Redondo Beach's family-friendly water park offers a beach setting in a controlled, safe environment free of lurking sea creatures and frolicking island teens.

About the size of two city blocks, Seaside Lagoon looks like a typical beach with its oceanside locale, sandy bottom and view of the sailboats. But the man-made lagoon is filled with chlorinated water and has no waves. This controlled environment with on-staff lifeguards helps moms and dads keep a close eye on their water babies and still have time to flip through Star magazine. Younger kids splash around the water-fountain islands installed in the shallow end; older swimmers prefer the four water slides in the deep end. Aside from the lagoon, the park has a sandy playground with swings and slides, and a grassy picnic area (with cool, thatched umbrellas) that can be reserved for barbecues. Parents can be assured there will be no Jaws-like encounters in this enclosed lagoon, although the pool scene from Caddyshack could occur. —Mai Dinh