I'd also agree with any of the posters so far about beaches, except Santa Barbara. It's nice but it's pretty far when there are a lot of closer beaches. I don't like Santa Monica that much-- it tends to be very crowded, though it's probably ok during the week. For a non-crowded beach on the weekend, I bike to Seal Beach all the time and I've never seen it crowded. There's not a lot of parking, and if you park near the River's End Cafe (which is pretty decent food at very reasonable prices) it's a bit of a hike across the sand to the water. Redondo is pretty empty during the week-- I worked near there for a couple years and would go to the farmers market near the beach during the week, and sometimes the pier before heading home, and it's pretty quiet on weekdays. The town is much quieter than Santa Monica and has plenty of food options. Hotels near the beach are pricey, but there are hotels a little farther out that are pretty cheap.