They call San Clemente the last post or what I think they mean by this is that its the first town where you can start to relax and find some space after the craziness of LA and it´s city towns. I´ve come to understand that unlike Europe where the cities and towns are high density yet compact in the USA the towns and cities are low density but sprawling and each seems to converge into the other without much land in between. Indeed if it weren´t for the sign posts informing you of the fact that you´d entered a new town you´d probably not realise.
After LA I was craving some nature and open space so I hopped onto Pacific Highway 101 and burned (or rather crawled in traffic) down the coastal road concentrating on navigation, traffic and pedestrians and not really taking in the sights as I went. After a week of chilling out in San Onofre and San Clemente I felt appropriately chillaxed to head back up the coast and check out the coastal towns that are in fact all interesting and different in their own right.
First stop along the coast was the Marina town of Dana Point; I am informed that just last week it was home to the first 'Americas Cup' sailing craft and also that it was an absolutely stunning town and marina, a not to be missed attraction. In a way my informants were correct, it is indeed very beautiful with the cliffs dropping down to the marina shores but like everything at this time of year it was jam packed full of yachts and tourists so I didn´t stick around for much more than a photo op before carrying on with my quest up to Huntington Beach that claims the title of 'surf city'. The town is currently playing host to the VANS US Open National surf competition, one of the biggest surf events world wide and certainly the biggest over here so it was an obvious target for my travels. The event itself was appropriately impressive in terms of scale, the level of surfing was mind blowingly phenomenal and alongside it there were radical BMX and skating competitions running in the event park. Sadly my opinion of the town itself was not on the same level of awe and wander, in fact I thought it was a bit of an industrial dive with factory chimneys crowding the inshore horizon coupled with the fact that actually Huntington Beach surf breaks are not all that amazing in comparison to other breaks on offer both to the North and South along the Californian coast.
So I did a 180° U turn somewhat disillusioned and headed back down the coast arriving in time for a late afternoon body surf and dinner into the delightfully pituresque town of Laguna beach. Whilst it is the hotspot for snobby wealthy folk to vacation and I did give it the name Triple M (Millionaires, Mansions and Movie Stars) the town is actually fascinating blend of art culture, quaint architecture and lovely little cove beaches. This did prove somewhat problematic to find myself an appropriate place to park for a night in the car as I felt a little at odds parking in front of a mansion to bed down in the boot. 2hrs later after a multitude of laps around the town in the car I found a little spot and decided to go check out the town. As I sat happily slurping down an Angry Orchard Cider over a beautiful sunset I detected the twang of Aussie accent coming from the bar, feeling a little bit lonely I decided it was high time I introduced myself to some other strangers on the road. Whilst their fashion sense was somewhat bizarre the guys themselves were most entertaining for a night on the town. They appropriately entertained me with their stories of surf bumming down the Californian coast, living out of a camper van that they´d acquired upon their arrival and handing out very helpful tips on how to get by as a beach bum!
The following morning I felt it necessary to move on very early of my own accord before being moved on involuntarily by local authorities. So feeling somewhat furry headed (bloody Aussies) I decided to head inland for a hike amongst the canyons. Sadly I didn´t manage to track down a Mountain Lion despite the sign suggesting I would and the local ranger being somewhat unimpressed by jovial attitude towards going out looking for one.
And that´s that; Coastal towns LA to San Diego now done and I´m typing this holed up in an actual building, this time in Encinitas just North of San Diego. Funnily enough after meeting the Aussie's, my latest Airbnb host happens himself to be a bit of an expert on purchasing and living out of a conversion vans, surfing the Mexican and Californian coast. I find myself lined up for two van viewings tomorrow and it starting to look highly likely that this trip is about to turn into a proper Californian Hippy Surf Bum mission. I can´t so I´m to unhappy about the prospect :-)
