Hmmm….SURF CITY USA. The title belongs to our (former) city, Huntington Beach, because….the city paid for the trademark!! Because of their surfing cultures, both Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach used the name, Surf City. Santa Cruz was given the name in 1927 by Hawaiians who found some of the best surfing waves in the world there. Huntington Beach was the place Jan and Dean had in mind when they recorded the song, Surf City USA. Both have surfing museums, but the U.S. Open of Surfing is in Huntington Beach. So it filed for a trademark in 2004 with the Patent Office, which was granted in 2006. Santa Cruz tried to prevent the trademark award from being granted to Huntington Beach, which then sent cease-and-desist letters to stores selling items depicting Santa Cruz as Surf City. In turn, two Santa Cruz stores sued Huntington Beach so they could continue to use the name. Messy, huh? Eventually, a confidential settlement was agreed to in 2008. All lawsuits and counterclaims were dismissed, and both cities use the term.
The first several photos are from around Main Street in downtown. All along Main Street, the sidewalk is imbedded with the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame plaques. It was warm (mid-70s, as it is most of the year) with a little breeze and was just a stunning day. People were eating and drinking at all the outdoor venues, and it felt very summery. The surfers were out catching some afternoon waves. It was quite idyllic.
Down on the bike/pedestrian walk that runs for about 20 miles along the Pacific, we felt very nostalgic. We had spent many days riding our bikes here and having breakfast or lunch afterwards…great memories. There is a photo of the famous pier, and at the end is Ruby’s Diner, where we had lunch today. I always recommend Ruby’s to visitors, as the walk along the long, clean pier is fun and gorgeous (and you get to watch the surfers and the volleyball players), and the food is very good. Best of all, hovering at the edge of the pier as it does, you almost feel like you’re on a cruise ship, with the ocean all around you.
It was pretty clear today. In the photo before the one-legged bird on the pier, you can see a white dome in the middle of the image as well as buildings….that is Long Beach, about 10 miles to the north, and the white dome was built to house Howard Hughes’ Spruce Goose when it was in place next to the Queen Mary.
We were amused to see a bride getting photos taken at the ocean’s edge. We are guessing it was after the wedding, since the hem of her gown was wet and sandy. We also enjoyed the man getting buried in the sand by his wife. We loved the photo of the four women and a baby sitting on a bench on the pier, talking away and having snacks. But the last two images are my very favorites of the day, one a photo of the best kite we have ever seen, followed by a very short video of that kite. A guarantee from us: you will be smiling after watching the video!
