So Cal Beaches

In the past two months, I have been sent to southern California twice for work. The first was to Costa Mesa for some update training, the second was to Long Beach for a standard training. Of course, while there I unwound a little after long training days at the nearby beaches: Huntington, Newport, and Long.

My first visit was to the famous pier at Huntington Beach. Surfing classes crowded the breaks and families played in the shallows. Within a few yards of the water, bodies browned on their beach towels. Without the breeze off the ocean there would have been a permanent smell of sunscreen in the air.

At Newport Beach I grabbed an iced coffee (Stumptown!) before wandering through town and the pier. There strip of sandy land between the bay and the ocean is less than a mile wide, and a solid grid of shops, restaurants, and beach houses. A line of houses borders the sand-strewn paved walkway that parallels the water. Each houses's "back yard" has a low wall on the water side that separates the sunny patio from the public path. I was surprised at how comfortable the entire place felt, like everyone was sharing the big backyard that was the beach. 

At Long Beach, there were fewer people on the beach. There was a stiff breeze coming off the water, where sailboats were flying along in a regatta parallel to the shore. A group of kite surfers were set up, tacking up and down along the water, pumping their boards over the breaks. Had I not needed to get a little more work done, it would have been the perfect place to watch the sun set over the pacific...