Crystal Cove, CA.
THE PLACE IS CALLED Crystal Cove for a reason. On a sunny day when the waves are small, the water is so green and see-through that you feel like you are staring straight into the heart of an oceanic crystal ball.
As a teenager, I spent many summer days at a beach called Reef Point in North Laguna. Just up the road was a beautiful spot called Crystal Cove. One day at the beach, a buddy of mine mentioned that a Bette Midler movie entitled Beaches was being filmed there. The rest of us guys then spent the day teasing the unfortunate teenage boy about having inside information about such a girly movie (e.g. “let us know if the movie is any good after your grandma takes you to see it.”)
I spend quite a bit of time at Crystal Cove these days, especially when my kids want to hit the beach. Orange County, CA was basically a sleepy but growing community when I was a youngster in the 1980s. Now, Orange County is much more of a tourist destination. I notice plenty of Southern and Midwestern accents when I’m hanging out in the water and body surfing with my kids. I never thought I would see the day when Lamborghinis and Ferraris would routinely race up and down the streets of Orange County. Whatever.
The main beach at Crystal Cove is an incredibly crowded spot. The sand is often so full of people that you cannot tell where one family unit ends and another begins. The tourists don’t seem to understand that if they would simply scoot themselves about 100 yards north or south, they could have a large and private section of the beach all to themselves. Crystal Cove spans approximately 3 miles along the Laguna / Newport coastline. Within that area, there are some stunningly beautiful (and empty) beaches. My family usually ends up in one of those desolate spots, where crowds are an afterthought.
As a surfer, I’ll typically make my way down to Crystal Cove when I need to give my achy joints a rest from surfing and just swim around or body surf and enjoy the sun. Sometimes it’s nice to just hang out on the gleaming white sand and get a tan and take in the sights a little bit. Crystal Cove is a wonderful place for photography. I don’t know anything about photography — I just stroll along the sand with my iphone, searching for interesting things to shoot. Below are a few photos I have captured at Crystal Cove so far this summer:
As you can see, there are some stunning tide pools and rock formations all along this strip of beach. These are great places for kids to explore, especially when the tide is low and the rocks are fully exposed. In addition to the tide pools, there are hiking trails leading from the parking lot down to the sand. One of my favorite parts of a daily excursion to Crystal Cove is the quiet hike down the serene trails that hug the bluffs along the coastline. Sunset is a perfect time to capture some epic photos, either from the bluffs or down on the sand.
If you ever find yourself in Orange County, CA., Crystal Cove will be waiting for you!
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