Spotlight: Southern California - Balboa

Spotlight: If you are planning a trip to southern California, you are probably planning on spending some time at the beach. Some people enjoy picking a beach and spending all day lying on the sand and playing in the waves. If your family is like my family, however, that gets old pretty fast. When we choose a beach, we try to look for one that offers a variety of activities. One idea is to try Balboa.

Location: The Balboa Peninsula juts southeast of Newport Beach. Balboa Island is sheltered inside Newport Harbor between the peninsula and the mainland.
Google Map to Balboa Pier

Time: You can spend all day, or a couple of hours. Your only limit is the amount of time you pay for at the parking meter.

Cost: bike rentals - most are $10/day
- Ferry to the islands $1/adult & $0.50/child (add an extra $1 for a car and $0.25/bike)
- Fun zone rides cost per ride (between $4-$10)
- Parking can be found for as cheap as $0.50/hour near the pier

Description: Balboa Peninsula does have nice sandy beaches where you can lay out in the sun and play on the water. But it offers other activities as well:
- The Newport Balboa Bike Trail parallels the beach and is designed for both walking and biking. There are plenty of bike rental shops along the beach that offer tandem bikes and bicycle-powered carts in addition to regular ones. This allows you the freedom to explore the coastline, the city, or the nearby islands.

- The Balboa Island Ferry ferries cars, bikes, and pedestrians from the peninsula over to the islands for a small fee. Or you can drive across from the mainland on Marine Avenue. Once there, you can explore the quaint neighborhoods filled with cute little homes or shop in the quaint, family-owned shops and restaurants that line Marine Avenue. Many people rent these homes for a week of sailing, kayaking, fishing, or other coastal activities.

- Right next to the ferry is the Balboa Fun Zone. It offers a few carnival style rides for kids, including the "longest Ferris Wheel ride," the Ocean Motion bungee ride, and a mechanical bull shark. There is also an arcade.

- Next to the Fun Zone, the ExplorOcean Literacy Center is dedicated to teaching children about the ocean through a variety of hands-on activities.
- In the fun zone, you can also check out the various tour excursions that are available - including fishing trips, a semi-submarine ride, and whale-watching tours. You can also rent a variety of boats, kayaks, etc. by the hour or for the day.
- The Balboa Pier offers a scenic stroll out to the famous, original Ruby's Diner. If you are lucky you may even spot a whale or sea lion swimming near the pier.

- The beach isn't just a beach. There is playground equipment on the sand next to the pier that the kids can play on when they get tired of splashing in the waves. There is also grass areas with shaded picnic tables and soccer goals.
- To top off the day, try out the famous Balboa Bars - ice cream bars dipped in chocolate and covered in sprinkles. Or, if you prefer, there are plenty of other ice creams and goodies to choose from.

Rating: 4 1/2 stars (out of five)

Things You Should Know: The beach gets crowded on weekends and holidays (especially in the summer), so you need to get there early to get a spot.
- There are charcoal fire pits available on a first-come basis (6 am - 10 pm).
- South of the pier there is a drop-off, where the water gets deep pretty fast.

Nearby: Fashion Island shopping mall, Jetpack America, Catalina Island, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach