On the 'Hunt' for a California beach escape
by Lora M. Tucker, Outpost staff
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Getting squirrelly with the barrage of winter weather the Reno-Tahoe area has seen lately, my friend Niki Champ and I devised a plan to restore some warmth to our blood.
Where to go? Southern California seemed a promising and warm destination, also affording us the opportunity to visit our friend Manuel Florence in Laguna Hills, Calif.
So the girls planned their getaway.
Even last minute, you can find fares to Los Angeles from Reno for under $200. To save on lodging costs, we decided to crash with Manuel.
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Searching for an authentic taste of So Cal, Niki and I enlisted culture-savvy Manuel as our L.A.-area tour guide for our weekend vacation from Reno.
Although the weekend included a return to our childhood at Disneyland, a mindless regression at the local bars and an expensive bout with one of the coolest malls I've seen (South Coast Plaza, if you're interested), the place that really struck my fancy was a little town called Huntington Beach.
The seaside village community, avoiding the big city mentality of its neighbors, was a collage of small surfer-type shops, eateries, bars and a mecca for outdoor recreation along the beach. It throbbed with a Gen X presence, and I was enthralled.
Huntington's personality rang distinctly of Hawaiian Island culture, with people casually laughing and talking with strangers, carting surfboards and enjoying the Mediterranean climate. Quaint shops, including a fabulous (however pricey) bathing suit store called Diane's, lined the streets next to the beach where locals and tourists mingled.
The beach itself has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Beaches in the world, and recreationists are able to bike, jog, rollerblade and play volleyball along the coast. Surfers dot the waves in their wetsuits, but the water is a little chilly for swimming in April. After dipping our feet in, we promptly returned to the blankets to sunbathe and pose for pictures.
Locals like Huntington Beach too.
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"All other beaches are repossally more prestigious or have a conservative attitude, while Huntington is the young So Cal culture," Manuel told me in the language of the area."It's kinda like the surfer/skater type vs. the recalculous Beemer/poser type."
Then there are the fish tacos. I must admit, I was a little skeptical at first, but after visiting Wahoo's, a unusual restaurant tatooed with surfing stickers, and chowing on some tacos with grilled ahi tucked inside, I was hooked.
Hurricanes, a bar around the corner from Wahoo's, blew in a lively Friday night scene with a talented cover band. And there was no messing around with the Newcastle Ale. I was expecting a pint, but the bartender, grinning, handed me a 32-ounce bottle. Now that's my kind of Newcastle.
Although much of the ambiance of the town appears Generation X-ish, Huntington actually draws a diverse generational population with one thing in common--everyone seems to be happy to be there. I could get used to that.
Boiled down, here's my recommendation for any vacation in festive Southern California--find a Jeep and take the top off. You'll find that as the beach races past, there's nothing like the wind blowing through your hair while singing to Sublime at the top of your lungs.
Happy trails.
Posted April 20,
1999
Copyright 1999 Nevada Outpost
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