| Ocean Beach in San Diego is a groovy beach. You pull up on a
busy day, and there's all these people in cars, on foot, on bikes,
moving every which way. Even dogs go to the beach. It's so crazy,
and it makes no sense--yet it all makes perfect sense. Some things
to do in addition to sunbathing at this beach are: surfing, pier
strolling, fishing, volleyball, sailing past, Dog Beach digging,
bicycling, bodyboarding and bringing the coolers. Bright, busy,
boisterous.
Are you looking for California's grooviest beaches? Join the
club, but don't pay a fee. When we read recently that a portion of
New Jersey beaches charge people just to visit and use the beach, we
decided that's completely lame, and just one more reason to find
peace and love in California.
Other groovy beaches:
Seal Beach in Orange County is the grooviest beach in OC.
The melting pot beach isn't particularly large, and it's not very
commercial. You can't buy a hot dog or soda on the beach. To the
south you sometimes can see military ships docked at the Seal Beach
Naval Weapons Station, and to the north you can see the big city
skyline of Long Beach with its high rise buildings. On the wooden
Seal Beach Pier you can watch Captain T. Lee pull up, lower the
metal plank, and load / unload oil platform workers, shuttling them
back & forth. Funky, fun, family.
Cabrillo Beach in
San Pedro (Los Angeles County) is a
groovy beach. Where in California do you find a polar bear beach
club with a king and queen that wear the crowns? Overlooking the
Port of Los Angeles, shaded picnic tables and BBQs are a staple at a
beach where traditions rule. There was a time in the U.S. when
families actually spent an entire Sunday together. You'll find it
here. Cabrillo Museum next to the beach has a kid-friendly aquarium.
This is where they actually train grunion greeters!
As you pull up to this beach, there's a big statue of Juan Cabrillo,
who arrived at this beach on Oct. 6, 1542. Urban, industrial,
old-fashioned.
Mandalay Beach in Oxnard (Ventura County) is in the
groove. Smooth sand, Channel Islands beckoning, volleyball nets,
bike path, mellow, unassuming. This is a beach that just "is".
"Being" is a part of grooviness.
Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County squeaks though on
the groovy quotient. Because the town put up with toxic chemicals
from storage tanks leaching into the soils, and because the town had
to be rebuilt, and because the Diablo Nuclear Power Generating
Station sits out of view over the hill in a guarded area, Avila
Beach is an example of overcoming obstacles and thriving to maintain
status as one of the cutest, sweetest beaches on the coast. There
are not one but three piers (two are public). The two piers offer
completely different experiences as you'll see when you visit and
walk on them. One pier has dining with splendid views.
Monterey County beaches along
Big Sur coast
are groovy. Esalen Institute, Nepenthe, and other coastal retreats
and businesses focus on spirituality, good living, and well being.
The beaches are sparsely populated and hard to access.
Capitola
Beach in Santa Cruz County is picturesque--pretty as a
picture. The wharf has an ironwork entrance that says, "Capitola
Wharf", cottages and castles overlook the beach from cliffs, and the
funkiest annual event, Begonia Parade and Festival, make this a
place where you'd like to pack up the kids and relocate to--if you
could afford it, and most can't.
Half
Moon Bay is San Mateo County's groovy beach. Along this
gleaming coast you'll find the Mavericks big wave surf contest, and
a huge annual Pumpkin & Art Festival. Brewhouses and an English pub
are cozy, friendly, and really old-fashioned. Odd thing is that not
far away are those uptight Silicon Valley types and San Francisco
people. How does Half Moon Bay retain its charm? By being groovy.
Slow down, you move too fast, you've got to make the morning last
Just kickin' down the cobble-stones, lookin' for fun and feeling
groovy. I've got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life I love you, all is groovy
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