Sunny Days and Sunscreen at California’s Abalone Cove

This post was written in partnership with Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen.

Not everything in California is expensive– $5 will get you a day of outdoor family fun in one of the nation’s most beautiful protected areas- Abalone Cove.

Just 45 minutes away from busy downtown Los Angeles is an unspoiled, unforgettable paradise known as Abalone Cove, part of a statewide network of Marine Protected Areas. A $5 parking fee at the Abalone Cove Shoreline Park parking lot is all it takes to access what has to be one of the most beautiful hiking trails in the world.

Bring water shoes, plenty of drinking water, a camera and a picnic lunch and you’ll have all you need for a truly delightful day.

 

 

And whatever you do, don’t forget the sunscreen!

The California coast is drenched in sun and we were glad we remembered to pack our Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen before we left for Abalone Cove (read on for a 20%-off code on Blue Lizard products)– Everyone in my family applied it liberally as soon as we arrived.

 

 
Just beyond the parking lot, you’ll find expansive views of the Pacific Ocean, as well as a grassy area that’s perfect for picnicking. While the bluffs are a great spot for pictures, you’ll definitely want to take the Abalone Cove Trail and head down to the beach. As you head downhill, this trail joins part of the California Coastal Trail, a 1200-mile network of trails that will eventually stretch from Oregon all the way down to Mexico!

 

 

I’ll admit, the warning signs on the trail made me a little nervous…

 

 

It had never been clearer to me that we weren’t in Tennessee anymore…

Still, we pressed onward down the dusty trail, which had a distinct desert feel to it, complete with cacti and succulents.

 

 

Hot and tired by the time we got to the bottom of the bluffs, we were rewarded with the refreshingly cold Pacific surf. My kids forgot their weariness and ran to wade in the water. Since our California trip came on the heels of a quick visit to Sandestin a few days earlier, my son officially became the first Ferrier to dip his toes in both the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean in the same week!

 

 

I consider that quite an accomplishment for a nine-year-old!

We spent only a few moments playing in the water before walking over the beach’s rocky shoreline to the tide pools– the real attraction of Abalone Cove as far as I’m concerned.

 

 

You’ll want to time your visit to Abalone Cove with low tide so that you can explore these rocky pools, which are filled with all kinds of protected marine creatures.

 

 

Since we don’t have tide pools at the beaches on our side of the country, I was excited for my kids to see them here. There are so many different things to look for in the water!

 

 
We all loved the colorful sea urchins — Another excellent reason to wear water shoes when exploring the tide pools!

 

 

My son felt like a hero after rescuing this baby octopus from the clutches of a sea anemone.

 

 

Those ravenous sea anemones were the most prolific creature we saw at the tide pools.

 

 

But what got the most attention from my family was this California sea hare, a type of sea slug that releases a dark purple fluid to defend itself. GROSS… and yet… cool.

As the tide began to rise again, we headed back up to the top of the bluff. It’s a steep climb and if you’re making the hike with your family, you’ll definitely want to bring plenty of water along with you on the trail, and reapply the sunscreen before you begin. I can’t emphasize how intense the sun feels on the California coast.

 

 

Our California trip was my family’s first time using Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen, and we became instant fans. As you can probably tell if you read this blog regularly, we spend a LOT of time outdoors, so we managed to use up our entire supply on the trip!

 

 

A few things that make Blue Lizard sunscreen stand out for me:

-Their patented BPA-free Smart Bottle™ changes color when exposed to UV light, which is fun for kids and helps remind parents of what we’re combating when we apply sunscreen to our kids’ skin. The 5-oz bottles change color as well as the lids on the 3oz tubes.

-Although Blue Lizard was originally created in Australia, where sunscreen standards are the strictest in the world,  it is now made in Johnson City, Tennessee, so when you’re buying Blue Lizard Sunscreen, you’re helping to keep fellow Tennesseans employed!

-Blue Lizard is a pharmaceutical-grade sunscreen made by Crown Laboratories with the highest quality ingredients. It’s ranked as one of the top sunscreens by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

 

 
-Blue Lizard Sunscreen has lots of different varieties of sunscreen for all of your family members, including Sport, Baby, and Sensitive formulas. You can even buy it by the gallon if you’d like! My absolute favorite variety of Blue Lizard Suncreen, though, was the Face formula. It’s the best, least-greasy sunscreen I’ve ever used on my face (and as a beauty blogger for three years, I tried a LOT of face sunscreens!). It blended into my skin immediately and left no greasy residue whatsoever.

-Blue Lizard is the brand most recommended by pediatricians, dermatologists and pharmacists nationwide. That alone is enough for me to want to buy it for my family!

Interested? Then you’ll want to use the special code P20TURMOIL for a 20% discount on any order over $35 on the Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen website (good through 12/31/16). You can also keep up with Blue Lizard Sunscreen developments and deals by following them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

And to learn more about Abalone Cove, check out these helpful links:

–The LA Times has detailed information on how to take a 2.5 mile hike while you’re at Abalone Cove.

–Head to the the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy to learn more about Abalone Cove and other protected areas nearby. Note: You’ll see on this site that Portugese Point at Abalone Cove is closed due to unstable rocks- This is the area directly under the cliffs that jut out into the ocean and there are lifeguards there to keep visitors from going in that direction. This will NOT affect your ability to look at the tide pools.

Have fun on your visit to Abalone Cove! And don’t forget that sunscreen!