When first-time visitors imagine California ... beach. One might envision bathing suit-clad beachgoers strolling down sunny California boardwalks in the south or hikers traversing cliffs along the ...

Dana's Strands Beach was my first stop on my West Coast visit. I stayed in South Laguna, California, for 12 days to see a friend, and her stories of the beach made me need to visit as soon as I could.