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Summer Beach Bus: Easy Ride at a Great Price

Summer Beach Bus: Easy Ride at a Great Price

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by: Josh & Jen Gerhardt Active Indicator LED Icon  OP  New Member
~ 9 years ago   Jul 31, '14 3:39pm  
From SCV Family Blog:https://www.santaclarita.com/blog/view.php?blog_entry_id=31217 If you’ve been planning a trip to the beach, you must try the 2014 Summer Beach Bus service. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the air-conditioned beach bus departs from Castaic and West Ranch and drops off at the Santa Monica Pier. Fare for children and adults is only $4 round trip ($2 for seniors 60+ and persons with disabilities). By taking the bus, you’ll avoid the $12 parking fee and the cost of gasoline. Of even greater value is the rest break for parents: you’ll avoid the stress of driving, traffic, and parking.We boarded the 9 am bus at the Castaic Sports Complex parking lot, where there is ample free parking. The luggage compartment will store your full-size coolers, beach chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, and even bicycles. It’s best to arrive 20 minutes early to load your gear and choose your seat. The driver accepts cash only and exact change. We made just one stop at 9:30 am, at the Richard Rioux Memorial Park park entrance, and then we were off to the beach! The full size bus was clean and comfortable. Air-conditioning was turned up too high, but much preferred over being too warm. We saw no signs prohibiting eating and drinking, so we enjoyed our breakfast on the way and snacks on the return. Unfortunately, no power outlets or WIFI are available. My only complaints and strong recommendations: use the restroom before you board and choose a seat towards the front half of the bus to avoid bathroom odors.We arrived to Santa Monica Pier at 10:30 am. Our day was bright and beautiful. We had approximately 4 hours to enjoy the waves, eat lunch, build a sand castle, and pack up before the beach became too crowded. For families, I highly recommend bringing an umbrella and picnic lunch (frozen Capri-Suns are great ice packs). Don’t forget sunscreen, baby wipes, and hand sanitizer.Again, it’s best to arrive back at the bus 20 minutes early to choose seats up front and together. Parents will enjoy the quiet ride home, with tired little ones (and big ones too) taking a siesta. Josh’s HighlightsGood part:having a great time boogie-boarding (waves are perfect at midday)eating plenty of great snacksshowing up early provides great spots on the beachWorst part:sitting in the back of the bus (smells really bad)emptying the sand out of my pants (LOL)wind making it hard to put down our umbrellaSuggestions:stay hydrated at all timesput on plenty of sun screenbefore eating anything wash your hands with one wet cloth (that will almost always clean your whole hand from sand)always have a good way to tell time or else the bus will leave you at the beachThe Summer Beach Bus is provided by the County of Los Angeles. Service runs through Labor Day, September 1. Reservations are recommended. Click here to visit the bus reservation page >>---------------------------------Josh Gerhardt is 12 years old, entering the 7th grade at Castaic Middle School. Josh is interested in swimming, playing the keyboard, karate, and online video games. His mom Jen is a healthcare professional at Health Net, Inc. She enjoys traveling, photography, trying new recipes, and shopping with her 8 year old daughter Ava.
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jengerhardt Active Indicator LED Icon  OP  New Member
~ 9 years ago   Jul 31, '14 8:47pm  
KLB - The restroom was unlocked and available for use on our trip, both ways. I would caution you to use in emergency only … due to cleanliness.
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KLB1 Active Indicator LED Icon
~ 9 years ago   Aug 1, '14 10:19am  
Ah, now I know why I was confused. I thought this was the beach bus that Santa Clarita runs. Santa Clarita runs their beach bus on Saturday and Sundays. The beach bus run by L.A. County would be really nice for folks who were off during the week and wanted to make a trek down to Santa Monica mid-week. I might actually try the mid-week beach bus the next time I have a Friday off.
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