Check out more things to do in San Diego.

Find more fun things to do in Long Beach.

This year, International Surfing Day events were held in over 200 locations and 26 countries worldwide, and gave surfers the opportunity to do what they do best: surf some amazing waves. In addition to paddling out, surfers and beachgoers also celebrated International Surfing Day by taking part in various environmental events hosted by the Surfrider Foundation. From beach cleanups to dune restorations, to youth surf contests, surfers and other coastal enthusiasts spent the day giving back to our oceans, waves and beaches that they love and respect so much.

“This year’s International Surfing Day will go down as our largest event yet,” says Travis Ferre, Surfing Magazine’s editor-in-chief. “Southern California kicked off summer with sun and fun waves, we saw “the longest ISD ever” in Iceland, a 24-hour surf-a-thon and several wave zones producing incredible surf. And dad’s the world over can say they went surfing for ISD and Father’s Day.”

“The United States Supreme Court’s decision in this case solidifies the State’s authority to act in the interest of the public trust and secure their beach access rights,” says Angela Howe, Surfrider Foundation’s Managing Attorney. “This decision will help inform courts and legislatures in Texas, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and other places where the Surfrider Foundation is actively fighting for beach access.”

To make your own donation to the beach fund, please see the official Care for Our Coast website.

The 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen over 200 feature films, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 40 countries. This year, the Festival received more than 4,700 submissions from filmmakers around the world. The final selections represent 28 World, North American, and U.S. premieres, which more than doubled from 2009. The number of films competing in the narrative and documentary competition categories also increased this year from 13 to 18, of which half are World premieres.

For the fifth year, the Los Angeles Times will serve as the Festival’s title sponsor and once again produce the official Festival Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings, locations, and related special events. The Festival Guide will top the paper on Sunday, June 13 in Los Angeles and Orange County, and will be made available throughout downtown L.A. during the ten-day event.

The Lakers won a defensive battle in the deciding game 7 match-up with the Boston Celtics Thursday night in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. The win gave the franchise its 16th championship, second only to Boston (17). The Lakers also won last year’s championship.

Kobe Bryant won the NBA Finals MVP award for second year in a row. Kobe lives in Newport Coast, a wealthy hillside portion of Newport Beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Orange County.

As Californians approach July, they begin an annual ritual of shopping for things that are red & blue. One of the most popular items they like to buy is red hair spray dye (or blue dye, too!)  Last week it was announced the blue-haired Kate Perry had reached the pinnacle of success with her number one hit, California Gurls. Blue is in, and Katy proved it. But so is red.

Building up to the 4th of July, the true launch of summer at California’s beaches, your success on that day may come from a can of spray, and products such as Bumble and Bumble Hair Powder. It costs around $15 per color. For kids and parents who don’t want the permanent look, a can of the powder allows you to show your patriotism, minus the permanent celebration that won’t disappear. In the picture a boy wearing red boardshorts, riding a skateboard barefoot, and his hair is artfully sprayed half red, half blue.

Note: If you buy Bumble & Bumble Hair Powder through Amazon, it says it is not sold to Catalina Island. They’ve outlawed red hair on the 4th of July, but probably are more concerned with the spray showing up for other uses and in other places where it isn’t wanted. Those pesky tourists!

One of the most beautiful places to experience California’s beaches are its wetlands. While nearly 90% of them have been destroyed and are gone, the small remaining parcels of land near the Pacific Ocean offer a wonderland of sights and sounds more astounding, surreal and 3-D in experience than any movie yet created.

The next time you plan a trip to a the beach, stick around at sunset and visit the nearby wetlands. The entire coast of California has wetlands that provide resting stops for the world travelers, and permanent homes for but a few non-migratory birds. From the graceful terns who are heading out now on their journeys after hatching their furry chicks, to the plovers, pelicans, egrets, blue herons, willits, and the black-necked stilts, half the fun is in learning their names and identifying them. The other half is in watching them dive-bomb to catch a fish. Here’s a larger list of California wetlands birds.

From Bolsa Chica wetlands shown in the photos in Orange County, to the Tijuana slough in San Diego, ecological reserves at Playa del Rey, Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Guadalupe, Moss Landing, and Acata (to name a few), the beach takes on new meaning when you have the opportunity to learn about its ecologies and environments.

Many of these wetlands offer docent tours and hikes, teaching all ages about the local habitats. As visitors to the beach, if you know and teach your family that you can choke and kill a bird by leaving plastic items such as water bottle caps, soda can rings, plastic bags, and other things, you’ve taken the first step in becoming a steward to this irreplaceable beach asset that hopefully we can preserve.

Did you ever wonder where the beach hotels in Los Angeles are? Most everybody wants to know. When the temperatures start to climb (we could feel them going up today,) that’s when you need a map to find out where to stay.  The map of Los Angeles area beach hotels is a representation of the google map you can find on the BeachCalifornia.com web page, complete with hotel photos, hotel videos, and online reservations.

When we first started selling hotel accommodations 10 years ago, there was nothing quite as sophisticated as the interactive map function to allow you to zoom in on your favorite beaches and decide which places meet your criteria. Maps have come a long way, but ultimately, what you really want to know is which hotels are actually on beaches, versus those that say they are, and they end up being blocks away.

Some of our beach hotel favorites can be found in Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Marina del Rey and Long Beach. Here’s the full list of our favorite California beach hotels, and here’s the map of the L.A. choices.