West
San Diego and the Maritime Museum host the Festival of Sail over Labor Day weekend, during which more than 20 tall ships and other marine vessels from around the world will sail into San Diego Bay. In addition to being able to tour the ships, live entertainment, food, drinks and family fun will be available, and about 125,000 people are expected to attend. The ships will also be visible from the beaches on San Diego's outlying Coronado Island.
Just a bit north of San Diego, the Labor Day Pier Swim is an Oceanside, Calif., tradition, in its 86th year this year! Other weekend activities in Oceanside include a sand art contest, First Friday Art Walk, and a beach cleanup with the Surfrider Foundation Saturday morning, September 5.
In Newport Beach, classic activities include kayaking, stand up paddling, whale watching, or simply hanging out on one of the area's fantastic beaches. If your dog is joining you for Labor Day weekend antics, be sure to check out Bark'N'Borrow to find activities both of you can enjoy – for instance, Huntington Dog Beach is the top dog beach in the LA area.
Up the coast a bit, Santa Barbara's East and West beaches offer classic California beach activities, from sand volleyball to simply sunbathing, and so much more: kayaking, windsurfing and stand up paddling can also easily be on the agenda. Keep an eye out for dolphins and whales passing by, too!
Take the ferry from San Francisco and enjoy Labor Day weekend in Alameda, an island with the only beach in the East Bay. One of the best flea markets in the country can be found here, as well as historic neighborhoods and craft distilleries.
Go fly a kite in Lincoln City on Oregon's coast. No, really! Lincoln City's coastal winds are perfect for kite flying, and has even been named the "Kite Flying Capital of the World" by Kite Life Magazine. Over Labor Day weekend, check out the Surf City Classic Car Show, head to the farmers' market, or simply enjoy the beach. Also in Oregon, camping, hiking and sandboarding – that's going down huge sand dunes snowboard-style – are all on the agenda with a stay in Florence.
A helpful tip: when planning your Labor Day weekend getaway, search Twitter using a hashtag with a destination to see what people have to say about where you're thinking of going. According to Twitter, last year's five most tweeted about beaches for Labor Day weekend were South Beach, Palm Beach, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach and Hilton Head. |
