As much as we truly enjoy retirement living on the Oregon coast, we do like to get away for a month or so during mid-winter. That 90" of rain a year makes for a beautiful place to live with hella fine salmon fishing, but it does tend to make for a long winter unless some breaks are taken.
Now with a new puppy, this coming winter will have to be a road trip.
So thinking of cruising down the coast, hang with family in the bay area for a bit, then continue on down to southern cal, maybe spent 3 or 4 weeks in a rental, just hanging out, hopefully surfing some fun winter waves. After that we’ll cruise a bit thru the desert and work our way back home.
So…suggestions for a good town to rent a place for a month? Heard Oceanside can be a good hang? Haven’t been down south in three decades, have only surfed the Sunset Cliffs and Leucadia area when coming and going on Baja trips, crashing a few days with friends I had originally met south of the border.
If you need a place for longer, 3 months aprox. We go to South America every winter and rent our house CHEAP with a couple conditions. 4 blocks to the beach one direction cliffs at end of street other direction. Plus a yard full of surfboards to try if you are nice.
pretty much over Baja at this point in my life…had a lot of good times back there in the day, lots of really fun trips, some over a month…camping at the tip before it was developed, surfing 7 Sisters by ourselves, Todos pre-crowd.
At this point just looking for a good hang, perhaps some reccomendations on best town to post up.
Santa Barbara is nice. Not too crowded in the winter months. Tons of restaurants. Very laid back. Rincon for surf. Jalama for bigger surf. Solvang for the pastries. Traffic gets really bad these days once you go south of there.
Think about it, a one hour drive in any direction except West, puts you into someplace interesting. Beaches and Surfing Heritage Cultural Center to the North, beaches and Mexico South, mountains and deserts to the East. Lots of good mexican food and seafood, almost everywhere, if that’s your thing. (It’s one of my things.) Added bonus, Bird’s Surf Shed is nearby. He has the most eclectic collection of surfcraft I’ve seen in any one place. Lots of surf history in the San Diego area.
That was back in the day (before Flojos copied them) when you could buy proper Cazaletas…I don’t know why the stopped making them in Mex…I looked all over Baja and Mainland Mex…none to be found…Flojos are now making them again…gotta order some.
You don’t really need advice, but I guess you are looking for opinions. For you and your wife: PB, Mission OB and Point Loma. Plenty of surf and beautiful weather in the winter months. Plenty of other interesting stuff for your wife and anyone who doesn’t surf as well. Lot’s of friggin’ great Taco Stands in SD Area. Better than Mexico. Fishing, boat rides etc. Stay in Mission Bay, PB or Point Loma/Old Town. Better deals on rates and great access to all things. The Sports Arena Swap Meet is great… Hang at Tourmaline, surf PB Point and talk story with Larry Gordon. Go to Bird’s and look up Bill T. Maybe someone with a key will take you down to Black’s. Those trails haven’t gotten better just because you have had a hip replacement. On the Way down stop at Surfing Heritage in SC. Couple of weeks ago when I was down there they had Rob Russo’s board that was shaped for Forse and subseuently chomped on by “Whitey” on display… Stop at the Ghetto in SC and buy some Rainbows at their outlet(I’m not a fan). Go down the street to Bashams . Have a drink or a Mexican Beer at that little dive at the end of the street. Hang out with Terry Senate at his shop. Maybe he’ll tell you one of those “Senate jokes”. You know all this better than me. I don’t claim. I ate Basque food and listened to Merle most of the winter. Weather is good up here now So “I ain’t a goin’ nowhere”. Lowel
Pont Loma makes sense, been decades since last there. Had an amigo by the name of David Heath who lived on Bermuda st., stopped by his house coming and going from Mex. surfed the cliffs, sailed his little boat out to Ralph’s once for a fun session.
Yea, lowell, great weather for the past month, and fun surf until the spring NW winds finally hit last week. Will have to start running up to PC for a few…you still at the old laundromat bld?
