National Beach Day. Thinking of this reminds me of visiting our favorite beach as a child. I remember being excited to spend the day at the beach with my family. Cabrillo Beach was positively our favorite beach to use. In my opinion there is no better place to spend the day then Cabrillo Beach.
A Walk on the Wild Side
On one side of the boardwalk was the “wild” side of the park. There are tide pools, when the tide is out, where we all learned about various ocean inhabitants. Small anemones opening their tentacles feeding on the creatures smaller than themselves. Various fish fry darting between the pebbles. If we were lucky we would delight in the discovery of a hermit crab dashing around looking for food or a new home.
This side was also the “wave” side. The waves would come crashing into the shore. They provided a perfect spot for new surfers, board and body. Great place to learn both with little issue with the force of the waves.
Relaxing on the quiet side
On the other side of the boardwalk is the quiet side of the beach. You can walk out almost to the end of the boardwalk and the water would maybe come up to an adult’s waist. It’s suggested that if you utilize this side of the beach, wear some water shoes. The last time I took my family there I cut my foot on some broken glass.
Food
Both sides are ideal for an evening picnic. I can still see us at the end of the boardwalk in the late afternoon. We put together a little trap with the metal ring from a bicycle tire and a basketball net. We’d tie the net to the frame of the bicycle tire. Then, we’d toss in a chunk of fish, tie it down and then throw it as hard as we could over the side and PLUNK! into the water.
We’d do this little cha-cha dance to “call the crab into the net”. when the dance was done, we’d pull up the net. 9 times out of 10 we’d get a FULL net worth of crab. We’d have to be careful not to let them climb up the side of the net as we raced back to “home spot” and give them to Mom or Dad. They would already have a huge canning pot with boiling water. They would put them all into the pot.
I would feel guilty when that happened. But to be honest, I got over it each time fairly quickly and could sit down on the sand with a plate of crab legs and a cup full of melted butter. Corn on the cob too if we could find some. We’d sit there on the beach and just talk and jump into the water. Play a little volleyball. We tried playing golf once, but we could never find the ball the few times we actually hit it.
Some of my best memories revolve around this beach. I’ve taken my children when they were little. They seemed to enjoy it all with the exception of the crab part. I can still see them trying to bury their Dad in the sand.
Also on the quiet side, there is the Cabrillo Beach Aquarium. I get images in my mind of this colossal sea turtle hanging from the ceiling. Lots of things to learn. I haven’t be back there for decades, but it’s on my bucket list to return.
Celebrate National Beach Day
Things You’ll Need For A Day At The Beach
- Sun Screen.
- Aloe Vera lotion.
- Hair conditioner.
- Swimming attire
- Beach towel.
- A Hat
- Sunglasses.
- A bag to put everything in.
Picnic Basket
- A wagon to haul the things you’ll need for the day
- A picnic blanket. You might want to consider bringing two depending on the number of people in your party.
- Determine food and snacks.
- 1 – 2 Styrofoam or other cooler with ice. One to keep food cool and the other to put in drinks. If you bring water and juice, it will help to keep them cool and will help keep everyone hydrated.
- Determine what to bring for food and snacks such as Frozen grapes or other berries, sandwich makings, chips or pretzels, veggie sticks and dips (to be kept very cold), watermelon cubes and other fruits sectioned into edible portions.
- Paper plates and cups (make sure to pick up every item so the beach will look even better than when you arrived.
Games to play:
There is a large number of games that can be played during the day at the beach. Here are some ideas to think about.
- Frisbee throwing. Frisbees are available at most stores or if you have little ones who want to play, cut the inside of a coffee can lid and cover the inside edge with duct tape so the sharp edges don’t cut the child.
- Volleyball is almost a must! Not only fun for you, but also for new and old friends who happen to be on the beach with you.
- Have a sea shell hunt. Let them go over the beach within a certain area.
- Build sand castles. You’ll want to bring a variety of utensils to use for this event. You can make it a little more difficult with the older group by assigning a topic for their sand castle. Best Crab, Best Castle, Best Disney character, Best Story to name a few.
The biggest thing to remember is to have fun and to take pictures! The pictures will help you to remember the fun you had on this day!
