California Gold: Huntington Beach, Surf City USA

Bonfires on the beach.
Image from Surf City USA.

There is something about surfing that has always spoken to me. Something about the crashing waves, the briny water, being drenched in the sun and air one moment and then submerged in a dark void the next. Then climbing out on the sand like a prehistoric beast looking to collapse in blissful exhaustion. Southern California is the capital of surfing in the United States. Hawaii would be a close second, but the California surf culture has a rock beat in its soul as opposed to a ukulele. This puts it over the edge in my humble opinion. Ukuleles are nice, but surfing should be done with high reverb and drums on the soundtrack.

The main drag of Huntington beach.
Image from Beach Cities.

If Southern California is the capital of American surfing, then Huntington Beach is its thumping heart. The Orange County beach community is fully geared for supporting the sport and lifestyle of surfing. The beachfront contains the Surfing Walk of Fame. Surf supply shops line the streets. Fish taco joints are in abundance. ESPN2 shows up a few times a year to record various tour competitions boasting many of the best surfers in the world. The waves are consistent and beautiful. The weather is a dream. The entire vibe is mellow, calm, and smells of rum punch and seared ahi.

During my first few years of living in California, I spent a lot of time in Huntington Beach. I surfed, I hung with friends, I went to bad rock shows, gorged on tacos and beer, and surfed some more. I wasn't good, but it was fun. I loved the culture. It was relaxing, far removed from the problems of the rest of the world. When my parents came out to visit me in my new homeland I couldn't wait to take them on a tour of Surf Mecca.

Mom and I outside the Ruby's on
the pier.

We walked down Main Street past Hurricanes Bar & Grill, Sugar Shack, Fred's, and Perqs. We crossed PCH and continued out to the Huntington Beach Pier. The waves lapped up against the pillars like gentle fish. The sun was high and mighty. Ruby's at the end of the pier looked like an island oasis. We stopped in for lunch, consumed burgers and old-fashioned chocolate malts that arrive at your table in a glass with the excess in a silver mixing cup. The kind of malted that really sticks to your ribs.

Huntington Beach is a great place to let days slip away pleasantly like daffodils floating along a bubbling brook. The beach calls, the waves beckon, the laid-back restaurants sing their siren song. Before you know it, the sun is going down one more time and your shoulders and nose have got a little bit of a burn.

Image of the pier from Surf City USA. 

With my mom across PCH and Main Street.