Nice beach town/resort/area near Disneyland for a laidback couple?

[bc7ate9]

My husband and I are doing the Star Wars races at Disneyland in January and want to spend a few days near the beach afterwards. We know there are lots of popular places in the LA area, but don't really know where to start looking. We aren't especially picky and that actually makes finding a place a lot harder since it doesn't narrow the search down! Here's our basic "criteria" (moreso just some random stuff about us):

We're in our 30's and no kids.
We like hiking and are looking to do that rather than water activities.
We tend to enjoy eating at diner-type places rather than fancy restaurants.
We don't mind touristy areas, but like sites that are kinda weird and unique.
We'd like to be within a 2-3 hour drive from Disneyland (less would be nice, but we are assuming it takes at least an hour to get anywhere in LA so we are willing to drive a bit)
We'd like a pretty, pictaresque beach to walk on.
Nothing very "ritzy" - we are very laidback.
We don't care about night life - clubs or whatever don't appeal to us.

Any suggestions or ideas would be awesome! Places to eat, stay, visit, whatever!

 

[Girimama33]

My suggestion would be Newport Beach area and Balboa Island. About a 30-40 minute drive with no traffic.
See you Star Wars weekend!

 

[bc7ate9]

I posted this in the DL forum, but maybe posting it here is more appropriate.

My husband and I are doing the Star Wars races at Disneyland in January and want to spend a few days near the beach afterwards. We know there are lots of popular places in the LA area, but don't really know where to start looking. We aren't especially picky and that actually makes finding a place a lot harder since it doesn't narrow the search down! Here's our basic "criteria" (moreso just some random stuff about us):

We're in our 30's and no kids.
We like hiking and are looking to do that rather than water activities.
We tend to enjoy eating at diner-type places rather than fancy restaurants.
We don't mind touristy areas, but like sites that are kinda weird and unique.
We'd like to be within a 2-3 hour drive from Disneyland (less would be nice, but we are assuming it takes at least an hour to get anywhere in LA so we are willing to drive a bit)
We'd like a pretty, pictaresque beach to walk on.
Nothing very "ritzy" - we are very laidback.
We don't care about night life - clubs or whatever don't appeal to us.

Any suggestions or ideas would be awesome! Places to eat, stay, visit, whatever!

 

[chrisaman]

Catalina Island. You can't go wrong on the island

 

[deetman]

It's not beach, but Palm Springs is about 2 hours. It's very kitschy, lots of great hiking and outdoors, and very laid back. The weather should be good at that time of year, and Joshua Tree isn't too far away.

If you haven't been to the desert before, it's pretty cool.

 

[stardusty21]

You can bike along the esplanade from Redondo Beach up to Venice, going through Hermosa, Manhattan, Marina del Ray. Very scenic with a lot to see and do. We like to start in Redondo, ride up to Venice for lunch and then ride back. Total trip can take you a couple hours or all day, depending on the stops you want to make.

 

[Disney Kidd]

There are a few places in San Diego I'd recommend. If you're looking for a good hike, I would recommend Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. There are hiking trails that lead down to the beach, the views are stunning, and it's also a reserve to protect the Torrey Pine. You can also hike at Cabrillo National Monument where you'll see views of Downtown San Diego, the bay, ocean, and even Mexico. There's also a historic lighthouse and tidepools. La Jolla is ritzy, but beautiful, and I love walking around La Jolla Cove and looking at the Sea Lions. It'll be too cold to swim, but you can also kayak at La Jolla and see the leopard sharks and caves. You'll find weird and unique people in Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach. Ruby's Diner on the Oceanside Pier is also popular, if you're looking for a diner, but there are also tons of laidback restaurants in Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach. I love Amplified Ale Works in PB and South Beach (get fish tacos) in OB.

 

[bakerudall]

Check out the Santa Monica Mountains. At Malibu Creek State Park, you can hike to the M.A.S.H. filming site (a lot of other stuff has been film there as well), and at King Gillette Ranch (Biggest Loser Ranch) State Park you can hike all the trails you saw on TV. Nearby, on the north end of Malibu, is El Matador State Beach, my favorite. Yelp has a bunch of photos on that one. There's also a couple of great seafood shacks along that coast.

 

[SMD]

Catalina was my first thought too, but in January, if it rains, there's not much else there. Topanga/Malibu/Santa Monica mountains is another good suggestion for hiking and the beach. Also, Big Sur, which is a little farther away.

 

[AZpharmacist]

I love Catalina too! Lots of stuff to do. I don't know what the weather is like in January. I've been in December and it was cool but not rainy

 

[bc7ate9]

Thanks for all the suggestions - it's great to have some ideas to start researching! We aren't too concerned about the weather - we are from Minnesota so anything above freezing in January is, sadly, considered warm to us.

 

[RKKUNK]

I was thinking the Newport Beach area also. Crystal Cove is such a pretty place. You can take a long walk on the beach,look around in the tidepools, and either bring a lunch or have lunch at the little restaurant right there on the beach or just walk up the stairs to Ruby's Diner. We always get a milkshake at Ruby's (yummy) and it has an awesome view! We have stayed at the Marriott villas that are right there before and the drive to DL if you take the 73 and use the car pool lanes is only about 20-30 minutes. But 73 is a toll road, so don't know if you would want to do that. Otherwise, HI 5 to the 55, but make sure you use the car pool lanes!

 

[bc7ate9]

Catalina Island. You can't go wrong on the island

Catalina was my first thought too, but in January, if it rains, there's not much else there. Topanga/Malibu/Santa Monica mountains is another good suggestion for hiking and the beach. Also, Big Sur, which is a little farther away.

I love Catalina too! Lots of stuff to do. I don't know what the weather is like in January. I've been in December and it was cool but not rainy

Would you recommend staying on Catalina Island? Or is it more of a day trip?

 

[RKKUNK]

I love Catalina, too! With as much as you will spend to take the ferry over to Catalina, you may as well spend a night. There are hiking trails and you can also rent a golf cart to ride around and sight-see a little. They also have a cool tour of the Casino building and other tours that you can take if you would like (for a fee, of course! Lol!).

 

[catmom46]

If you like weird and unique, then I'd suggest Venice, although the beach isn't that pretty. The area is great for artsy stuff, though, especially Abbot Kinney. This hotel is right in the heart of Venice and gets good reviews: http://www.hotelerwin.com

 

[SMD]

Thanks for all the suggestions - it's great to have some ideas to start researching! We aren't too concerned about the weather - we are from Minnesota so anything above freezing in January is, sadly, considered warm to us.

The rain concern for beach and hiking isn't so much the temperature. Our hillsides tend to not have much foliage, even more so in a drought, and they're very slippery, and there's a very real mudslide risk. You'll find trails closed in the rain. On the beach the rain increases the level of bacteria from runoff to unsafe levels. It's not safe to go in the water when it's raining or for a few days afterwards. It's hard to predict a rain pattern for January, but it can happen, so you definitely was to look for some kind of alternative activity near whatever spot you pick.

 

[bc7ate9]

The rain concern for beach and hiking isn't so much the temperature. Our hillsides tend to not have much foliage, even more so in a drought, and they're very slippery, and there's a very real mudslide risk. You'll find trails closed in the rain. On the beach the rain increases the level of bacteria from runoff to unsafe levels. It's not safe to go in the water when it's raining or for a few days afterwards. It's hard to predict a rain pattern for January, but it can happen, so you definitely was to look for some kind of alternative activity near whatever spot you pick.

Good to know, thank you. We Minneostans tend to think we can handle anything, but that's definitely important stuff to keep in mind!

 

[usnuzuloose]

I agree with PP about Ocean Beach, it is different.

 

[bc7ate9]

According to AccuWeather, January in San Diego is pretty nice (especially when you keep in mind that we will likely be coming from sub-zero temps in Minnesota!). Sounds like lots of stuff we'd be interested in - defnitely an option. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[Disney Kidd]

Yes January can sometimes be in the 80s! It's supposed to be an el nino year so it's possible we'll get rain. The ocean water temperature, however, will be chilly. I think the average is high 50s.