SeeCalifornia.com

I’m getting bugged going up and down this same old strip. I got to find a new place where the kids are hip…I get around.

As you prepare for spring break or summer vacations, you’re probably thinking about the price of travel ranging from airfare to gasoline for your car. The biggest surprises tourists face (in addition to their hotel rooms) include parking and getting around. When you discover the hotel is charging $25-35 night to park your car, or you find out nothing is really within walking distance as promised in the brochure, getting around can bug you. But if you enjoy the journey and are willing to spend extra money, getting around can by “real cool”, as The Beach Boy said.

FAVORITE RIDES – HAPPY TRAVELS!

Rent a golf cart in Avalon for three hours (during day trips) so you can drive to Wrigley Botanic Gardens, get some of the great vistas, and drive over to the zipline, then be back to the boat in time for its afternoon departure back to the mainland. They usually throw in the third hour free (check first).

Tourists love horseback riding on ranches and at beaches. Beach horseback rides are possible around Pismo Beach, Half Moon Bay and Mendocino’s Manchester Beach, to name several.

Surfing is The Beach Boy thing to do. You can rent a board, get a lesson and be up and riding in one session.

Romantic Gondolas are offered from Coronado to Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Naples, Redondo Beach and even Oakland.  Wine is usually a nice option for your ride, and daytime’s great for sight-seeing, while sunset rides are best for intimacy.

Kayak rentals and paddle boarding are hot! They’re the in way to stay in shape and explore your surroundings. Rentals are generally every place where you’ll find bodies of water. Check with hotels before going.