CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA

Activity: Beach Walk, Storm Watching

Date: 4-10-20

Storm Clouds Gather Over Sunset Beach While Corona Virus Closes Surfside Beach

Sunset Beach is a quaint community locals beach. When I first moved to Huntington Beach, living in the condos right on the beach, just adjacent to the famed Huntington Beach Pier, there was a joke that HB was the quintessential, where were the action was, California beach scene and it was for the young and the adventurous and if you settled down and got married, well then you needed to move to Sunset Beach. Indeed Sunset Beach is much more quiet and more of a residential beach where nice beach homes line it’s broad mile and a half long beach.

Sunset Beach is boarder to the North by Surfside Beach, a private gated community that is actually part of the City of Seal Beach, and just beyond that the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station. To the South of Sunset Beach is Bolsa Chica State Beach.

On this mid April day storm clouds gathered over Sunset Beach both literally and figuratively. The LA Beaches had all been closed, due to fears of the Corona Virus, but most Orange County Beaches remained open. The OC Beaches were attempting to control the crowds and thus promote “Social Distancing” by closing all piers and all parking lots as well as street metered parking. The reality was most of the time this strategy worked, but on nice weekends near the HB Pier- not so much. HB would later lead the nation in protest to lift the Corona Virus restrictions and get back to work and life as we knew it. So you can see… Storm Clouds gathering…

But on this day my walk along Sunset Beach was, as it always is, relaxing, a stress reliever, and throughly enjoyable. It was made even more interesting by the storm. When you live in SoCal and every day is perfect it is extraordinarily beautiful to see big black storm clouds roll in. I could see in the distance heavy rain to the south of me in the area the HB Pier, but I received only a light misting as I hiked along the beach. There were a few others enjoying the spectacle, but I practically had the beach to myself due to the Corona Virus as well as it being a stormy day with a good chance of a down pour. Some of the people I ran a crossed had on face masks. I was sporting my new fashionable Pursuing Balance Through Adventure Face Gator in an effort to follow requests to cover your face, but not use the medical masks needed for First Responders.

There were surfers out enjoying some tasty waves with some nice little sets with good form rolling in, but otherwise it was me, the beach, and the storm.

After walking Sunset Beach I continued my stroll to include Surfside Beach, which is connected. It is basically the same beach, however this gated community is actually part of the City of Seal Beach. What I discovered on my way back is that the beach was actually closed, as is Seal Beach. Oops… Well there was just one little sign and I was walking along the water’s edge and didn’t see it- sorry. I was not the only one on the beach, but then again there were very few.

Delightful little hike along the beach, and the storm clouds made it unusually special.

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Thanks for joining me on another addition of ‘Pursuing Balance Through Adventure’ OC Beaches. As far as the Corona Virus, this to shall pass. I am sure we are all in agreement that day cannot come soon enough, and when it does let’s go to the beach. Please COMMENT, FOLLOW, LIKE, and SHARE. Checkout the Menu above for hikes in a variety of locales. You will need to FOLLOW each individually. If you like the apparel pictured in this post then go to SHOP APPAREL which will help offset some of the costs for PBTA.

Happy Trails-

Roger Jenkins, ’Pursing Balance Through Adventure’