SeeCalifornia.com

There's something oh so special about sunsets  when you're hanging around a pier (in California.) Shown is a  bodyboarder exiting the Pacific Ocean as the sun goes down--seen through barnacle-covered pier pilings.  If you're looking for pure pier pleasure in California, here are a few places to check out! California Pier Pleasures: Crystal Pier in San Diego rents beach cottages where you can listen to the sound of the waves lull you to sleep at night. San Diego also enjoys Ocean Beach Pier, a favorite for fishing and the 2nd ...

Have you ever taken the time to wander under a pier when visiting some beach destination? Pictured is a typical  California pier. There are over 20 wooden pleasure piers for the public to enjoy in California. When you wander on a pier, you see great vistas, restaurants, people sitting, kissing, and often fishing. Underneath the pier it's a whole different world! Under the pier, you see its structure and can tell what kind of pilings are holding it in place.  Sometimes they are wooden, rusty and crusty or the piling ...

As you travel the California coast, be sure to stop and see the public piers along the way. The municipal piers offer free public fishing, sometimes entertainment with restaurants, and they usually have benches to sit and watch the sunset. Pictured is Seal Beach Pier and Catalina Island. Cities where you'll find these fabulous piers include Pacifica, Point Arena, Berkeley, San Francisco, Pismo Beach, San Simeon, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Malibu, Redondo Beach, Venice, Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Imperial Beach and San Diego. That's ...

Pier Etiquette: Don't walk with your group across the width of pier blocking everyone from passing both directions as seen in the photo taken on the Seal Beach Pier. One of the favorite things to to do and finest icons of many California beach towns is the pier. One pier has a Ferris wheel (Santa Monica,) another is so large that it has a mini-city of shops and dining (Santa Cruz,) several have museums or aquariums (Santa Barbara and Manhattan Beach,) all California public piers offer free fishing opportunities, ...

Some beach cities in California charge a fortune just to let the public see their beaches and piers. If you live along the treasured coast, you discover that you are not alone in seeking piers to visit that don't require plugging money or credit cards into meters. Often the meters don't work and you lose your money. Other times the meters expire and you get big fines. It's a dollar & dime approach to inviting tourists, then penalizing them for visiting. It also discourages visitors from staying longer and ...

California loves its  piers. Not just a pretty picture, throughout the year California piers provide places to stroll, shop, dine, celebrate special events, concerts, watch the wildlife, waves & surfing, and even fish for free. Pictured is Huntington Beach Pier. Often called the "HB" Pier, it is open daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. There are several gift & souvenir shops on the pier, public restrooms, a fish & tackle shop, and Ruby's 50's style diner which opened in 1996. During the holidays, the piers are beautiful places to visit and stroll--and ...

Tough times call for people to get creative. One of the most popular activities during a vacation to California is fishing, and there are over 100 places along the California coast where you can fish for free. While a fishing license is required for fishing in lakes and open bodies of water, a special law enacted years ago allows all ages to fish free off California public piers. With around 100 California public piers to enjoy, you'll get bit by the fishing craze, perhaps, and can ...