I know it's in OC - but what do you think of Laguna Beach?

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

I've never even thought of Laguna as being snooty. All of the people I know who have/do live there are non-snooty to the point of being anti-snooty.

There was a certain snootiness but it was different than today where in many places it's pretty much all based on how much money one has. It was more around how long one lived there, how well one could surf or play beach volleyball, or how good one looked in a swimsuit. Access to good drugs was also a status symbol. Tourists and other non-locals were looked down on. However, that wasn't limited to Laguna but was the culture up and down the coast.

[Oleg Bach]

40 years ago I would hitch hike from Toronto to southern California - made the trip a couple of times...Laguna Beach was nice...It was safe and at that time had a small town feel- I would take my blanket and sleep on the beach..First time I was there I had never seen the ocean before...I remember body surfing and getting tossed like a rag doll ....at the end of a wave...The local kids would come and tease me because I was so pale..and sunburned so easily....A nice lady picked me up one day...We hoped into her Mercedes we drove up one of those canyons...She cooked me a steak and poor me the kid a big drink...I remember the view...as I at on the balcony...Then she put me back in the car and deposited me back on the beach...I slept only to wake up to a black preacher with gold teeth..Who insisted that I go to his church to be saved..I think I got save for a free meal at least three times.

I remember the main drag...and the classic Californian brats...who would ask me to go into the liquor store and buy them Ripple Wine....It was a pleasant place back then_ I had no idea is was some rich movie star habitat...The houses along the beach reminded my of little northern Canadian cottages- I don't recall it be posh...It was like a little vacation town...BUT nothing compares in the world to the scenery on the Northern Californian coast....the best in the world.

[matzoman]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

There was a certain snootiness but it was different than today where in many places it's pretty much all based on how much money one has. It was more around how long one lived there, how well one could surf or play beach volleyball, or how good one looked in a swimsuit. Access to good drugs was also a status symbol. Tourists and other non-locals were looked down on. However, that wasn't limited to Laguna but was the culture up and down the coast.

Yea thats the way I remembered it too. IT was very important to be cool and not a poseur. It started getting the reputation it has now when the reality shows started and all the lames believed what they watched on the boob tube.

[matzoman]

Originally Posted by Oleg Bach

40 years ago I would hitch hike from Toronto to southern California - made the trip a couple of times...Laguna Beach was nice...It was safe and at that time had a small town feel- I would take my blanket and sleep on the beach..First time I was there I had never seen the ocean before...I remember body surfing and getting tossed like a rag doll ....at the end of a wave...The local kids would come and tease me because I was so pale..and sunburned so easily....A nice lady picked me up one day...We hoped into her Mercedes we drove up one of those canyons...She cooked me a steak and poor me the kid a big drink...I remember the view...as I at on the balcony...Then she put me back in the car and deposited me back on the beach...I slept only to wake up to a black preacher with gold teeth..Who insisted that I go to his church to be saved..I think I got save for a free meal at least three times.

I remember the main drag...and the classic Californian brats...who would ask me to go into the liquor store and buy them Ripple Wine....It was a pleasant place back then_ I had no idea is was some rich movie star habitat...The houses along the beach reminded my of little northern Canadian cottages- I don't recall it be posh...It was like a little vacation town...BUT nothing compares in the world to the scenery on the Northern Californian coast....the best in the world.

Nice post Oleg. You were here in the best of times.