"Ocean Beach - Eclectic Seaside Town " a Ocean Beach Travel Page by Rixie

Ocean Beach, 15 minutes from the San Diego Airport, is a crazy mixture of Santa Cruz surfer culture, Hawaiian flora, and Southern California weather, with a pinch of Haight-Ashbury to spice things up.

The beach offers clean sand and warm water and the opportunity to ride the waves or build sand castles; the town is chock full of places to eat and shop. You can buy an antique dresser, a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone, an elegant gown, and a tattoo in the same block.

It's a crowded, sometimes raucous place, where college students, families, middle-aged couples, aging hippies and street people share the same space. On one walk, I saw an Asian family fishing together on the pier (grandma in a big-brimmed straw hat, grandbaby with her own little pink fishing rod), a group of tanned surfer babes and dudes strutting their stuff, and musician playing on the seawall, a parrot perched on his guitar.

OB is not to everyone's taste -- those who prefer to hear only the quiet lapping of the waves would probably be happier in nearby Imperial Beach or Coronado. But visitors who like adventure, diversity, and the unexpected will enjoy spending some time (and money) in OB.

The water is warm, and the weather is tropical.

Newport Avenue is full of restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops. There's something for everyone.