For 70 miles along the California coastline at San Diego, you will find breathtaking views of steep cliffs, high waves, and sandy beaches where families gather on the weekends. But there's a small beach that's difficult to get to where you won't find lifeguards and you won't see families with young children.

Just south of beautiful Ocean Beach is Sunset Cliffs Park, so named for the beautiful sunsets and steep cliffs along this stretch of coastline. For adventurous souls, there are hidden pathways and built-in stairs in the park to follow down to small beaches and coves - one of which will take you to Garbage Beach (yes, that's right, Garbage Beach). I'm sure it was named for the odoriferous rocks that are covered with kelp with the distinct aroma of rotten food, but the surfers don't seem to mind the stench. They flock to Garbage Beach because of the huge waves and unpredictable surf. Most know they have to get there when the tide is low and get out before high tide rushes in, but some don't, as was the case when I visited one summer.

I had flown to San Diego to visit my boyfriend, who was spending the summer with two of his surfing friends. They wanted to go to Garbage Beach where they heard the surfing was great. Not being a surfer myself, I looked forward to a relaxing day soaking up the California sun. It wasn't until we arrived at Sunset Cliffs Park that I was told we had to climb down the steep cliff to get to Garbage Beach. Since I didn't have a surfboard, I got to carry the cumbersome cooler and blanket. The climb down the steep cliff was precarious even on the built-in stairs, but when we reached the bottom, the surf was up, the sand was soft, and the view was beautiful.

At around 3 p.m., my boyfriend came out of the water yelling, "The tide's coming in. We gotta go!" He pulled me to my feet, shoved the blanket in the empty cooler, handed it to me and started running to the base of the cliff following his two friends. I wondered why everyone was in such a hurry, but as I neared the staircase I turned to see the surf rushing in, covering the beach where I had been relaxing only seconds before. By the time I reached the side of the cliff, the sandy beach was totally covered with water, and I knew the next rushing wave would hit me and I would lose my footing. In retrospect, I probably should have dropped the cooler, but I didn't. I still don't know how I managed to climb that steep cliff, but when I reached the top, I tossed the cooler to the ground, sat down and cried. It was the most harrowing experience of my life and one that could have killed me.

Of course, the majority of beaches in San Diego are not like Garbage Beach or the other small beaches found at Sunset Cliffs, and most do not have cliffs that you have to traverse to get to the beach. But, it appears that the beaches that do have steep cliffs also have big waves, which attract the surfers. So, my advice for anyone choosing to venture down the steep cliffs at Sunset Cliffs is to plan ahead and know the times of the tides. You should plan to arrive at low tide, but more importantly, you should keep a watchful eye on the time and plan to leave well before the onslaught of rushing waves at high tide.

This tidbit of real travel advice was contributed by Sharon Lea Hill.