The beaches of Northern California are stunning. They are dramatic and moody and rocky and cold. If you are crazy, you can surf the wild icy waters. If you are of a more normal constitution, you can sit in the coarse sand or gaze down from the top of a steep cliff and watch the powerful waves crash into the land, with a dull and constant roar.

Most people rave about the sunny warm beaches of Southern California. I agree that the sand is softer, the waves are gentler and the sun is warmer. It is probably pretty groovy to live by one, too. But, let’s be honest, folks. This isn’t the Caribbean…and never will be. If you can’t offer me clear aquamarine water, white sugary sand and reefs filled with colorful corals and fish then I would much rather the moody wildness of the Northern California coast.

But, this is just my take. I’d love to hear your opinion!

Which type of beach is your favorite and why?

Thanks to clairity for the NoCal and mbtrama for the SoCal beach pictures.

1. The wind-we get high winds in my little town, sometimes it drives me crazy, but most to the time it feels strangely cleansing, it means home in a chilling kind of way. Great place to be during a heat wave.

2. The salt marsh-I never really knew much about  saltwater marshes, now I can see it change with the seasons and find it a place of peace especially at dusk on a calm evening.  Lots of hiking trails through the marsh even if the shopping mall is just across the street.

3.  Flower power-along time ago, an environmentalist found a flower that can only grow on the hill behind my house, it is called the Tiburon Lily.  This little flower stopped the developer dead in their tracks and now we have a fabulous set of trails to hike and grassy fields to gaze upon all day long.  It is officially found only on Ring Mountain from March to June.  You can find me on the mountain almost daily.

4.  San Francisco Bay-laps at the town’s borders. I love its icy water, the beaches, kayaking, the way the water reflects the sky.

5.  Richmond-San Rafael Bridge-definitely the forgotten bridge of the bay area, but I can see it from my home and I love the graceful curve rising above the water.  Plus, Berkeley is just across the bridge and you can spend a day there.

6.  Ships-as they pass under the bridge.

7.  Twin Cities Little League Park-it looks exactly like a major league park in miniature. Toss a baseball here and feel like a major league player.

8.  Picco’s Restaurant-technically this is not in my town, just across the border, but to get food this sublime in a little town, fabulous.

9.  Two malls-only five minutes away, it can’t all be about ships passing and hills for hiking, a girls’ gotta have shoes.

10.  Bike paths-the bike paths that go through and along the marsh and then along an old railroad that are great for family biking trips.  Nice and flat…

11.  Rick’s Wine Shop-tiny little storefront with delicious wines and service with genuine warmth. Great for adults.

12.  Paradise Beach-this secluded bay beach offers a peaceful setting, grassy lawns, a rocky shore and a fishing pier and it is only a ten minute drive from my house.  Great for kids.

13.  My neighbors-after college I lived in two large metropolitan areas, Seattle and San Francisco, I met only three neighbors in 15 years that I consider friends (and I am not shy).  I moved to the ‘burbs.  Now I know everyone on my street-it is so wonderful to drive up our little street and know the names of the people who live in each house and what they are doing for vacation, their dog’s name.  It feels safe to me. So not a reason to visit, but a reason to stay.

This weeks ”local perspective” is about the charming coastal town of Halmstad in southern Sweden. Erica Johansson is a freelance writer and photographer from Sweden who shares these passions on her popular blog, Blissfull Travel. I enjoyed reading Erica’s answers about Halmstad….a city that is totally foreign to me (and probably most Americans) and which sounds quite delightful! I love the idea of spending a day by the coast during the summer, eating fresh seafood and experiencing the laid-back friendly culture.

1. Give 5 adjectives that you would use to describe the “feel” of your town and its residents.

Fun, friendly, sporty, laid back, and down-to-earth.

2. What is your favorite neighborhood in your town?

I love Frösakull, located about 10km from the center of Halmstad, because that’s where I grew up. The neighborhood has a mix of modern design houses and cozy small summer cottages. During the summers, we lived only 200m from Frösakull Beach. A great beach for families, snorkelers, windsurfers, and those who like beach volleyball. It’s not as crowded as Tylösand Beach to the west and not as quiet as Ringenäs Beach to the east.

3. Which cuisine do you think your town does best? What is the runner-up?

I think the gourmet cuisine is terrific. Taste the sea food at Restaurant SALT on Tylösand Beach (only a couple of meters from the sea!), book a table at Restaurant Akvarell in Tylösand, where you have sea view as well, or drive to Heagårds Skafferi located near Steninge 2km after Halmstad Airport. They didn’t have any vegetarian dishes on the menu, but were happy to prepare something special when I asked.

Runner-up is a tough choice between sushi (at Takenaka Sushi Bar ) or pizza (in particular Stanton’s Pizza ).

4. What is the best free thing to do?

Spending time at the beach and in the water (especially when the waves are high). Although if you’re visiting at the end of July, or in August, watch out for jellyfish!

I would also recommend cycling along the river Nissan, a picnic in Norre Katts park or, during rainy days, go to Halmstad Library to catch up on some reading. And I’m sure hikers will love “Prins Bertils stig”, an 18km long
hiking path along the coast.

5. What is your favorite type of entertainment?

I enjoy Hotel Tylösand’s Solgården, where they have concerts with famous artists and free After Beach each day in July. Since I’m a real film buff, I’ll have to say the cinema as well.

Outdoor activities are never wrong either. If I could do anything I would love to learn kitesurfing with Kiteskolan.

6. List the best family friendly activity.

Tropikcenter, where you can see more than 140 species of tropical animals in natural environments. It almost feels like you’re in the Amazon.

I’m also sure most kids would enjoy go-carting at Gokarthallen Halmstad. They have go-carts for everyone above 7 years of age.

7. What spot would you send a couple, looking for a romantic weekend?

I would send them to a luxurious suite with sea view at Hotel Tylösand. Then, they can choose if they want to relax with couple treatments in the Spa, eat gourmet dinners in one of the hotel’s restaurants, spend the days on the beach, make fun excursions in the area, or – if the weather is bad – just stay inside and order room service.

8. Describe a perfect day.one that captures what your area/city is all about.In 3 sentences or less.

Wake up early and take a jog along the beach, make a fun excursion somewhere (depending on your interests), and spend the evening with your closest friends at one of the open-air restaurants on Little Square.

9. Tell us about a place that you love to go, whether it is in the guidebooks or not.

There’s this quiet spot on a cliff overlooking the sea, along the cycle path towards Grötvik, where we used to go and eat take-away pizza when I was a kid. I haven’t actually been there in years now, but that’s a place I will always love and never forget.

10. What should we have asked, but didn’t?

You could have asked “When is the best time to visit Halmstad?” and I would have said “The summer, without a doubt”. Halmstad truly is a summer city and attracts people from all over Sweden, as well as other European countries.

Have a city that you would like to share with everyone? Then e-mail us or comment on this post…maybe you can be our next local expert!

From guest blogger Marsha Takeda-Morrison of Sweatpantsmom

I’m a big fan of Rachael Ray’s “$40 Dollars A Day,” where the ubiquitous Food Network star goes to different places around the world and shows you how you can enjoy three meals a day for forty bucks or less. Although, sometimes I feel bad for Rachael because there’ll she be in a beautiful place like Rome and she’s having a crust of bread and an olive for dinner because she’s already spent $39.50 on breakfast and lunch.

But I have to admit in these increasingly troubling economic times, I’ve been thinking of ways to cut costs when it comes to dining and entertainment. So I’ve come up with some things in L.A. that my family of four can enjoy for $20 or less. Unfortunately, the budgets are tight on some of these and I may have to bring along my own bread crust.

Santa Monica Pier Ferris Wheel. Honestly, ferris wheels scare me to death, but I may have to buck up and try this one out. It’s the new solar-powered Pacific Wheel that’s part of Pacific Park, the amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier. Admission to the park is free, but tickets for the ferris wheel are $5 apiece. That would eat up our entire $20, but we’d be rewarded with some spectacular views of the California coastline. Unfortunately I wouldn’t have enough money left over to buy a barf bag.

The Getty Center. I know, I’ve mentioned this place like a gazillion times, but it still stands out as one of the best deals in town. For only $8 for parking, we have access to all the exhibits and the awesome Getty Gardens. Best of all, the $12 we have left over will buy each of us a snack. Or, if I’m feeling cranky, a couple of cappuccinos for me and a few sugar packets that my husband and two kids can split between them.

Friday Night Jazz at the L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA). Our kids aren’t big jazz fans, but they still love this. It takes place on Fridays from 6-8pm during April through November in the main courtyard of the museum. It’s absolutely free, which means if we pack some juice and snacks for the kids my husband and I can spend our $20 on a couple of nice cool martinis while we listen to first-rate jazz. All the galleries are free after 5pm, so as soon as the kids started requesting the sax player to play some White Stripes we’d be able to whisk them out of there for a stroll through the galleries.

The Beach. This needs no explanation, really. We’ll pack sunscreen, some snacks, our iPods and a couple of books. The kids will play all day long, and my husband and I will fantasize about buying a beach house when we win the lottery. If you can find parking for free you can spend the entire $20 on incredibly tasty junk food at the snack bar. Sunshine, ocean breezes and deep-fried food – what more could you ask for?

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Like many museums around town, MOCA has a night where admission is free and theirs is Thursday, from 5-8pm. For $20 the four of us could easily share two of their generous sandwiches and have some sparkling sodas at Joachim Splichal’s Patinette Café. Then we could browse the gallery until closing. Unfortunately the visit would still be a complete letdown to my 12-year-old, since we wouldn’t have any money leftover to spend in the gift shop.

With gas prices as high as they are now, I realize that a measly $20 wouldn’t even cover the gas to get to some of these venues, but even Rachael Ray cheats a bit. You think she’s getting to that restaurant in Greece on a public bus? Personally, I think she goes back to her hotel after being a ‘$40 A Day’ tightwad and orders up three hundred dollars worth of room service.

Photo: Pacific Park Santa Monica