California is known for many things, including its many beaches and the beautiful weather. Everyone flocks to the shores to play in the sand and water, to relax and have a good time with friends, and to eat. Unfortunately, drinking alcohol is usually not on that list.

It is illegal to drink alcohol at the majority of California’s beaches. However, those who prefer a little booze with their beach trip are not out of luck, because there are a few beaches that are alcohol friendly.

• Carmel Beach

  Located in Northern California, Carmel-by-the-Sea is known as a quaint, picturesque town that is even more captivating because of its alcohol friendly beach. You can have your choice of alcoholic beverage in between your surf runs, while you lay on the beach in between beach sports, or during a bonfire. The only rules are that the drinking must be done by 10 PM and you cannot have a keg.

• Paradise Cove, Malibu

  At Paradise Cove, beach goers are allowed to sip on beer, wine, or champagne anytime between 8 AM and sunset. There is also a restaurant on-site where you may order drinks and food. Parking can be somewhat of a turn off here, as the fee to park on site is a bit steep. The restaurant will validate your parking, if you dine there. Otherwise, if you are adamant on hitting Paradise Cove, you will have to park further away on the street and walk in.

• Kehoe Beach

  If you walk a half mile along the northern end of Great Beach at Point Reyes, you will hit Kehoe Beach where you definitely can bust out your alcohol, as long as it is not in a keg. Note that the beach closes at 11 PM so everyone must be off it by then, so give yourself a little time to make the short walk back to your vehicle.

In order for these beaches to remain alcohol friendly, remember to not leave a mess and not be disruptive to the point you are causing a disturbance for others. Think of these alcohol friendly beaches as privileges. You would not want them taken away. Keep the beaches clean, and the fun open to others by drinking responsibly and cleaning up after yourself. Finally, remember to be mindful of how you will be getting home at the end of your beach day.

Designate a sober driver or know when to stop drinking so you can sober up.

Although the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday this year rather than the weekend, do not rule out the people enjoying a little extra partying, and the police setting up a few extra DUI checkpoints. As always, there will be many celebrations over the weekend. Then some people will have to go to work on that Monday, July 3rd, while others may get that day off. This means they would get a 4-day weekend. Work or no work on that 3rd, people are going to party hard anyway.

Anticipating a spike in alcohol consumption, the police will inevitably have more DUI checkpoints than normal. Some checkpoint locations will be announced beforehand, while others will pop up unexpectedly.

If you are driving and see a checkpoint up ahead, it actually is not illegal to make a u-turn to avoid the checkpoint, as long as you do so legally. The police at the checkpoint would not drive after you if they see you making a legal u-turn unless you are doing so erratically.

If you continue to drive on to the checkpoint, then you will follow the officer’s instructions of coming to a stop and answering basic questions such as “where are you coming from,” “where are you headed,” “have you been drinking tonight,” and if yes, “how much have you had to drink?” Not only is the officer listening to your answers, they are observing your pupils for signs of redness or dilation. They are listening to how you deliver your answers and are using their nose to identify any alcohol on your breath. In addition to observing you, the officer is also observing your vehicle in case you have passengers, alcohol, or other illegal contraband. This is not a detailed search. They are only quickly scanning what is in plain view. If you check out with the officer, you will be free to leave the checkpoint to drive on to your destination. If the officer concludes that you have been driving under the influence, they will arrest you.

In California, a first-time DUI offense can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This price includes insurance spikes, your impounded car, retaking a driver’s course, and more. Had you been in an accident because you were driving under the influence, that cost would increase drastically to cover vehicle repairs and hospital bills. Getting a sober driver like a Lyft or Uber would only cost you a few bucks. They would have no problem if they came across a DUI checkpoint while driving you home.

Wherever you plan on celebrating America’s birthday this year, plan how you will be getting home at the end of the night ahead of time. Either arrange for a friend or family member to pick you up, designate a sober driver, or call for an Uber or Lyft.

This way, you do not have to worry about driving yourself home safely because someone else will already have that covered. DUI checkpoints will not be your problem!