Having just done an around-the-island trip of The Dominican Republic one would think we would be tired of beaches by now. There are only two problems with that logic. One, not all beaches are created equal, and two, we’re surfers, and every beach has a different kind of wave.

We’ve spent a couple of days in the Bay area, always ending up in the Ocean beach parking lot to relax, watch the waves, seagulls, and beach interactions. This is always my favorite part of the day.

One of my preferred parts of hanging out on Ocean beach is the amount of birds that fly around. Most noticeably, they flock together at any sight of food, but if you look long enough you can see them interact in other ways as well. Some seagulls chase the smaller birds around and I even saw a group of white seagulls chase down a brown one, didn’t know seagulls were racist.

All along the walkway you can see the birds gazing into the ocean, stretching their wings and simply hanging out. The surfers taking off or putting on their wetsuits, and all kinds of people walking around. Including the homeless man that we spent three hours talking to.

If you’re thinking of visiting the Bay area, check out Ocean beach. Any part of it really, but the huge parking space at the end of the Golden Gate Park is where you’ll get the most life.

Plus, added bonus, you can park here all day and leave your vehicle while taking the shuttle through the Golden Gate Park and all the attractions it has to offer (including, but not limited to, the Conservatory of Flowers, the Academy Of Sciences, and bike rentals to explore the rest of the city)

A huge seawall lines the parking area and is covered in Graffiti.

Although Ocean beach can look very inviting on some days, heed warning to the signs of rip currents in the area. You’ll most likely see plenty of surfers, but remember, they have a flotation device.

Another day, another beautiful sunset.

Have you ever been to Ocean beach?
What other beaches in California would you recommend?