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For Immediate Release: March 17, 2006
A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
Huntington Beach Stretch of PCH is Quintessential Southern California
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. Pacific Coast Highway, or California's Route 1, is among the most unique highways in America and one of the longest. This scenic coastal highway offers spectacular coastal views and passes through some of California's most influential cities. While the winding northern stretch of redwoods and rocky cliffs tends to get the most attention, the eight and a half mile section through Huntington Beach reflects Southern California at its finest.
You can't get much closer to the beach on Pacific Coast Highway than this: While PCH, as locals refer to it, heads inland at Santa Monica and meanders through West Los Angeles County, it rejoins the Pacific Ocean near the northern end of Huntington Beach and hugs the shoreline the entire length of the city. With golden sand beaches and first-class surf just a few yards away, it's tempting to keep your head turned to the sea. But why settle for a windshield tour when you can stop along the way to experience first-hand all that Southern California has to offer? Huntington Harbour
Heading south on PCH, you'll pass the master-planned waterfront community of Huntington Harbour. Encompassing five man-made islands filled with multi-million-dollar mansions, Huntington Harbour is rich with a network of navigable canals. Take a private cruise around the colorful archipelago in a quiet electric boat (Duffy Electric Boat Company: (562)592-3028) or get close to the water on a kayak (Malibu Ocean Sports: (562)592-0800) to watch gulls, pelicans, sandpipers and other shorebirds. If you're lucky, you may pull alongside playful dolphins that have slipped in from the open sea. Peter's Landing Marina offers sport fishing, boat slip rentals and complimentary two-hour guest slips. Or you can simply enjoy its waterfront boardwalk with dining and shopping. For more information, call (714)840-1387
Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve
A little further south, you'll come upon the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, the largest remaining coastal wetland in Southern California and a national draw for photographers, bird-watchers and naturalists. This 600-acre ecosystem is a diverse nesting ground hosting more than 200 types of birds as they migrate between North and South America. The Bolsa Chica Wetland Restoration Project – the largest coastal wetland restoration project in Southern California - will be complete this summer when officials open a new tidal inlet to allow the Pacific Ocean tide to bring fresh salt water into the wetland areas for the first time in about 100 years. For information about guided tours of the reserve, visit www.amigosdebolsachica.org or www.bolsachicalandtrust.org. Contact the Bolsa Chica Conservancy to find out about the restoration project, the interpretive center and other conservancy programs at www.bolsachica.org.
Now turn your attention to the sea by spending some quality time at Bolsa Chica State Beach, where a shallow ocean shelf creates mellow and rolling surf with easy-to-ride waves that are perfect for novices. The beach also is known for its "grunion runs." From March to August, during high tide, these small silvery fish leap out of the ocean onto the beach by the thousands. If you decide to stay the night, Bolsa Chica State Beach RV Park offers year-round reservations, with hook-ups, food services, restrooms and showers. (For reservations, call (714)377-5691). You can even bring your dog to romp in the waves without a lease at adjacent Dog Beach, where you'll see every breed of canine imaginable.
The Pier and Downtown
To be where the action is, continue south to the heart of Surf City USA® country - Huntington City Beach and downtown Main Street. It's easy to find, just look for the historic Huntington Beach Pier and a bigger-than-life statue of Duke Kahanamoku - a Hawaiian actor who helped popularize surfing throughout Southern California. Across the street you'll find a restaurant named in his honor, Duke's Huntington Beach.
This is where people come to check out the surfing scene, soak up the energy of the city center and catch major alternative sporting events from international surfing competitions, to professional beach volleyball, to BMX and skateboarding championships that feature jaw-dropping, gravity-defying maneuvers. Visitors can watch or join in and fish off the side of the pier, watch expert surfers below, or simply wait for breath-catching sunsets over the sea. On Fridays at Pier Plaza, you can catch the Farmer's Market, a local crafts fair and free outdoor concerts throughout the summer. The beach here is packed with sunbathers and volleyball nets, surfers toting their boards toward the waves and children frolicking in the gentle shore break. Through it all runs the Huntington Beach Ocean Strand, a paved pathway on the sand that stretches for 8.5 uninterrupted miles along the Pacific Ocean, from one end of the City to the other, that is routinely ranked by Orange County Register readers as the "The Best Place to Walk/Jog/Bike."
Less than one block from the beach, across from the pier, is Downtown Huntington Beach. Stretching for several blocks, Main Street is a cruising route for vintage cars, an oasis of eateries with outdoor patios and a place to shop for everything from surfwear and trendy clothes, to Southern California-themed items in eclectic shops that you won't find in a typical American mall. Downtown also offers plentiful parking on the street and in public garages that are less crowded than beachside lots. Be sure to check out The Surfers' Hall of Fame in front of Huntington Surf & Sport, the Surfing Walk of Fame at Jack's Surfboard and the International Surfing Museum.
Just south of downtown is Sunset Vista Recreational Vehicle Campground, open October through May. Owned and operated by the City of Huntington Beach, it provides the newest RV camping facility in Huntington Beach and the closest location to downtown.
Huntington State Beach
Beyond downtown lies the Huntington State Beach, where you can build a beach bonfire or have a barbeque in one of the 600 concrete fire rings that line the entire Surf City USA shoreline (including Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington City Beach). The public fire pits are free on a first-come, first served basis, and firewood, along with the fixings for picnics and s'mores, are available at beach concessions and local supermarkets. A nature preserve is located at the southern end of the beach where the California Least Tern, a rare and endangered species of bird, makes its nesting grounds. Although a fence separates the sanctuary from the beach, you can still sneak a peak at these rare birds during the nesting season.
As the day winds down, visitors can find a cozy room, a fine meal and a welcomed massage at either of the city's AAA Four-Diamond Resorts: the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. There are also 16 other overnight lodgings in the city that are no more than four miles from the beach and can meet a variety of budgets and special needs.
So the next time you think about a nostalgic trip down PCH, go south to Huntington Beach, where there's so much more than just a pretty view.
To learn more about Huntington Beach, visit www.surfcityusa.com or call 800-729-6232 and request a free visitors guide. Surf City USA™ is a trademark of the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. All rights reserved.