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As an Orange County native I have Spent time on many of its beaches. The varied coastline of Southern California offers many different beach environments to choose from. Orange County by far holds the best of these each one as unique as the people who reside in them.

For families Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Salt Creek are your best choices. All of these have wide and deep expanses of clean fine sand. All offer convenient parking for a reasonable price. Picnic areas and clean restrooms are another high point of these areas. All three are located close to shopping centers for any last minute needs.

If a more laid back experience is what you need than Laguna Beach is for you. This town of four star restaurants, pricey boutiques and world class galleries has several secluded exquisite beaches scattered between the rugged cliffs along The Pacific Coast Highway. When trying to locate these hidden spots look for the the public access signs along the highway. These signs mark the stairways leading to the sand. Park on the highway and hit the sand.
In contrast Main Beach in downtown town offers a very public and vibrant feeling. Volleyball and basketball courts are a popular activity at any time of year. The main drawback here is parking. Laguna has very limited parking so be prepared to walk a few blocks.

For surfing and a genuinely good time my home town of San Clemente fits the bill. A extremely friendly town that feels like a small town of close knit families. Numerous beaches with tons of metered parking run its long stretch of coast. Three of the more popular spots have parks just of the sand with tables and playground equipment. During September there are two fiestas that span the entire month filling the town to overflowing so keep this in mind.

If you have the time I recommend exploring as many beaches in the area as possible. I'm sure you will find one to fall in love with.

Learn more about this author, Craig Brum.
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