Huntington Beach is Surf City USA
What to Do in This Quintessentially Southern California Beach Town
May 15, 2008
Quick: If travel plans involve a Southern California surfing beach vacation, what comes to mind? Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz own bragging rights in Northern California, of course, but the beaches of Orange County have been portrayed as quintessentially California for so long, that they've entered the public consciousness as representing seaside towns in the state. And of these Southern California seaside vacation destinations, only one is named Surf City USA - upscale Huntington Beach.
Excellent surfing along eight miles of sandy beaches are a big draw for Huntington Beach, but not the ONLY draw. Luxury Travel recently took a trip to this Southern California beach town, and found something for nearly everyone there. Even on a cloudy, relatively chilly day (remember, this is Southern California), there were many people enjoying the surf, playing with their kids on the beach, biking, and otherwise enjoying an outdoorsy vacation.
What to Do in Huntington Beach (Surf City) California
- Bike and walk along the Ocean Strand. This 8-plus mile stretch extends along Huntington Beach's coastline, and north to Sunset Beach, south to Newport.
- Learn to surf or improve surfing skills. Make an appointment with Toes on the Nose (based in the upscale Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa). This is the top recommended surf "school" in town, with highly qualified instructors.
- Learn how to make a most excellent sandcastle with Dig It!, a local husband-and-wife team who really take sandcastles to the next level. They're schoolteachers as well, so great with kids. A website is under construction - no pun intended! - but hotel concierges or information desks will have their contact information.
- Visit the "Dog Beach," at the northern part of the town. Pet-friendly travel capabilities is shown through Huntington Beach's embrace of the dog lovers' culture. Seeing the dogs romping through the surf (and playing with the dogs, for some) is a happy experience.
- Walk or bike to Bolsa Chica State Beach. It's at the northernmost end of Huntington Beach, and across the street is the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. This 1200 acre reserve is great for birders; the wetlands are breeding grounds for loons, grebes, pelicans, and many other aquatic bird species. The state beach has more mellow waves than south Huntington Beach, and is a nice spot for families and beginning surfers.
- Check out the Huntington Pier. Fishing poles and lures can be rented from a bait and tackle shop, called Let's Go Fishing, that's right on the pier, and cleaning stations for a day's catch are nearby.
- No luck catching fish? Eat at Ruby's Diner, a somewhat iconic small, local chain of '50's themed diners in Southern California. Ruby's is at the end of the pier, has terrific onion rings, and an unbeatable view.
- Visit the International Surfing Museum. It's at 411 Olive Street, just off Main Street. 100+ years of surfing history are on display in this non-profit museum. The size of that original Duke Kahanamoku longboard (and its weight) is pretty amazing; even non-surfers should be impressed.
There are plenty of other fun things to do in this luxury vacation town. Huntington Beach, aka Surf City USA, has a charming town center around Main Street for shopping, the annual Grunion Run (these fish jump out of the water to lay eggs by the thousands, but only in April or May) the Friday Farmers' Market in the summer, and much more. At Huntington Beach, it's a snap to have luxury vacation in a lovely, high end, and mellow California beach town.
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