Television,
video games and even text messaging friends gets oh-so boring
for teenagers stuck at home over the summer holiday. It’s
time for a family vacation away from everyday reality, but choosing
a destination that pleases both you and your teen can be a tricky
proposition.
Unable to enjoy either late-night adult entertainment or the
easygoing games of kids and pre-teens, teenagers need a vacation
spot that offers way cool places to hang out, lots of recreational
options and new things to learn and do.
Huntington Beach, located in what’s been called “California’s
Riviera” and immortalized in song as “Surf City
USA,” blends both upscale adult beach charm and youth’s
trendy surf culture. In fact, The New York Post recently named
Huntington Beach as one of the top five destinations for teenagers
and their parents.
“You’ll get eight miles of sand—a lot of open
space for what some consider an L.A. suburb—an historic
recreational pier and, thanks to a recent makeover, a downtown-meets-Pacific
district of streetscapes and cool shop fronts that look like
a million dollars,” writes the Post’s travel editor
David Landsel.
The scene in downtown HB, which is steps away from the beach
and pier, offers plenty of people-watching, casual dining and
eclectic shopping offering everything from stylish California
fashion to the latest in surf wear. Or sit back and listen to
live blues, salsa and zydeco rhythms at the HB Summer Concert
Series and Surfin’ Sundays concerts held on select weekends
at the amphitheatre at Pier Plaza facing the Pacific Ocean.
Secure bragging rights for your cool-conscious teens, who can
tell their friends back home that they’ve set foot in
“The O.C.” Huntington Beach (known to locals as
HB) is a part of the Southern California coastline that inspired
Fox’s teen television hit. Although the show is supposedly
set just a few miles south in affluent Newport Beach, HB is
more affordable and geared to water-loving teens and families.
If
your teens are anxious to try surfing for the first time, Huntington
Beach is the best place in the nation. According to Dr. Beach,
the author of the annual list of America’s Top 10 Beaches,
HB is his all-time favorite surf beach over such hot spots as
Florida and Hawaii.
“Huntington
is safer. The waves are not as big,” said Stephen Leatherman
(aka Dr. Beach) to The Honolulu Advertiser. “You don't
have to be a top professional to surf there. You don't have
to be fearless.” (CONTINUE...)
