c.1926 - Man sitting in his late model convertible posing for the camera in front of the Garden Court Apartments located just west of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. Note the figural corbels supporting the second-story molding.
San Clemente State Beach has been a California State Beach since 1937 Hello, This state beach is located about 2 miles from the old Western White House on Cotton’s Point in San Clemente. There were times when we had to park here on a side street, walk to the railroad tracks and/or the sandy shoreline when we were blocked from driving into the Trestles jungle. It was the closest place with access to the beach that was legal and not on Camp Pendleton property. There was a small barbed wire fence that ran from the railroad tracks down into the water at Cotton’s Point. That was the official border between public property and the U.S. Marine Corp property. There were a few adventures of being chased down the beach from the Lower Trestle area toward the safety of Cotton’s Point. We could and did ride waves with the marines knee deep in the shallow waters, calling all of us out of the water. Ha! Good luck. We surfed those waves, but were cautious about grabbing our boards before or after any close out. as long as we stayed in the water, they could not arrest us for trespassing. There were times when we went all the way to cotton’s point riding waves in that direction, but staying out in the water. By the time we were able to get out of the water and on the sand, it was no longer U.S. marine property. Good thing the barbed wire fencing was there. The Marines on the other side played the bad guy role, but we just smiled and sat down on our boards on the safe side. Twice we had to go back into the “jungle” to get our cars, but that was not until much later, when the beach was clear and safe. Otherwise, it was a long walk back to the state park entrance parking area. Until the property owners built a private gate at Cyprus Shores/Cotton’s Point residences, we had closer access in the wee hours of the morning. Being able to park so close to the ocean in this residential area was the best. But, the hired patrols later became a problem, with the guard at the newly built gate the end of the secret parking areas, shutting off access. Now the state beach was the only real public access to the shoreline and waves. Then in the 70’s it became the Western White House which was good and bad. Jnaki Camping in the San Clemente State Beach facilities is still going on, today. It is a respite from the fast moving freeway so close by. But, the drone of the freeway and the breaking waves of the ocean usually cancel each other out. reservations are a must and check the waiting periods, too. Public parking is now available on the shoreline for day use and walking trail that runs back toward the pier and access to the downtown areas. It is a calm, peaceful area, until the big Amtrak Train comes rumbling past. Note: This area is/was the place in the recent news of the storm/ocean causing havoc with the train tracks. The tracks collapsed, making the service from San Diego to Los Angeles stop due to the rocks and soils in this one spot of the whole line. The State Park is back toward the left of the photo, but a few blocks away. Cotton’s Point Surf Spot is around the curve of the tracks. Note 2: The most recent problem with the coastal Amtrak is that it is stopped again from Oceanside to Laguna Niguel. It is due to the recent landslide caused from the recent downpouring storms and drainage. This time, it is a few steps away from the city's Pier area. The historic site is set on 2 1/2 acres atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Casa Romantica was originally the expansive home of the city's founder. Built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style in the late 1920s, it eventually became a cultural center in the 1980s. Alternate route(s) to reroute the railroad are a nightmare for planners and communities. There is barren land behind the coastal hills, but it would miss the coast and several cities completely. But, if the Amtrak railroad moved, the coastal highway would be wider and safer. And the beach trail would have no noise from the rumbling train at all hours. Then, perhaps, the landslides would no longer have a rumbling train causing more cliff landslide incidents of “shake, rattle, and roll” along with rain storms. YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
