LA Beaches
The first call on our list was Long Beach. Driving there was not quite what I had expected, the area is very industrial as a result of the port but as soon as you reach downtown Long Beach the whole vibe changes and the area all seems very new, clean and modern. Shopping hadn't been on the agenda today but the Pike outlet offered some great bargains, in spite of the poor exchange rate, and we couldn't resist! Being there on a Sunday morning it was very quiet but I imagine it comes alive on an evening with the shopping, dining and entertainment all together in one spot. From there the Shoreline Village looked a good point to aim towards with many boats in the harbour and pastel painted wooden shops along a mini pier, the shops here are more craft shops not your big named brands so we picked up a couple of unusual little souvenirs. By now the heat was picking up so we thought to head for a real beach to get some lunch would be a good plan.
The next stop was Seal Beach. This is more of a residential area with not that many shops, bars and restaurants which was a surprise bearing in mind how busy the beach actually was. The sand is pristine, the surf possibly a little slow for the many boarders bobbing around hoping for a big wave, but possibly better for people wanting a quick dip to cool down, we managed to find a quirky café for lunch which was delicious, although a little slow, and decided to head further down the coast.
Huntington Beach is the original "Surf City." Driving into the central area it became apparent that it was really busy, so we parked up and headed for that area on foot. All of your surf brands were on sale in the many shops around the main central area close to the pier, lots of bars with people enjoying their day of rest. It was great to experience this however if you are wanting some time on the beach this isn't the place to be, well not for me, some parts of it looked like standing room only. I know Sundays will be busy but just a little further up the coast you get the same beach without the same numbers of people, that would be my choice.
This was not the end of our day, we had so many things planned for this trip but the next event was going to be really special. We quickly freshened up to clean the sea salt off ourselves and headed out again. Something we had all agreed was a must for this trip was is to go to a drive in movie. The choice of film was so very easy, in fact we had to hold ourselves back from going to see this at home - Toy Story 4. It was chilly but we headed in and parked up. The parking lot has mounds for you to park on so the vehicle is pointing into the air, many regulars had taken chairs and food, that wasn't an option for us so we grabbed some fast food and just about made the start of the movie, the car radio tuned in for the sound.
Then it was over... possibly the end of an era, who knows? Unforgettable in every way.