Early November, I felt the need to escape Idaho and head to the northern Oregon coast for some surfing. It had been over 30 years since I had been on a surfboard, and the storm that ensued while there was not very conducive to great waves. Didn’t matter, though; I went out two of the three days and had a blast.
Today, I am flying to Long Beach, California, to spend five days surfing with my son around Seal Beach. He has never surfed, even though the lives about a mile from the beach in San Diego, so I am treating him to some surf lessons from my friend Michael Pless, owner of M&M Surfing. I rented a fully furnished 2-bedroom apartment a few blocks from the beach from where we will base our trip. Should be a blast, and at least the weather will be better than it was in Oregon last month: 45°F, and absolutely wild and unmanageable surf.
Flight leaves here at 1:30 and arrives Long Beach this evening around 6:30, with a few hours’ layover in Phoenix … hey, free ticket so the indirect flight is of little worry to me!
Having lived most of my life in Colorado I have never even touched a surf board. I have only seen the ocean once! Hope you catch the wave your after. That picture of the coast line is BEAUTIFUL!
This was a beautiful area north of Manzanita. I had the opportunity to buy a place there many years ago, before it got discovered, but now the costs are out of reach as there is no more land to develop and existing dumps are five times what they were back then.
What a blast!! I went to boot camp in San Diego (’87) and loved Mission Beach and the surrounding area. I was born in Manhattan Beach and lived right on the beach until my dad’s visions of salmon fishing led us to the Puget Sound (Gig Harbor). I’ll be forever grateful. growing up on the water shaped me more than I knew at the time. I love the warm sun and surf but nothing beats the Pacific Northwest. And I’m sure you’ve been surfing out of Westport? (My neighbor is to surfing what you are to longbows!) Good times!
Actually, Tom, I hadn’t been on a board in over 30 years until last month when I decided I needed to get back to the ocean. Used to surf the entire California coast from Santa Cruz to Point Arena, and around Manzanita, Oregon last month. So, getting my son into the sport and enjoying some southern California weather and waves, then back to Oregon after the first of the year, and then Maui come May.
I was just thinking about you and jerry and mark the other day today I got lost on the web and found a pic of an old friend, old TJ my god old friend looks like you’re doing real well Good to see your face…
Bob from Napa….
Boy…which Bob? It’s been a long, long time since I lived there, but I do go back about three or four times a year, as my sister lives in Yountville. Bob Burns? I will drop you an email…