For Many, Life’s a Beach on Hot Holiday Weekend : Memorial Day: Thousands flock to parks and coastline. Others attend address at Reagan library near Simi Valley.

From Silver Strand to Simi Valley, Ventura County visitors and residents Sunday spilled into area parks and beaches, taking advantage of spicy temperatures and the long holiday weekend.

Along the coast, lifeguards scanned the beachfronts for wayward swimmers while families propped up umbrellas and children sculpted castles made of sand.

“We almost didn’t come because it’s Memorial Day weekend and the beach gets kind of crowded,” said Joe Kolb, an aerospace manager from Camarillo who brought his wife, Kim, and two boys, Michael, 5, and Kevin, 3, to Silver Strand beach Sunday. “But it was too nice a day.”

Nearby, Scott Ofriel was busy setting up his blanket and barbecue, and planting a pink-and-yellow umbrella in the white sand.

“It’s days like this you wish you’d bought a house on the beach--even if it’s just a shack,” said Ofriel, an electronic engineer from Port Hueneme who was relaxing with his wife, Dana, and their three children.

At the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near Simi Valley, visitors were treated to a pre-Memorial Day address by Gen. P. X. Kelley, a retired commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps who advised Reagan during key military crises.

Kelley spoke for about an hour to hundreds of people gathered in the auditorium, railing against the Clinton Administration’s military downsizing and naming North Korea as the biggest threat to the West.

“They took $10 billion out of the budget just to balance the books,” the retired general told an enthusiastic crowd. “And that means 250,000 jobs.”

Kelley spoke fondly of the former President, relaying a series of anecdotes and vignettes that showed Reagan to be a gentle and caring leader. On one occasion, Kelley said, the President spent 30 minutes on the telephone with the widow of a young Marine killed in the 1983 attack on U. S. barracks in Lebanon.

Another time, Kelley said Reagan spoke ruefully about making the decision to send troops to war.

“He never hesitated when it was the right thing to do, but that doesn’t mean he liked it,” Kelley said.

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Audience members said they came away with a better understanding of the 40th President of the United States.

“I was kind of expecting a little more flag-waving, but it was very interesting,” said Anthony Stock, a Marine based in San Diego who was in Ventura County visiting family. “The general’s a little bit of a politician, but that’s his job.”

Daryl McFarland, a Simi Valley medical manager, was also impressed with the address.

“I thought it was very moving, powerful,” said McFarland, who brought his wife, Sue, and his parents to the Reagan library. “It’s easy to see why he’s a commandant in the Marine Corps.”

Daryl’s father, Al McFarland, a retired Marine of 20 years visiting from Vista, said the general’s speech was inspiring.

“I agree with the man wholeheartedly,” the senior McFarland said.

His wife, Pat, agreed. “There wasn’t a Clinton admirer in the crowd,” she said.

At Conejo Creek Park near the Thousand Oaks Library, the Marshall family was celebrating more than Memorial Day. It was Frances Marshall’s birthday, but she declined to say which one.

“My kids are here from Orange County with my three grandchildren,” she said, resting in a lawn chair in a shady spot in the park.

A few feet away, Chuck Marshall was preparing the picnic spread--fresh vegetables, meats and cheeses. A Marine fighter pilot based in El Toro, he said he would wait until today to observe Memorial Day.

“We all like to have a day off, but the holiday’s there for a reason,” he said. “We need to remember all the people who have given their lives for our country.”

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At San Buenaventura State Beach, lifeguard Jessica Morse sat atop her station, thankful for the first nice weekend in nearly a month.

“Everything looks great,” she said. “We’ve got perfect weather, the ocean is calm and there’s no rip currents. People are enjoying themselves.”

Linda Minegar drove from Lancaster with her daughter, Laura, 11, and twin 9-year-old nieces, Brittany and Jamie, to get a taste of the salt air.

“It’s the closest beach we have, without going to Los Angeles,” said Minegar, who runs a day-care center in Lancaster. “And it has the best waves.”

About eight miles south, Pete Reed and his fiance, Andrea Freidline, were camped out near the breakwater jutting along Silver Strand beach. Reed had brought a cooler full of beer, snacks and a cassette tape deck.

“We’re from here, so we always kick back here with weather like this,” he said, gulping a light beer. “We’ve been waiting for a couple of months for it to clear up.”

At his side and covered in sunscreen, Freidline said she was too scared to venture into the water.

“It’s cold,” she said, shuddering to make her point. “It’s very, very cold.”