Hello, That photo is during the beginning of Spring Break /Easter Vacation in Alamitos Bay portion Of Belmont Shore, Long Beach. It is a very popular spot for bathing, as all of the teenagers from the 5.5 high schools converge on this narrow strip of sand and calm waters. The bay runs all the way to the far reaches in the photo at the Seal Beach border. There the channel has been dug out to allow boats of all kinds to come into the harbor and exit to the ocean. The steam plant in Seal Beach was a popular spot and stood out for miles. At the base of the jetties, the summer swells would create some of the fastest and best waves on the coastline. The same waves would line up across the channel and break into the Long Beach city side on the sands of the Belmont Shore peninsula waters. Not quite as good, but fun and it was located in Long Beach, inside of the huge breakwater rocks. A rarity… When we were in the Flathead sedan delivery, we would end up on that street to check out the surf at the Long Beach/Belmont Shore side of the channel jetties. We sure liked the way our dad used to drive over the bridge to get to Seal Beach. But, by the time we were driving, the bridge got taken out and now the whole Alamitos Bay was ripe for a nice well deserved harbor. Seal Beach side of the jetties was still accessible right in front of the water steam plant. Note: The Bayshore street is usually closed to traffic during the whole summer due to heavy usage of the beach and gobs of pedestrians. So, the cars have to go over one or two streets to continue their path to the homes and beach along the long Peninsula. Because there are cars in the photo, it must be a busy weekend of beach cruising traffic, not summer time traffic. Those prime parking spots across the street are usually taken early. So, others usually just drive by slowly. This portion of our lives was a regular on that same street for the last two years of our college life. My college friend had a small apartment on the beach side of the Peninsula and we spent lots of driving time in the red El Camino. When I could find a parking spot in those coveted Peninsula spaces, we could easily walk to the beach or her apartment. Note 2: No, it is not the famous curved handball court corner of this portion of the Alamitos Bay Beach. If one continued to the right of the photo, then the curving road heads to the ocean. It is the location on the water of the Belmont Shore holiday tradition. A standing tradition and highlight of the community are the one of a kind “floating Christmas trees” that light up the dark waters of the bay from Thanksgiving to the new year. (the trees have now been installed in inland lakes within the city. The bay version will get solar power this year. It always impresses kids of all kinds and ages… even us old kids… YRMV
So my neighbor wants to know if one of you fine fellows would come over tonight and help trim her Christmas tree ?
I bought a 1960 3000 from the original owner in 1972. It came with the factory hard top like the one in the photo. Probably the only car I regret letting go.
The Jalopy Journal
