Things to Do in San Clemente

The California coast lends a sparkling backdrop to the Dana Point Harbor Boat Show where, for the 12th year running, boat enthusiasts and marine-related exhibitors converge to discuss and celebrate the latest watery wares. Snaking along the harbor's docks, show-goers wade through a trove of exhibitor booths that includes the Ocean Institute and California and Pacific Northwest Yachts. Power and sail vessels—by such makers as Albemarle, East Bay, and Ocean—model varying modes of aquatic transport, and gadget enthusiasts get first glimpse at in-water features such as electronics, fishing gear, and apparel that emboldens seafarers to take on the angry seas or finally stand up to the office drinking fountain and its aggressively unpredictable spray.

For 30 years, Zoomars's fuzzy and feathered fleet has tickled the fancy of more than 3 million tykes and critter enthusiasts with 16 varieties of animals on hand, ready for petting, riding, and cavorting. The USDA–approved, clean farm facility houses a host of friendly species suited to affectionate coddling, such as sheep, bunnies, and guinea pigs. Zoo staffers supervise kids as they climb into goat pens, or drop snacks into the mouths of zedonks, zebus, and staff members working through lunch.

Additionally, a child-size miniature train chugs a whistling ride around a circular track, and gentle ponies trot along on hand-led trail rides as parents canter along behind. At a re-created Gold Rush–era mine, staffers help small visitors to pan and sift for gemstones, arrowheads, dinosaur fossils, fool’s gold, and long-lost arcade tokens. During dinosaur fossil digs, guests can unearth pre-historic treasures.

Park staff can also connect visitors to the earth and American history through camps led by the camp director, a member of California’s Acjachemen tribe who grew up on the grounds. Campers explore the grounds and Pioneer Town through crafts, free creative play, storytelling, and special activities ranging from Native American dances to soapstone carving to reading excerpts from Lewis and Clark’s middle-school diaries.

Like a real jungle, Scooter’s Jungle is full of vibrant colors and potential for adventure; unlike a real jungle, however, most of its attractions are inflatable. Named for its tropical theme, the indoor family-fun center’s inflatables range from gargantuan slides and a zip line to an obstacle course, where kids can build the agility necessary to finally outrun their shadows. For a break from the pillowy structures, kids can play ping-pong and air hockey at the free game tables, or nosh on pizza during private birthday parties.

When Brian McInerney reflects on the humble beginnings of Wheel Fun Rentals, he points to his childhood passion for bikes. "As far back as I can remember, I had a real love affair with bicycles," he recalls. During a trip to Italy in 1987, Brian's affinity for cycling blossomed into a full-fledged obsession when he spotted locals' transporter of choice, the surrey. Inspired, he began importing the Italian four-wheelers to a rental business in the U.S. that eventually expanded into Wheel Fun Rentals, now a nationwide web of shops that also loans out bikes, electric cars and mopeds, and man-powered watercraft. Atop bicycles and surreys built for solo riders or entire families, patrons embark on self-guided tours of major U.S. cities. Led by maps and lists of nearby sites of historical or cultural significance, riders zoom down bike paths and safe, lightly trafficked streets. Adventuresome athletes can also compete in activities such as surrey scavenger hunts and blindfold obstacle courses navigated via shouted instructions from a seeing teammate or exceptionally long rounds of trial and error.

The pristine sheet of ice at Ice Palace’s outpost in Lake Forest serves as well-kept tundras ideal for diversions such as hockey, figure-skating, and public-skating sessions. Future NHL stars and misinformed basketball players can both sharpen their stick-handling skills in the facility's Learn to Play Hockey programs, whereas Learn to Figure Skate sessions teach beginners everything from forward and backward moves to entry-level jumps and spins. Held throughout the week, open-skating sessions allow the general public to let loose as couples slip on their skates, hold hands, and fearlessly tie each other's laces.

For more than a decade, physical therapist Amy Fischer helped clients recover from a range of orthopedic and sport injuries. These days, she blends her knowledge of the body with her passion for Pilates at her two Pure Pilates studios—one in Laguna Niguel and the other in Ladera Ranch—each of which host regular classes alongside specialized sessions for golfers, breast cancer survivors, and moms-to-be.

Surrounded by tranquil Asian-inspired décor, Amy and her team of instructors guide students of all levels through private and group Pilates classes, which aim to strengthen core muscles while improving flexibility and posture. After being divvied up into Level 1 or Level 2–3 sections, students learn a variety of exercises on a reformer machine built from adjustable ropes, pulleys, and springboards reclaimed from the days of vaudeville. Amy and her team also offer slower-paced courses for seniors as well as physical therapy sessions that speed healing with modified Pilates exercises paired with a personalized at-home exercise program.