“What’s out there?” one brother asked the other.

“Dolphins,” he said. “Wild dolphins.”

There was a seal, too.  It bobbed its head in an effort to ward off a pelican; it was a fight to the fish. We saw boats and surfers and the filming of a McDonald’s commercial, complete with fake palm trees stuck in the sand. The dolphins swam parallel to our path, and they, as the boy said, were wild.

It was a family walk along the shore of Point Dume in Malibu, CA.  To the north the waves bent to humor Zuma, and the south stretched somewhere past Santa Monica. The ocean went on forever.

That’s how we spend a weekday afternoon in Southern California. You should try it.

This post is part of the UpTake Friday Family Series.

Photo: W. Honea

Should you find yourself in Roker, Sunderland, England make sure to leave the comfort of your Best Western and see the scenery. The town of Roker is in the Sunderland area of England. It is mainly a tourist resort, an affluent one at that.

Roker is situated on the North Sea. The coast of Roker hosts the biggest airshow in Europe. That’s right, all of Europe. The Sunderland International Airshow is quite impressive.

If you visit you must stop by the Bungalow Cafe, it’s a crowd favorite.

The war monument above is one of many interesting sites along the coast. Be sure to take your camera(s)!

This post is part of UpTake’s Monday Museum, Memorials & Monuments Series.

Photo: smlp.co.uk via Flickr

Every year the beaches of California host a number of events, but few are as amazing or family friendly as sand castle competitions and festivals. They can be found from San Diego to Santa Barbara, and they feature sand sculptures that will leave you oohing and ahhing. Also, covered in sand.

If you’re visiting California make sure to ask your hotel concierge about sand castle events in the area. It’s a great, and usually free (except for parking), way to spend the day on the beach — and you can’t beat that.

And that’s not all. There are also jokes. Apparently.

This post is a very wordy Wordless Wednesday entry.

Photo: dsearls via Flickr

And just like that we’re back with another rousing edition of Travel Around the Internet, your guide to online travel news, deals and links. Also, tweets.

Here’s how it works: I get a bunch of stuff in my inbox, then I read it, and then I link to it. Sometimes I don’t. Actual results may vary. I’m a fickle, fickle editor.

But enough about the inner-workings, let’s find us some travel news!

Watch out, Los Angeles! You’re in for a rough weekend. (BabyCenter)

Happy Parks Day, Canada! 100 years and growing. (Parks Canada)

Mexico is safer than the United States. (Journey Mexico)

Looking for some travel blogging 101? How’s July 27, for you? (Art of Travel Blogging)

Space travel is here! (NPR)

Looking for some clothing-optional travel locations? (AANR)

Like deals on fancy hotels? The Ritz has them! (Ritz-Carlton)

Hungry in Palm Springs? No problem! (Palm Springs Life)

Miami’s Fisher Island Club is worth the visit. (Fisher Island)

Courts say that TSA can use full-body scanners. (MSNBC)

See Alaska with Disney Cruises! (AOL)