Enjoying Sunset at Our Favorite Family Beach

A few days ago, Sam and I took the boys to one of the beaches we frequent the most, San Clemente Beach. The beach is unique because a train runs right next to it, so every so often, we’ll all stop and watch as it passes by. Of course, the boys get ecstatic at the sight of any train, let alone one that’s in full motion. I brought out our colorful beach blankets though no one really sat on them except for Parker to take the picture above. At this age, the kids really don’t like swimming in the water, so mostly, we visit to play in the sand and watch the sunset.

We brought a bunch of toys from the house, Parker gravitated toward the dump trucks.

Logan didn’t care much for the toys, he just wanted to climb on top of the big rocks.

Speaking of rocks, Sammy was channeling his inner Michael Grab to make this balancing stack.

We brought take-out, nachos and tacos from a Hapa J’s, and enjoyed dinner while watching the sunset. The nachos at Hapa J’s are huge, they’re topped with Kahlua pulled pork which made for a mighty big dish. (We couldn’t finish it.)

Here’s the three boys waving to the train as it passed by.

Logan was a busy little man, running around on the beach.

Overall, it was a fun evening. The beach is just gorgeous at sunset.

For those in Southern California, I’d highly recommend this beach because it’s never that crowded (like Newport Beach) and, if you have kids, they really get a kick out of the train. (Maybe next time we’ll even try walking on the San Clemente Beach Trail.) I like what one Yelper wrote about the beach, “Though it may suffer from erosion, the sand is half large rocks, and the public restrooms aren’t as well maintained as some other locales, this place has serious character. Take a moment to drink in the view from the public parking deck, which is pretty cheap. Breathtaking. This beach always has a refreshing breeze. The break is solid. The town is chill. Not as gritty as Venice, not as uptight as Manhattan, not as pristine teen dream as Laguna, the perfect sweet spot right in the middle.”