SeeCalifornia.com

Californians don’t appreciate a boat ride quite so much as when they feel the heat. With two heat spells already breaking records before summer has officially arrived in 2013, now is the time to plan your boat-ride strategy, a sure-fire method of staying cool on even the hottest days.

One of SeeCalifornia.com’s favorite boat rides is the Bahia Belle pictured above. The pleasure cruise plies the waters of the San Diego Bay between two hotels where guests who stay there get to ride free and the non-hotel guests only pay a $10 fee. Book hotel rooms at Bahia Resort Hotel or Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa, and you get this fantastic evening entertainment included. It is one of the coolest experiences of any vacation in California!

Another affordable boat ride opening this week is Aqualink in Long Beach. The high speed catamaran travels the bay connecting guests with the Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Village, Queen Mary, Belmont Pier and other hot spots. The ride is approx. $5 person, 1 way, but there are some 2-fer coupons in local magazines around hotels and tourist visitor kiosks.

Port of  Long Beach offers free monthly boat tours of the port operations that are relaxing and very interesting: polb.com/community/tours/default.asp

In Newport Beach, Long Beach, San Pedro,  San Diego and Redondo Beach you can experience affordable harbor cruises for around $15, or take one of the elegant sunset cruises aboard the Hornblower with ports in San Diego, Marina del Rey, Newport Beach and San Francisco. Tickets are little more for this cruise and attire is dress-up casual for an upscale experience with cocktails.

Other affordable rides include the water ferry boats in San Francisco, Oakland and Vallejo, or their various tourist boats such and Red & White cruises or Blue & Gold.  It’s going to be a fantastic summer for boat rides.