Seal Beach, California is an interesting combination of small town beach charm with a newer, more commercial section of the city on the east side of the San Diego Freeway. Interesting aspects of the city include naval weapons ships pulling in and out of the Anaheim Bay to dock and grab munitions from the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station; Leisure World retirement village; Los Angeles River/Seal Beach jetty; Port of Long Beach visible from Seal Beach Pier; Old Town Seal Beach; and the aquatic shuttle services to the nearby Nueva platform from Seal Beach Pier and to downtown Long Beach from Alamitos Landing at bordering Long Beach.
For the tourist, Seal Beach is an attractive place to visit if you seek calmer vacations in a mellow town atmosphere with a quaint, wooden pier, family-friendly beaches and a great downtown that runs approx. 3 blocks long. Seal Beach comes in "threes". Here are our favorite Seal Beach things to see.
Shopping: You can shop for clothes, souvenir gifts, bikes and kids toys, artwork and gems, and dine on Irish, Vietnamese, Americana, Italian, and European bistro cuisine, all within walking distance from the beach.
Dining: Mahe Seal Beach is among the favorite fish & sushi restaurants.
Named for the seals that once frequented the beaches, Seal Beach pays homage to the seal with signage and trash cans adorned with the seal logo. Pay attention as you enter the wooden-planked Seal Beach Pier to the bronze-cast "Slick" the Seal that kids love to touch and be photographed with.
There are a mere handful of hotels with one not far away (Pacific Inn,) and other chain hotels nearby a mile or two distance from the beach. Right next door to Seal Beach just a few blocks is Alamitos Landing in the Long Beach (Los Angeles County) bounds where you can ride a brightly-painted Aqualink boat, or rent Duffy boats for putzing around the Alamitos Bay.
Seal Beach in Orange County is one of the coolest towns to hang around and fish free on the pier, take in a free summer concert at Eisenhower Park, or join in the events throughout the seasons such as a huge car show, a fish fry, and a run derby. In addition, you can clean up beach, just like the locals do.
Seal Beach Pier: Seal Bear Pier is one of our favorite places to walk and hang out. There are plenty of things to discover and take pictures of on this wonderful wooden pier. And as all California public piers, the fishing at the Seal Beach Pier is free. On the pier the kids and family can put in coins and use the periscope to look north for views of Queen Mary ship, downtown Long Beach and to the south, Huntington Beach Pier.
Seal Beach Red Car Museum - Enjoy stepping into an authentic red car used during the Golden Era of Hollywood when Los Angeles grew and bright red trains brought guests to the beaches of Los Angeles and Orange County. The museum is open several weekends per month.
One of the great curiosities on the Seal Beach Pier is the boat, Captain T Le Boat, coming in and out of harbor, transporting oil workers to the offshore Nueva platform. Children and adults love to see the boat (and several others) pull up and watch the bridge drop down so workers can disembark the boat or climb on for trips to begin their work assignments.
Events: Free summer concerts,
Seal Beach Car Show, 10K Run, Art
Show, Kids Fishing Derby, Fish Fry and
Christmas Parade are a few activities
that showcase the best of Seal Beach.
Seal Beach Rocks Down To Electric Avenue, Where Electricity is King!
It's Going to Take A Long Time To Heal in Seal Beach After Shooting
Seal Beach Sunsets You Must See
Seal Beach Victims Remembered Downtown and at Seal Beach Pier
Seal Beach, California's Top 10 Food "Joints"
Sean Collins, a Legend Who Changed an Industry with His Uncanny Abilities to Predict Waves
Seal Beach is Quaint, Eclectic and a California Beach Classic!
Seal Beach Pier Classic Ocean Living!
Japan America Kite Festival for a Cause Aids Earthquake Victims
Sleep in a Water Tower, Vineyard or Jungle, Great CA Vacations!