best beach for family in december?

I am wondering what beach would be the most fun for two grandparents, two young parents, and a two year old in December? we are more interested in just walking around and looking. I was told by a friend that venice beach would be fun, but the reviews here scare me! We just want to wander around for a few hours, look at the water and the people, and buy cheap crap souvenirs. Any suggestions?

best beach for family in december?

Santa Monica or Venice would fit the bill. Venice is a bit more grungy. You can also consider Manhattan Beach. Laguna Beach in Orange County would be the upscale version, but it%26#39;s an hour drive from LA - it%26#39;s a good option if your goal is not sightseeing in LA, but just to relax on a beach.

best beach for family in december?

Manhattan Beach would be perfect and is a very safe family town. It%26#39;s located 3 miles south of LAX.

In December it is easy to find a parking spot down at the base of the Pier on MB Blvd. and there is free parking, as the merchants pay for parking and they put bags over the meters. There is a Roundhouse at the end of the pier which has a small, hands on aquarium. The Strand or boardwalk goes for miles in each direction. Lots of holiday decorated, cute shops, to walk around and restaurants to visit. Very easy to navigate with a two year old in a stroller.

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/manhatt.html

What%26#39;s your budget per night? Santa Monica is pricey, but you can find a few deals. Venice doesn%26#39;t have any hotels, just one Inn, so scratch that off your list. And, I wouldn%26#39;t recommend that Inn with small children.

You could get a 2 bedroom suite in Santa Monica at Embassy, at Oceana, or at Cal Mar. Plenty of walking around, the ocean is right there, lots of souvenir shops...

thanks, everyone. I should make it clearer that we will be doing the Disney thing and will be staying near there all week. We wanted to get to a beach in the vicinity since my son in law has never seen the ocean! Thanks for all the help. Manhattan Beach sounds like a winner!

The closest beach to Anaheim is Huntington Beach and adjacent Newport. If you just want to ';see the ocean';, I wouldn%26#39;t go all the way to Santa Monica/Venice from Anaheim.

Will you have a car? You will need one for any of these destinations as the public transit will take 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours EACH WAY and will require bus connections.

We will have a mini van, so we%26#39;ll be fine that way.