are doing it within the proper boundaries. While there is a staircase leading down to Black’s Beach it is a better idea to access it through Torrey Pines Beach.
If you want to truly experience the beauty of the Pacific Ocean then you need to rent a kayak and head out of La Jolla Cove. This allows you to take in the amazing sight of the underwater ecological preserve of the La Jolla Ecological Preserve. Here you will find smooth water and beautiful forests of sea kelp below. Among the sights you will see include sea lions and many types of California state fish. There is no clearer water in southern California than this area and it is very popular with snorkelers and scuba divers.
For the typical San Diego beach experience, you want to head over to Mission Beach. Here you will get the complete California beach experience. There is a boardwalk full of bike riders, skaters, pedestrians, joggers and people from all walks of life. When you are done on the beach, the boardwalk gives you plenty of restaurant and bar options. There is even an amusement center with a trademark wooden roller coaster.
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Top Tourist Attractions in California
Located on the beautiful west coast of the United States, California is a popular tourist destination for individuals throughout the world. When planning a visit to California, you will definitely want to visit the following top tourist attractions.
When it comes to California, many individuals think of Anaheim as the theme park capital. In Anaheim, you will find the popular Disneyland Resort, which is home to Mickey Mouse. Here you can enjoy a variety of rides, live shows and famous Disney characters. Located five minutes from Anaheim is Knott’s Berry Farm a theme park similar to Disneyland but on a much smaller scale. About an hour south of Anaheim is San Diego here you will find attractions such as Legoland, Sea World, and the Wild Animal Park. North of Anaheim in Los Angeles you will find attractions such as Hollywood, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and La Brea Tar Pits.
Another popular destination in California is San Francisco. Here you will find a number of tourist attractions such as Alcatraz Island, Gold Gate Bridge, Chinatown, Fisherman’s Warf and the aircraft carrier USS Midway. In San Francisco, you can also visit the Cable Car System, which is the last manually operated cable car system in the world.
Thousands of tourists each year visit the Napa Valley, which is famous its lush wine vineyards. In this area, you can enjoy activities such as the Wine Train, Culinary Institute of America, Old Faithful Geyser, Safari West wildlife tour, the Petrified Forest and hot air balloon rides over the beautiful valley.
One of the first wilderness parks in the United States is the biggest attraction for the State of California, Yosemite National Park. Within this park, you will find a number of natural attractions such as El Capitan, Eagle Peak, Glacier Point, Half Dome, Mariposa Grove, Ribbon Fall, Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Valley, Bridal Veil Fall and Sentinel Dome.
Just north of Redding you will find Lake Shasta which is a wonderful recreational area surrounded by beautiful mountains. Here you will also find the famous Lake Shasta caverns. A little further to the north you will find Mount Shasta, which is the perfect destination for camping, trekking and climbing breathtaking mountains.
To see beautiful giant redwoods you want to visit Sequoia National Park. Located near the Kings Canyon Parks, this park offers a lot more than just giant redwood trees. In this park, you can also view the General Grant Tree, General Sherman Tree, Giant Forest, Grant Grove, Muir Grove, Kings Canyon and the Redwood Mountain Grove.
About 110 miles south of San Francisco, you will find the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Here you will find a large variety of marine life including octopuses, sharks, wolf eel and jellyfish. This Aquarium is located near the unique Cannery row area of Monterey.
Lastly, no visit to California is complete without visiting Sonoma Valley and Bodega Bay. Here you will find some of the earliest wineries in California that host a variety of festivals and events. The most notable of these events is the Sonoma Valley Film Festival. In addition, the Bodega Bay coastline is the most beautiful part of the Pacific Ocean.
James Harrison is a San Diego wedding officiant with extensive knowledge of his home-town San Diego, California. He provides a San Diego chapel for wedding ceremonies. http://sdweddingsofficiant.com