{"id":36182,"date":"2023-08-08T08:30:18","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T15:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/?p=36182"},"modified":"2023-08-09T11:27:47","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T18:27:47","slug":"unplanned-trip-to-treasure-island-beach-in-laguna-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelingboy.com\/travel\/unplanned-trip-to-treasure-island-beach-in-laguna-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Unplanned Trip to Treasure Island Beach in Laguna California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The street view of Treasure Island along the Pacific Coast Highway.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was a Sunday and we thought we\u2019d bring our out-of-town visitors to one of the beaches here in Southern California. Although I\u2019ve lived here in Los Angeles county since forever, I rarely go to the beach. The salty west coast beaches are pretty to look at but notoriously cold at about 65 degrees F all through the year. The coin toss of choice was Treasure Island<\/a> in Laguna Beach. So we packed our tent gear, swim suits and made a quick stop at the grocery store. Leaving at 10 am, the sun was already up but surprisingly, traffic was smooth and we arrived at our destination In less than an hour. All the street parking was already taken but one of our people knew a secret spot near some swanky residential area and we parked without a problem. If you do park in the street, remember to check if there are meters in that area \u2026 the old fashioned individual meters have given way to the modern credit card meters — no fun getting a ticket while on vacation, right? Speaking of fees, some routes have unavoidable tolls. Oh California — you and your endless taxes!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just north of Treasure Island Beach is a more private cove. I believe they call it Middle Man’s Cove which is supposed to be a great snorkeling site.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Making a run for the only bathroom available which was below the resort’s sun bathing deck.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Treasure Island Beach<\/a> is well maintained because of a partnership between the Montage Resort and the city. I\u2019m sure the Montage resort would have preferred to keep this pristine area just for their guests but most beaches have lateral public access<\/a> (meaning people can move along the coast). No, don\u2019t feel too bad for the hotel guests because they had their own sun bathing deck in case they didn\u2019t want to mingle with us mortals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was overcast at Treasure Island Beach from the resort pathway at 11 am.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There were no showers available by the sandy beach. In fact, the nearest bathroom was provided by the resort at the top of the hill. The walk downhill from the streets to the beautiful cove wasn\u2019t bad. Good exercise for us couch potatoes. Several early birds had already pitched their tents and laid out their beach blankets but there were still enough spots to claim our territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The California summer temperature was about 90\u00b0 fahrenheit inland but there, by the beach, it was much cooler because of the light breeze and overcast sky. But even though we didn\u2019t have any direct sunlight the whole day, I still got sunburned from the diffused rays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you bring a cart, remember that the wheels will dig deep into the sand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I enjoyed just observing the California beach goers. You know the song — \u201cI wish they all could be California girls\u201d — oh behave!<\/em> They came in all shapes and sizes — chiseled vs. cellulite. From skins that were smooth and youthful to overcooked and leathery — the vegans mixed with the fast food junkies. It’s interesting how most sun bathers started out very demure — self-consciously peeling off each layer of clothing but, as the day progressed, all inhibitions were thrown by the wayside. You know the old saying — “When in Rome …” It was not surprising that phone cameras were out clicking (although there seemed to be an unwritten code not to ogle and stare too much). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You reserve your spot with chairs, tents, umbrellas and blankets.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some hand-carried their bags. The others who wheeled them in had a difficulty navigating on the sand. Colorful tents, umbrellas and large beach blankets served as territorial boundaries. Life guards were constantly propping their necks like ostritches. In fact, they did rescue a teenager who got swept under by a freak mid-sized wave. Although a few ventured further out and a few more only went knee deep, the majority just paraded their colorful skimpy attire walking on the shoreline. They said that here was one of the best spots for snorkeling but I didn\u2019t see one snorkel … much less scuba suit. What would be the point to bring your gear when the spoilsport lifeguards caution you not to go too deep. Every once in a while a helicopter would come policing the coast for sharks. Come on guys. A little drowning and a little shark attack would add so much to liven up the place. Where\u2019s your sense of morbid adventure? Just kidding!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just when you thought it was safe to go out in the beach … it really was safe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We only stayed for three hours but that was enough to get our fill of surf and sand to last us the rest of the year. Treasure Island is indeed a natural treasure. I guess you can say this is where our tax dollars go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There was a constant flow of beach lovers coming in and going out … they came in “waves.”<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A checklist of things to bring on a short notice beach trip and some tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n