Beach Holidays

Whether you are looking for a weekend escape from San Francisco, or want to add a few days to your trip to the city by the bay, there are plenty of unique beach destinations to choose from. The water may not be warm enough to swim in, and you may need to bundle up before heading to the beach, but the spectacular and rugged coastline, interesting beach towns, and possible whale or sea lion sightings will give you a vacation to remember!

After a 20 mile dizzying drive on route 1, north of the Golden Gate bridge, you’ll arrive in Stinson Beach. This seaside town offers over three miles of beaches, quaint restaurants and a range of small hotels. If you are planning a family reunion or a vacation with friends, rent a house in Seadrift, a private community surrounding a lagoon - many rental properties have kayaks, hot tubs and more.

There are plenty of other activities besides lounging in the beach - hikers and bikers will enjoy Mt. Tamalpais State Park with it’s array of challenging trails and steep roads.

Further along route 1 is the small, historic town of Olema, once considered to be the epicenter of the 1906 earthquake. Walk along the earthquake trail for some earthshaking history, or check out the Bear Valley Visitors Center for more to do in the area.

Point Reyes Station, the next destination along the way is a great place to spend the night, grab coffee or stop in a shop or two before heading to Point Reyes National Seashore, a favorite with photographers, hikers and nature lovers. The park has seemingly endless trails where you can expect to see Tulle Elk, and many stunning vistas of cliff, ocean and rolling landscape. On clear days, be sure to check out the Point Reyes Lighthouse, build to help guide mariners around a treacherous area that is prone to heavy fog and wind.

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Point Reyes Station Hotels

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Looking for an affordable, family friendly destination to head to this summer? Head to Ocean City, a popular seaside vacation spot in the Jersey Shore. Known as a “Dry Town” (you can’t buy alcohol here), Ocean City, New Jersey combines affordable hotels and restaurants with great beaches, shops, and amusement park rides that will keep everyone in the family entertained.

Whether you have a day, a weekend or the whole week, there are plenty of options to explore. Day trips can easily be taken from the Philadelphia area, and many destinations in New Jersey or New York. For weekend and week long trips, there are plenty of hotels along the boardwalk that will allow you be close to everything while you are there.

During the day, pack up the kids, sunscreen, snacks, and shovels and head to the beach. Although you do need to buy beach tags that help cover the cost of life guards (beach tags are $5 for the day, $10 for the week, $20 for the summer per person), once you are on the beach, throw down your blanket and relax. The ocean is warm enough to swim in all summer, yet refreshing enough on those hazy, hot and humid days. Forget your beach umbrella? No problem, you can rent umbrellas, boogie boards and more on the beach, and if it gets hot, throw on your flip flops and head to the boardwalk for some fresh lemonade.

As the afternoon winds down, head to the boardwalk. Everyone will enjoy strolling on the “boards” for great people watching, a delicious bite to eat (seafood and pizza are the favorites), some “water ice” (think Italian shaved ice) and a ride on the ferris wheel.

Useful Links
Ocean City Hotels
Ocean City Attractions

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