Mission Beach; A Place For Everyone

If you think of Coney Island on the East Coast, Mission Beach had a similar atmosphere on the West Coast. Even though the smell of hot dogs and carnival games no longer exists, Mission Beach is still here to stay in the San Diego area.

Now Mission Beach is a little more on the residential side, with condominiums and night clubs nearby. You can find people from all walks of life here – hippies, dreadlocks, designer fashion divas; you name it, they're probably here somewhere. There is still a recreational side here. You can go skateboarding, surfing or ride your bicycle. Of course, there's the beach. You could take your children for sailing lessons at the Aquatic Center or have a nice picnic with your family.

Most of the residential area lies in North Mission Beach. Apartments line the beachfront area and you can find head shops, smoothie bars and clothing stores on the main strip. The area is so carefree; people are not so much into the latest fashion for the moment. They don't care that their thrift shop furniture is not upgraded to the latest style.

If you're looking for fun and recreation, Belmont Park is the place to be. There is a Giant Dipper roller coaster you can ride on. This attraction was built in 1925 and was recently restored. If you're a daring person, get your thrills by going over the hills and curves and let your stomach drop. There's also the Beach Blaster, which is the newest ride at Belmont Park. If you think the Giant Dipper is daring, think about swinging up to 60 feet in the air to 120 degrees forward and backward. You can take a dare and try rollerblading up and down the boardwalk. If you don't want to engage in either of these, there's always walking or surfing, if you're daring.

South Mission Beach is similar to its North counterpart, but the pace is slower here. It picks up when you reach the end of the boardwalk for rollerblading. At the end of the beach and the end of the road picks up the same way. In the Harbor Channel, fishermen try to hook a beauty. You can also see the boats pass your way and go the opposite way.

You can find a lot of the boardwalk in the beach area with lifeguards and rest rooms. Near the bay area, there are coves and paths for people to walk. You also have eateries where people can order takeout food. You can also find carnival rides for the children. If you're an avid surfer, stop at one of the surf shops to get more gear.

The streets around South Mission Beach are so narrow and populated, you would be very fortunate to find a place to park. You would make out better parking in Belmont Park, Santa Clara Point and South Mission Beach Park. Better yet, you can ride the bus or ride your bike there.

If you drink alcohol, you can only do so between 12 noon and 8 pm. Alcohol is not allowed on the boardwalks or in the parking lots.

With all this going on, you would never run out of things to do at Mission Beach.

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