California Travel Answers

Hi,I'm a native Southern Californian, and I currently live in south Orange County, about twenty minutes down the freeway from Disneyland. Hope this helps! The beaches in Orange County are so different from each other, it's really hard to pick a clear winner, but I may be able to narrow it down for you with a few of my favorites. Huntington Beach is the stereotypical Californian beach, it's on the video screen if you've ever been into a Hollister clothing store. It's a very wide beach, very flat, the traditional American vacation spot. Great surf, great beach, but the summer crowds can potentially be disconcerting. Laguna Beach is a lot narrower than Huntington, and it can also feel more secluded as you walk down towards the cliffs. It is a little harder to get to, but in my visits there, its always seems much less crowded than other nearby beaches. It's really great for kids, they have a playground and restaurants right on the beach. The town is adorable and itself is worth spending some time in. Balboa Peninsula is my personal favorite Orange County location, purely for the atmosphere. One way to get there is to cross the bridge to Balboa Island, then wait to take a five minute ferry to the peninsula, so getting there can be a process, but the peninsula is just so adorable it's well worth it. The place has a small carnival area and arcade, and it's also covered in restaurants and gift shops walking distance from the beach. The fun is THERE. Catalina Island is very quaint, and I would say it's definetly worth seeing sometime, but the Avalon area is really just a beach town. If you feel like you want some more time seaside, this is a good way to go, but it's not too different from what you can get on the mainland. If you don't plan on staying in Avalon, the other side of the island is very secluded and offers great camping and hiking. Some friends of mine saw a herd of Catalina buffalo a few yards away from their campsite, so there's great potential to see unique wildlife. Sequoia is extremely beautiful and would be my choice of the two on a given day, but to get there, especially when you add in the shuttle and a limited time frame, can be more hassle than it's worth. Catalina is about a one to two hour trip, but Sequoia will likely take over five hours. Your kids, especially being on the younger side, might not get as much out of the park visit as opposed to playing in the surf. However, there's many beaches in America, but only one small area where Sequoias grow. I suppose it really depends on how much time you're willing to spend. Have a wonderful trip!

While I normally would NEVER recommend against visiting a national park, particularly one as majestic as Sequoia, the simple fact is that Anaheim to Sequoia is a seven and half hour drive EACH WAY -- and that's without traffic. So we're talking about an all-day drive, followed by another all-day drive. Worth it? I just don't think so. There are just so many other places a lot closer to Orange County, that can be just as enjoyable -- starting with Channel Islands National Park or Joshua Tree National Park. Neither are anywhere near as awe-inspiring as Sequoia, but at least you won't exhaust yourself to see them. The wonders of the Sierras -- one of my favorite spots to visit -- require a trip of their own. Visits to Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, and Sequoia require a trip of their own, not as an add-on to a trip to the L.A. area. You didn't ask, but I'll reply anyway -- is there a reason you want to do an overnight in Catalina? The city of Avalon can (IMHO) be easily visited as a day trip. Even if you add a walk up to the Wrigley Preserve (as I did, but which I don't necessarily recommend), you can do it all by taking the ferry early in the morning and returning in the evening. Doing this would give you an extra day to, well, visit Joshua Tree.

If you want to avoid Avalon and the crowds you can catch a ferry from Oceanside or Newport to the Isthmus where you can camp over night or just make a day trip out of it from Avalon as well. The Isthmus tends to be popular with folks that have their own boats or backpackers looking to get off the beaten path. You can do some easy hikes here along the coastal trails, rent a kayak or snorkel in one of the nearby coves (keep in mind that most are private so you cannot go ashore on them). There is a general store and two places to eat at the Isthmus if you get hungry. Public restrooms are free (except the coin operated showers) and kept clean. To get there you can start by checking Catalina Express or the Catalina Island Conservancy websites as both will provide helpful info and pics. Enjoy your stay

Thank you for your input. After reading your reply, we have decided to take a few days and go to Sequoia park. We live in Florida so I can't imagine the beaches are much prettier or better. But we do not have Sequoia trees. I think it would be a nice trip. Maybe we will do one day at Laguna or Santa Monica beach.

Thank you for your input. After reading your reply, we have decided to take a few days and go to Sequoia park. We live in Florida so I can't imagine the beaches are much prettier or better. But we do not have Sequoia trees. I think it would be a nice trip. Maybe we will do one day at Laguna or Santa Monica beach.