Ummm... yeah. This is one reason you won't find me surfing out in the Pacific Ocean. In a wave pool, maybe, but after this video taken off the coast of San Onofre Beach, CA it is clear I will never become an ocean surfer.
Me my Shark and I from Chuck Patterson on Vimeo.
Are you a surfer? Have you ever seen sharks in the water around you?
Today we stopped by Aliso Creek Beach in South Laguna Beach and took these videos. Not sure if the large waves were from the storm we just had or from the storm coming in later this week, but they were definitely mesmerizing! I could watch/listen to the videos over and over again. :)
There's just something soothing to me about listening to the ocean. All I need is a few short minutes at the beach to feel rejeuvenated. What rejeuvenates you?
Please share!
High 9:55 am & 9:43 pm
One of our favorite family adventures in Southern California is Tide pooling. I’m always surprised to hear how many SoCal residents haven’t taken the time to go. Maybe it’s because I’m such a beach lover that it has naturally rubbed off on my children, who knows. But I’ve always found that I start to get the itch to go to the beach if it’s been more than a week or two. There’s just something about the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and the sweet smell of the ocean mist. Whatever it is – I’m hooked!
Crystal Cove State Beach, Newport Coast 
Why we love it: It is always an adventure and different every time! It feels off the beaten path and is rarely every packed with people, even in the summer. The kids love to explore the tide pools and there is an infinite amount of things to explore. A huge bonus is our book is the physical element of it. We always park by the stairs down to the beach- so the kids get a great workout in addition to all the trekking on the sand. The views are incredible. Lifeguards are present during tourist season.
Be sure to bring: Sunscreen most importantly! We always bring a good sized back pack or tote with towels, change of clothes, water, snack, sand toys, swim vest (just in case I turn my attention for a minute) and of course a camera. I have seen many people bring their own portable umbrellas or shade tents in addition to chairs. Flip flops are a g
ood idea because you want to be sure to wear something on your feet on the trek down to the beach from the parking lot. There are restrooms on site, but be sure to bring hand sanitizer because there isn’t soap at the sinks.
A day pass for parking is $10, but you can also buy a yearly pass for just over $100 (which is good at all California State Parks).
Check out the tides before you go because going at a low tide is one of the neatest experiences we have ever had exploring. There are rocks full of mussel shells, pools full of sea anemones, sand crabs, hermit crabs, fish and other sea life to explore. You can track the low tides on http://www.weather.com/ under tides for the Newport area.
Appeals to: Toddlers and up. It’s a bit of a trek down to the beach, so it can be cumbersome if you have young ones. We always take the stairs, and I am very careful to hold hands with my youngest because the stairs can get slippery with sand. The stairs are a little steep for a few steps, but well worth it in my opinion. My kids LOVE 
that beach. As an example: the last time we found an amazing tide pool, it was perfect for a young toddler because the waves weren’t reaching it, yet it was perfect for the kids to get in to explore the shells and other sea life very safely.
Location: Just off of Pacific Coast Highway, at the Laguna Beach and Newport Beach line. There are several parking lots, we turn in at Reef Point Drive. This is a link to the Google Map. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=crystal+cove+state+beach,+Ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.822921,70.576172&ie=UTF8&ll=33.574904,-117.838111&spn=0.02367,0.034461&z=15&om=1
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