@Sky Six Indicator on surf trips Hello, When we used to take our early surf trips down South from Long Beach, there were spots that we stopped to check out the surf. One was the Huntington Beach pier. That place took all directions of swells and was a good indicator of whether or not we should continue farther South to Salt Creek, Dana Point Cove or San Clemente’s various hot spots. But, sometimes we drove past in the dark and it was not always clear and bright. From the cliff top on PCH By the time we got farther South to this spot, we stopped in the small PCH parking lot high on the cliff to check out the beach below. To us, it was not a prime surfing beach. But a good indicator of the direction of the swells and consistency of the waves coming into the shoreline. There were times when we could drive by the deep ravine dip on the PCH highway drive and look quickly to the ocean. But the stop over on the small parking lot was a much better “indicator” of the direction/power of the swell. Jnaki Plus, when it was open, the very small outlook had the world famous "juice bar" diner. The historic place has changed over time and now is still in the same location and is packed at all hours of operation. Want a cold glass of juice and sit around watching the ocean or possible sunset? Get there early or hang around if you can get a coveted parking spot. The old “indicator” location, now called Crystal Cove State Beach. We used to be able to drive down the single lane road to the sandy beach below. It was called Crystal Cove Beach. But, those historic homes right on the sand were private but the beach was accessible. The beach turn in road was missed by many as it was on a curve with a wall blocking the location. If you knew where it was, the turn in was simple. Our dad used to like going to this beach to do his surf fishing expeditions. He knew where to turn in and drive down to the beach to fish. Not many people were there due to the almost hidden access road. We played on the rocky shoreline, the sandy beach and enjoyed being with our dad at the beach. So Cal artist, Bill Drysdale captured the essence of the location from the early days... The confusion and people wandering around the beach homes area changed. The state purchased the whole historic area, blocked the entrance to the drive to the beach and made everyone take a shuttle from the paved parking lot across, on the inland side of PCH. It is now called Crystal Cove State Beach. From there, the shuttle goes on a private path to the beach area and those on the bus can now walk around on the sand, visit the restaurant and see the historic homes. Also, there are beachfront homes for reservation, but the line is long to get access to those reservation times during the year. Note: Our son was nice enough to invite my wife and me to go with our granddaughter to celebrate a family moment at this location and dine at the great restaurant on the sand. Great food, great location and tons of fun on the sand. Plus, lots of memories as a little kid and as a wandering surfing teenager... YRMV
The Jalopy Journal
