There is so much to see and do all along the Southern California beaches that I could build a site just on this topic. I spent my youth here, growing up in the 1950s and '60s. That was a long time ago, and much has changed since I joined the Navy and moved away. However, a lot has stayed the same. Some things have even improved.  Custom Search Our Southern California Beaches have stayed pretty much the same though. I can remember going swimming in the ocean before there was oil drilling off the this coast. After spending the day goofing off in the surf, we would come out of the water with tar stuck to the bottom of our feet. It seems that oil seeps naturally into the ocean just offshore of many of our Southern California Beaches
In fact, there is an interesting place in the Wilshire District of downtown L.A. called the La Brea Tar Pits. The Wilshire District is the financial center of L.A., and it is referred to as the "Miracle Mile". This makes for an odd place. Picture all the "suits" running around making major financial decisions, and right in the middle of this action are these tar pits. This is one of the world's most famous fossil localities, and it has the largest and most diverse collection of extinct animals and plants. It seems that there was (and still is) so much oil in the ground, that it puddled on the surface. A few inches of water would form on top of the tar/oil and animals would walk into this pond and get stuck... interesting place. But, let's get back to the Southern California beaches. There are many RV parks and campgrounds to choose from. I'm thinking that your specific goals relating to activities planned along our Southern California coast will determine where you stay. As a note, Woodall's 2009 Western America Campground Directory As an example, if you wanted to visit the Queen Mary, which is located in Long Beach, CA, and you still wanted to be next to the surf on one of our Southern California beaches, then the Bolsa Chica State Park would come to the top of my list. 
There are many trails, and hikes that connect Southern California Beaches together into a network of sand and water. This is a nice location... there are electrical hookups and you are not that far from many major attractions. Although in L.A., the distance traveled is not as important as the time of day when this traveling occurs. Rush hour traffic can be a disqualifier. Bolsa Chica is only 16 miles from the Queen Mary and 26 miles from Disneyland. Other potential destinations could be Universal Studios, Knots Berry Farm, The Griffith Park Observatory, and a local favorite... Venice Beach, CA. Of course, if you want to be in walking distance of Disneyland, you would, or course, have to get much closer to the park. If this were the case, a great spot to stay and is only .7 miles away from Disneyland is the Anaheim RV Village. For most people, this is, at most, a 10 or 15 minute walk. This is a nice park, and it has 293 sites with WIFI. You can also catch a shuttle to Disneyland for a nominal cost. Also, the Anaheim RV village is just 39 miles (an hour and fifty minutes in traffic... whew!) to the La Brea Tar Pits and just 36 miles to Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive is where the "Rich and Famous" are shopping and, with luck, can be seen. This street is known as the "Epicenter of Luxury Fashion". It consists of more than 100 world-renowned boutiques and hotels spanning three city blocks.
Going south, and getting back to the Southern California Beaches; our next destination would be in the city/town of San Clemente. This is a small (by California Standards) town of just under 70,000 people located about half-way between San Diego, and L.A.
One of San Clemente's major claim to fame would be the Mission San Juan Capistrano... which dates back to 1776 and is known for the migrating swallows. The swallows migrate 6,000 miles to and from Goya, Corrientes, Argentina every year. This jewel of a mission is one of the most popular attractions in Orange County and is located along El Camino Real ("The King's Highway"). There are a total of 21 missions in California's Mission System... all were supposedly placed one day's walk apart from San Diego to Sonoma, CA. This mission is just 9 miles north of another beach called San Clemente State Beach.
San Clemente State Beach is not as centrally located as our parks in Los Angeles. San Clemente is approximately 40 miles north of San Diego, and 47 miles west of Escondido, home of the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. While the San Diego Zoo, which is located in San Diego's Balboa Park, is a must destination, the Wild Animal Park located in Escondido, CA, can be easily overlooked. However, this venue offers a very unique experience in that the zoo guys have done a great job replicating an African plain. This wildlife preserve is part of the San Diego Zoo, but is located approximately 30 NE of San Diego in a setting of rolling hills with a huge valley. Visitors can ride in a tram or walk around through this valley and observe wild animals, such as giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests, lions, elephants, rhinos, etc., roam together in herds and/or flocks in vast areas similar to their native homeland. It is a pretty cool experience! Return To Top Of Page
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