This piece of public art is called “Liberation” and was created by Brandon Roth as part of the Urban Trees 7 Collection. And now for some (more) clues:

This city (and the surrounding area) is home to tons of wildlife. Literally. They have all kinds of animals.

The surfing is great and there are kayaks for everyone.

Where else will you find a restaurant owned by Jim Croce’s widow?

If you said “San Diego” then congratulations on being the smartest person alive. And I mean that.

San Diego may very well be the best city in America. No, I don’t live there. The weather in San Diego is perfect and the people are friendly. There is a lot to do and the local sports teams are just good enough that your favorite team will come play them.

Did I mention the weather?

This post is part of UpTake’s Public Art Series.

Photo: Port of San Diego via Flickr

Now that I live in California (again) I have big plans to make a dream a reality. I want to learn how to surf. I’m not sure why I haven’t done it in the past. A lot of my friends consider it to be the only thing that keeps them (relatively) sane.

There are surfing schools and day lessons available all along the coast, and I plan on visiting one of them — as soon as Living Social emails the right deal. A family coupon would be nice.

I’d love to get my boys up on some boards. We had thought that skiing might be our family activity, but it turns out that everyone hates the cold, so now we’re thinking surfing might be the answer. We shall see.

Destination surf vacations sound really awesome.

Do you surf? Do you have kids that surf?

This post is part of our Friday Family Series.

Photo: Luis Alves via Flickr

14th Street Pier at Myrtle Beach

This is a guest post from Genuwave LLC.  Some of their blogs include International Travel Medical Insurance Guide, Travel Reward Credit Card and Selling Time Share.

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South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach has been a popular travel destination for a long time. However, there are many attractions in the area that are often overlooked.

Myrtle Beach often ranks among the top 10 beaches in the USA, but it is also great for golfing. Many golfers, both pro and recreational, choose Myrtle Beach for their vacations simply because of the exquisite golfing conditions that the city offers.

Other popular activities in the area include scuba diving, deep sea fishing and surfing.

When it comes to entertainment and attractions Myrtle Beach offers everything from shopping to dinner theaters all in one thriving downtown area. In the midst of all these attractions you can choose from dozens of popular restaurants for your dining needs.

Visit Myrtle Beach for your next vacation and choose from dozens of hotels, vacation rentals and ocean front suites to make your vacation the best it can be. Myrtle Beach is no longer just a day trip, but a place that you can spend weeks exploring and enjoying every unique attraction.

Photo by alan2onion via Flickr

Hammonasset's marshy side

Here’s where you can kick it old school like Native Americans did before settlers came in 1639.  This is a beach with a long history.  Hammonasset means “Where we dig holes in the ground,” and it was where the natives farmed corn, beans, and squash, and fished and hunted.  Since then, the beach has been a rifle testing site, an army reservation, and an aircraft range, but now it’s just a plain old state park.

I grew up in Connecticut on the Long Island Sound, where there’s barely ever any surf and the beach smelled like sewage in the 70′s.  It’s better now, but I do remember that if we wanted to go to a “real” beach, we went to Hammonasset.  But it’s not just beach-type things you can do there although you can fish, sail, and bodyboard because the surf gets a bit bigger than elsewhere in Connecticut and there are spots where there are less rocks.  There’s a nature center, a kick-ass campground, and hiking and biking trails, too.

Families with young kids will like: Meigs Point Nature Center, and the ample facilities.

Families with teenagers will like: The bigger waves, relative to other beaches nearby.

Other travelers will like: If you are into rocks, there’s a lot of information about the geology of Hammonasset Beach available on the CT State Park website.

Best months to visit for weather: May through October

Nearest major cities: New Haven, CT

More info can be found at the always helpful California State Park site.

Photo courtesy of: msgsti217 via Flickr

Tags: Huntington Beach State Park, USA, things to do, California

Parking is $20 per car for state residents and $30 per car for non-residents.  That same type of pricing applies to the camping, which is amazing and beautiful in this park, and priced at $30-$70 per night.

Photo courtesy of slack12 via Flickr.