Expert: Steve Summers - 6/15/2006

Question
Hey Steve,

My entire building is going to be closed this Monday due to
construction so myself and a group of fellow co-workers (about
15-20 adults) decided for our day off we would like to celebrate
by soaking up some rays at the beach. We all work in Santa
Monica and would like to find a beach that’s not terribly far away
but a little cleaner then Santa Monica beach. The ability to surf
and play some volleyball is a big plus. However the biggest
concern is finding a beach that allows alcohol and/or a bonfire.
We want to have a good time but we don’t want to break any
laws! Do know of any places that would make our day off truly
relaxing?
Thanks so much,
Tyler


Answer
Hi Tyler,

Great idea, but your 3 criteria are almost mutually exclusive:
-clean beach
-not far from LA/SM
-allows alcohol
-has fire pits

First off, there are almost no beaches in CA that allow alcohol. Back in the day, it was allowed, but was outlawed because of the problems of trash, broken glass, and too many drunken brawls on the beach which interefered with lifeguard ability to save lives. There are some beaches in San Diego (like Del Mar and Mission Beach), which allow alcohol from noon to 8PM.

Finding a fire pit is a little easier to find. I know of a few offhand, but there is a more complete listing here: http://www.beachcalifornia.com/beach-bonfires-california.html Monday should not be too much of a problem finding a fire pit. My personal preference is Bolsa Chica in the Huntington Beach area. A bit of a drive from SaMo, but worth it. You can also set up a volleyball net (perhaps someone has a net?), or go to Huntington City Beach where they have volleyball nets already set up. There is also surfing by the pier, as well.

Just for giggles, how about spending a night at Carpinteria State beach? It's VERY relaxing, and you can drink alcohol in your campsites, just not on the beach. Check out reserveamerica.com to see if any sites are available. Then you can have a fire in your campsite, have a few drinks, and step out on to the beach. See my other posts for more info on Carpinteria.

Have fun!

Steve