Los Angeles Beaches - Great For Summer Travel   by J. Michael Key

If you're considering a visit to Los Angeles during your summer travel, then you need to know that you'll quite literally be spoiled because of all the available choices. For example, you can visit Hollywood, you can spend your time wondering around Universal Studios, you can visit Magic Mountain, you can spend the day at the zoo, or even choose to visit one of the many the ethnic neighborhoods. However, with all these options, don't forget that some of the best beaches in Southern California are waiting for you in Los Angeles. Below you will find a short introduction to several beach communities.

To start off with, let's focus on the south, in the Long Beach area, home of the famous Queen Mary floating museum. This stunning attraction is a fantastic cruise ship which was retired in 1967, at which point it was purchased by the city of Long Beach. The Queen Mary which is moored in the Long Beach harbor has since become one of the most talked-about attractions in California. Of course there are several other entertainment options in the harbor area, including the likes of boat rentals, restaurants, hotels, and a range of watercraft. Even though the harbor prevents Long Beach from being an ideal surfing beach, the presence of charming communities like Naples, complete with real canals and gondoliers, makes Long Beach an ideal destination for your summer travel.

If we head north on the Pacific Coast Highway, and we continue past Long Beach and Los Angeles, we arrive at the Palos Verdes Peninsula, famous for its rocky cliffs. Once again, there are several great Parks in the area as well as an abundance of superbly situated viewpoints where one can have an unobstructed view of the ocean.

The next interesting community is Redondo Beach, and if you find yourself in the vicinity then you'll definitely need to visit Esplanade Street which runs along a section of the sandy Redondo Beach State Park. Venturing to the north end of the town one will come across the Redondo Beach Pier and also the surrounding King Harbor water sports and entertainment activities.

Continuing north we arrive in Hermosa Beach, a highly respected beach community that is well known for its beach volleyball facilities. Depending on what you have in mind for your summer travel, there are also fishing opportunities available at the Hermosa Beach Pier which is situated halfway along The Strand Beach promenade.

Next up comes Manhattan Beach, also with its own pier and Manhattan State Beach Park. If you really want to get into the heart of the action, then you need to head west from the I-405 freeway to Manhattan Beach boulevard. North of Manhattan Beach you'll come across a few industrial areas as well as the LAX Airport complex. You'll also find Dockweiler State Beach which runs parallel to the Airport and the nearby Marina Del Rey small-boat marina. You also won't be able to miss the many good restaurants in the area as well as several ocean-view residential communities.

Slightly to the north of Marina Del Rey you'll come across the amazing town of Venice. The most striking feature of this area is that some of the country's most eccentric people tend to frequent the place very often. Apart from having a stunning beach, the town itself is worth a visit during your summer travel.

If you're looking for some great amusement then you need to head out towards Santa Monica State Beach, and then make your way to the Santa Monica pier. This is a good place to do some holiday shopping for local keepsakes.

Continue north for approximately ten more miles and you'll find yourself arriving at Malibu. Of course you don't need to be reminded that there are many Hollywood celebrities living in this area. Apart from that, those who enjoy surfing will find that the beaches around Malibu are second to none.

It should be evident that there are miles and miles of great beaches in Los Angeles, but if you're planning on visiting during the prime summer travel season, then you need to be warned that parking can prove to be rather challenging, particularly on busy weekends. Ideally, you should try to visit during the week, providing of course it fits in with your summer travel plans.

Los Angeles, famously home to places like Beverly Hills is rarely associated with frugality or cost-saving travel. However, if you plan the trip beforehand, there are plenty of sights to discover without eating into your budget.

With six airports nearby, your frugal trip really begins when booking the flight. Be sure to shop around beforehand to find the cheapest flights to each of these airports in order to find the very best deal.

Getting around Los Angeles can often be quite difficult. Famous for its jam-packed freeways, the city is known for not being the easiest place to get around. In fact, those who have grown up in the city take a very relaxed approach to time, rarely specifying an exact time to meet someone.

Of course, it is possible to hire a car in L.A., however if you want to avoid the freeways, there is a good mass transit system running throughout the city. An all day pass is inexpensive at just $3 and even cheaper rates are available if you purchase for a number of days at a time. Be sure to check that the MTA is running where you want to get to beforehand as although the transport system reaches throughout the city, there are some areas where it is still not possible to get around by public transport.

As with any city, a City Pass is available offering you considerable savings to some of the city's most popular attractions. Choose from either a Hollywood City Pass or a Los Angeles Go Card to get free admission to numerous L.A. attractions.

The Hollywood Pass is ideal for getting free - or at least significantly discounted - admission into some of L.A's most popular screen-related attractions. If however you are more interested in discovering the more traditional aspects of L.A.'s cultural scenery then the Los Angeles Go Card is the card for you. You can purchase increments of time in one, two, three, five or seven day slots, giving you typically unlimited access to the city's most famous sights within that time.

Finally, it's important to remember that some of the greatest things to experience within the City of Angels are free. For example, a walk down Venice Beach, strutting your stuff in front of the city's gym junkies is completely free. As is a trip to the Hollywood Walk of Fame or a stroll down some of the most glamorous streets in Beverly Hills.

If you're still looking for discounted ways to enjoy the city, speak to the concierge at your hotel. Most Los Angeles hotels will have an all night reception where the staff will no doubt be knowledgeable on the area and its attractions.