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San Clemente,
Calif.--When taking a drive along the California coast recently in Southern
California's Orange County (named for colorful, productive orange groves that
once greeted guests to the sweet California sunshine drink), my friend remarked
at how kid friendly San Clemente seems. We were sitting above at an outdoor pier
restaurant and bar, sipping ice tea (Mary drinks water, no ice), waiting for our
meal and watching the children below us playing creatively on the soft sand
beach.
San Clemente is
truly a kids vacation get away. You'll feel right at home as you enter the
beaches and see them filled with children swinging, building sand castles,
running, jumping and just having a great time. But wait a minute! The parents
are having fun, too. In fact, we wondered if a mom or two shouldn't get off the
swings and give the kids a ride.
Swings drive home
the fact that you don't have to ever grow up. The feeling of sitting in
the little leather bucket strap and pumping your legs in rhythm to get a swing
rocking is so basic, yet so exhilarating. And it doesn't cost a dime or even a
penny.
So what makes
"Sand" Clemente so user friendly for families. First there is a very laid
back, non-frenetic vibe. Kids have a good time and you don't notice much
negativity. San Clemente beaches at the bottom of cliffs are accessed by
passing over the Amtrak railroad tracks. The trains run throughout the
day, and thankfully, the train mishaps are far and few. The beaches,
themselves, don't seem to attract a large amount of what's locally known as
trophy babes. The kept women whose rich boyfriends and mates keep them well
supplied in cars, diamonds and silicon implants are known to frequent beaches
north and south such as Newport Beach and DelMar. But in San Clemente, there are
many rental properties attracting families and for some reason, the atmosphere
at the beach just seems wholesome.
So parents,
nannies and grannies, pack those kids up and take them to San Clemente. There
are lots of hotels, restaurants and beaches to enjoy. It's a great getaway
that's approximately 40 minutes from Disneyland in Anaheim and 30 minutes from
Legoland in Carlsbad.
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