I LOVE LA, and with so much to see and do its hard to imagine ever needing a break, but thanks to my wanderlusting soul, there are days when “getting out of town” seems like a good idea.
The good news is you don’t have to go far to satisfy the wanderlust. There are a number of nearby beach cities just waiting to be explored and all, depending on traffic, within a very manageable driving distance.
Santa Barbara
With it’s beautiful coastline, perfect mediterranean climate and gleaming white mission style buildings Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful coast cities in California.
Only 95 miles from LA, this family friendly destination, is a very doable day trip, but if time is on your side consider staying longer, so you can take advantage of all the city has to offer.
Traveling with teens? Consider a tour of The University of Santa Barbara Campus or a shopping expedition on State Street. Ice cream on the pier, a stroll on the beach, or a trip to the Santa Barbara Mission should appeal to all ages, as will the botanical gardens and even the Zoo, which offers fabulous ocean views.
Dining recommendation: Llama Dog Tap Room is a family friendly brewery restaurant with a nice menu selection and indoor/outdoor seating. Its located in the Funk Zone, one of our favorite neighborhoods.
Malibu
Looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of LA? Look no further than, Malibu, LA’s closest neighbor to the north. Stretching 21 scenic miles along the Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu is the stuff California dreams are made of.
Malibu’s Mediterranean climate means warm dry summers and moderate winters. You’ll find gorgeous beaches, world famous surf spots, hiking and plenty of dining, shopping, and museums to keep you occupied no matter the time of year. What’s not to love?
Dining Recommendation: We love The Malibu Farm Cafe located at the end of the Malibu Fishing Pier. The Swedish Pancakes with seasonal berries is a family favorite, but I’ve never had anything that wasn’t delicious.
Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, just 30 minutes from LA has superb beaches and a quaint downtown area filled with restaurants and one-of-a-kind shops, making it one of our favorite “getaways”.
A walk out on the picturesque pier provides an excellent view of both the shoreline and the surfers, and it’s a great place for a family selfie.
Dining recommendation: Little Sister, a Vietnamese restaurant with unique and delicious dishes combining traditional Vietnamese flavors with French, Dutch and British influences. We loved the industrial/chic interior and paintings on the walls.
Long Beach
Long Beach is Southern California’s third largest city, and just 25 miles from LA. We’ve visited The Aquarium of the Pacific a number of times, which is located adjacent to the Shoreline Aquatic Park, where you’ll find a lighthouse, shopping and multiple dining options.
Just across from the Aquatic Park is the Queen Mary a retired British ocean liner, which has been converted into a hotel. Special events take place throughout the year including Halloween and Christmas.
Art lovers will love the Pow Wow Long Beach mural festival, which is a week long festival taking place in summer each year. The festival may only last one week, but the murals created are left up all year long. In the past three years they’ve been responsible for murals covering approximately 40 square miles of the city.
Huntington Beach
It’s no wonder that Huntington Beach with it’s almost 10 miles of sandy beaches and excellent year-round surfing is also known as Surf City.
However, It wasn’t the beach or surfing that brought us there. Rather, it was our desire to try the spaghetti grilled cheese at Burnt Crumbs, which led us to Huntington Beach.
Once our mission was complete we spent the rest of the afternoon strolling both on and under the Huntington Beach Pier and dipping our toes in the water.
Dining recommendation: Burnt Crumbs is located in Pacific City, a trendy shopping center just stops from the sand.
Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach, just one hour or so south of Los Angeles, has gorgeous beaches with warm glittering blue water, fun restaurants with delicious food, and street art, so basically all the makings of a perfect day trip.
There are many beautiful beaches in Laguna, but Victoria Beach with its Rapunzel like tower is a great place to start. We spent most of an afternoon splashing around in the water, watching the volleyball players and lounging in the sand.
Dining recommendation: We love the Laguna Beach Beer Company located in the Laguna Beach Arts District. Not only is it very family friendly, but the food is a definite step up from the usual brewery fare.