Experiencing The Southern California Lifestyle Along The Strand
One of the things I enjoy most about spending weekends in Hermosa Beach on the Southern California coast is to put on the running shoes or get on the bike and head “downtown” to the pier area on late Sunday mornings.
That’s because it’s buzzing with activity. First off, 90% of the time it’s a gorgeous day; the sun is out, there’s barely a cloud in the sky and the temperature is around a very pleasant 70F with a gentle ocean breeze lapping against the skin like small waves on a shoreline.
In other words, it’s the kind of weather than makes you want to leap off your couch and charge into the outdoors.
At the pier, people are walking about in groups, couples (some from the night before), running, riding bicycles and going out for breakfast. Which in the South Bay is really breakfast food eaten at lunchtime.
And, of course there are people playing beach volleyball. That’s the number one activity here and on weekends. It’s happening on courts for the entire four miles of beach in Hermosa and neighboring Manhattan Beach. With the most courts being at the pier, it’s the peak place to take in this true Southern California sport.
I don’t want to go too early because the South Bay doesn’t really wake up until mid-morning on weekends – around 11 o’clock is ideal – because that provides the perfect pairing of those who got up early and want to get on with their day with those whose day is just beginning, a #Sundayfunday in the making.
The centerpiece of activity is around Good Stuff restaurant, the breakfast and lunch spot a couple blocks north of the pier. The place is full and there’s always a dozen or so people waiting for a table who are hanging out on The Strand. I always either run into a friend there or sometimes strangers make a comment to me based on the t-shirt I’m wearing:
“I love your shirt,” when I’m wearing the one that says I Love Sleeping Naked, which is true but is also really the name of a band.
“Roll Tide” if I’m wearing an Alabama shirt (I’m always amazed there always seems to be a Bama fan or two in the South Bay).
Or my favorite, when I’m wearing a logo shirt for this blog, “hey it’s the PubClub guy!”
It’s those exchanges with strangers – however brief – that really put me in a good mood for the rest of the day because I truly enjoy interacting with new people. To me, that’s one of the joys of traveling.
Cheers.
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