Expert: Ernest Tufft - 3/29/2010

Question
Hi, we are planning a family trip to San Diego mid June.  We would like to go the Children's beach to see the seals.  Can our kids play in the sand there or do we need to visit another beach.  We heard parking is very hard to find (our beach day would be on Sat.) any suggestions?  A friend suggested a parking lot near Kellogg Park is that walking distance from Children's Beach?  Any help to make our beach day a no stress day would be great! thanks Debbie

Answer
Perhaps ironically named, Children's beach, actually better known locally as "Casa Beach", never really was a good place for children to bathe.  This tiny sandy cove of beautiful white sand, is one of three beaches in La Jolla, but has steep stairs down to the shoreline, no wheelchair access, nor lifeguard services.  Right below overbuilt highrises condos of downtown La Jolla, the shoreline is more scenic than functional for bathers.  Casa Beach was outfitted with a concrete breakwater to protect children from the surf, hence the name Children's Beach, but during high tide this was certainly never effective.  Now, the breakwater provides protection for beaching seals and human visitors are strongly discouraged from beaching there.  Crowds of wildlife lovers observe the seals from above.  It's supposedly legal to scuba dive off this beach, but divers risk harassing the seals--which is prohibited by federal and local law.  Scuba divers are recommended to approach the tide pools in the area from nearby La Jolla Cove.  Meanwhile, for family activities, I recommend going further north to La Jolla Shores, a mile long stretch of wide beach, having low surf and few crosscurrents, a 350 parking spot lot on the south end.  The parking lot quickly fills up in summer, but parking within the sea level residential neighborhood is common. Near the parking lot, there are limited concessions for food, public restrooms, and a lifeguard tower etc, while the north end is bounded by the Scripps Institute of Oceangraphy Pier.  The pier is not open to for public access, but nearby Steven Birch Aquarium is.  La Jolla Shores is also adjacent to the protected La Jolla Underwater Ecological Reserve, so fishing, collection of seashells, etc. is prohibited.  Beyond the pier is Torrey Pines State Park, a series of sandstone cliffs adjacent to the University of California at San Diego.  At the top of the cliffs is a hang glider port, from where glider's launch and sometimes swirl on summer eddies over the beaches and water below.  Down dangerous trails to reach beach below, is locally famous Black's Beach, a good surfer beach, which was during the 1980's famous for being one of the most populated "swimsuit optional" beaches within the United States.  Now, the beach has something of a reputation for being a hangout for the sexually deviant, but during the 1980's of innocence, midsummer days one would witness the occupation of the beach by some 10,000 or so folks, the majority of them in the buff.  Hope this helps.  Google "San Diego Beaches" for more information.