It’s official now.  California, and more specifically, Los Angeles, has got to be the worst place to live as we speak. The rent is off the roof, too much people, too much noise, traffic is just insane, and gas prices are just ludicrous.  And while living in such metropolis still has its advantages, most of the time we overlook them and totally forget about them because we’re too busy worrying about the other stuff.  If you’re about to lose it, it’s always a great idea to take a break.  There’s nothing more soothing than the sound of the ocean, chillin’ by the beach, relaxing, getting a tan, and what not.

Go South

Another good thing about living on the L.A. area is that we have almost everything near us.  Mountains? Check. Lakes? Check. Beach? Check. 

So now that the summer has officially hit this side of the world with record-breaking and ridiculously high temperatures, one of the best and perhaps the smartest choice is to chill-lax by the beach.

The beaches around us are rather overrated: Long Beach, Santa Monica, Venice, and all those by the OC.  They’re always packed and they don’t usually have the clearest sea water around.  

With that in mind, and with the fact that by the end of the week most of us are a nervous wreck, borderline crazy, going to the beach sounds like the perfect plan.  Yes, the beach; just not this beach. So were to go?  Go south!

Are We There Yet?

There’s gonna be hordes of people on the beach during summertime, no matter where you go.  But to get the most out of it, with the least amount of people, you just have to work a little harder.  So, just how far should you go? 

As long as you’re past the O.C. you should be good to go.  So if you don’t mind the 1hr 20min- 2hr drive.  The perfect places to be are just about 30 miles before San Diego. 

Not so far away

Oceanside is a little beach town, something in between Santa Monica and Venice.  It’s the young/ hip place to be. There’s a pier, it’s not as packed, and alongside the beach there are several pubs/ bars/ taverns, little shopping centers, movie theatres… everything!  Well, almost everything- if there’s something you’ll have a hard time finding it’s a Starbucks.  

Oceanside is the place to go either by yourself or with a bunch of friends. If you’re into surfing or just enjoy watching it, there’s plenty of surfing going on here.   Good taco de ojo for both guys and girls.  

En familia

Now if you’re driving down with the familia, Carlsbad is just about 3 miles down the road.  Forget about the stuff you’ve heard about Carlsbad, they’ve come a long way since the 90’s and now it’s a very pleasant family getaway. 

You’ll find a nice family atmosphere.  There’s a mixed crowd, but mainly latinos, which will trick your mind for a second into thinking you’re somewhere in Mexico; and that’s not a bad thing, for you can sip on a margarita or a Corona and feel just like home.

Not only will you be glad you took this little break, but your family will appreciate being away from the L.A. madness for a bit.  And the great thing is- you can either sleep over or drive back.  And although it’s always great to sleep over, if you decide to head back at night, you’ll be surprised at how little traffic you’ll encounter- that is until you hit the O.C.

So to check out more of these places and see what’s around (restaurants and stuff), check out:

www.ci.oceanside.ca.us

www.carlsbadca.gov