With Bean’s love of all things ocean and bay, whenever the weather warms up, we head for the coast.

This past weekend, errands brought us to the East Bay. The sunshine and heat practically required a stop at Alameda Beach.

There is nothing quite like Alameda Beach at low tide. The coastline stretches on for hundreds of feet into the water, revealing soft sandy tide pools and heaps of algae. On our recent trip, we watched Great Blue Herons wading out to the shoreline, a Snowy Egret picking at seagrass, while a flock of Common Terns flew overhead. A leopard shark had washed up on the shore; geese swooped down to chase seagulls away from the carcass. Once you’ve walked the distance to the water, waves roll in as small periodic ripples.

This is all absolutely perfect for the preschooler set.

Trips to Ocean Beach or the San Mateo/Marin/Sonoma coasts, as majestic as they are, also require constant vigilance. Against either the thunderous surf or mellow sneaker waves that catch everyone off guard. This is thrilling/terrifying for a kid; but mostly terrifying/terrifying for the accompanying adult.

Alameda Beach, though, you can actually sit back and relax while you’re kid splashes in the tide pools with shovels and buckets. And, the water is warm.

The beach also abuts a grassy park with shady trees and picnic tables; it’s easy to make a day of it by stopping at a sandwich shop on Alameda Island on your way to the beach. Or, you can pack it up and stroll down the shops and restaurants on Park Street. (There seems to have been an explosion of restaurants in the past couple years.)

A quiet, relaxing day in Alameda is just what you need every now and then.