My beach

I lived in Corona del Mar twice in the late 1970s. First an over-the-garage apartment I shared with three other guys, then, after I was making better money, the front half of a duplex I had to myself. (The former is still there, but the latter was torn down and replaced with a huge and ugly house. Money doesn't always equal taste. Or even buy it.)

It was a pleasant walk from either apartment to Corona del Mar Beach, situated at the mouth of Newport Harbor. Like everyone else in town, I considered it my beach. One goes to Corona del Mar Beach for the sand, the water, the sun, maybe some volleyball—the pure beach experience. There is no promenade with shops, bars and restaurants to attract the riff-raff. One goes to Huntington, Newport or Laguna for that. It's not a surfing beach, either, because of the harbor breakwater. However, you can see the infamous Wedge just on the other side of the harbor mouth. When there actually is surf. The sea was calm when I visited.

For beach recluses, there's Little Corona del Mar, a pocket beach separated from the main beach by a rock formation. One needs to watch the tides, though, and be ready to scramble to higher ground. Fortunately, there are stairs.

I have to visit my beach whenever I'm at the Southern California coast. I think that big palm waved at me.