Orange County -- Section 1

I have Word Perfect Files of my previous hikes in Sonoma, San Francisco, San Mateo and Orange Counties.  Can I import them?  Let's see: where's 'Help?'  Ah ha.  Well, that's useless.  Let's try copying and pasting, shall we?  Works for text but how do I do the pictures?  Now where are those files?  (Dear reader, it's a good thing you get to see the finished product, not the messy process.)

Orange County 1: From Seal Beach to Huntington Beach

June 25, 2008

This marked the beginning of my project to walk the whole California Coastal Trail by the time I am 70.

After an uneventful drive from Anaheim where we were visiting Disneyland, I arrived at the Seal Beach Pier and its rather expensive parking lot. Parking cost me $11 for a $6 space. I didn’t have the exact amount for 12 hour parking so I had to find change – after first paying $3 for 2 hours parking. I had to buy a $3 latte in order to change my 20 into enough fives and ones for the 12 hour space. At least, someone there since 6:00 sold me his $6 tag for $5. About 10:45 it was finally time to walk.

Seal Beach Pier.

USS Higgins:Southbound end of Northbound destroyer.

Starting at Seal Beach Pier I walked south along the high tide line until I reached Anaheim Bay and the fence for the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Depot. It was time to turn inland to Highway 1. As I walked along the highway, I had a good view of the USS Higgins, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer moored in Anaheim Bay.

No doubt whatsoever which way to the Ocean!

I crossed a highway bridge over Anaheim Bay into Sunset Beach. Here an enormous water tower converted into a rental house marked Anderson Street, the return to the beach. I followed Sunset Beach to its end.

View North: The most populous State in the Union?

 

View South: The most crowded part of that State?

At Bolsa Chica Beach I switched to a paved trail to conserve my ankles. This led to the Blufftop Trail into Huntington Beach. The erstwhile ‘Surf City’ has gone upscale – I doubt there is much there an impoverished surfer could afford these days. Lunch at a café a block or two inland, was however not too expensive and quite satisfactory. (Minestrone, spaghetti and meatballs, Blackwood Merlot.) I walked out to the end of the pier before catching a bus back to Seal Beach and my car.

 

 

Blufftop Trail toward Huntington Beach

The 9 3/4 mile hike had taken 3 ½ hours. The bus ride back took about 20 minutes with stops. Thus the journey of 1260 miles begins with the first 9 3/4.

Huntington Beach: Maybe this is the most populous State after all.

 

Welcome to Surf City -- if you can afford it!