Doheny Beach – a symphony of sounds

The piercing scream of gulls, waves crashing on the shore, and the rumbling Amtrak coasting along behind us, Doheny Beach in Southern California treats me to a symphony of surprisingly soothing sounds.  In contrast to the stone quiet of the desert, we enjoyed a few days in the sun at Doheny State Beach campground.

 

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Probably one of the most popular So. Cal spots, this park is on a reservation basis and if you arrive without one, you may be assigned to an empty spot on a day to day basis, subject to ejection if the spot is reserved on the computerized system.  Reservations may be made up to 48 hours ahead of time.  We were in luck, and able to stay for 4 nights, calling down the grandkids to spend the weekend with us.

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There are many decisions to make throughout the day – but at sunset, everyone heads for the shoreline to watch the sky and water change colors as the sun sets.  We watched each night but never did get a glimpse of the blue flash.

NEARBY SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

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Spending a few hours at the Mission of San Juan Capistrano is relaxing and educational.  There are gardens where you can sit and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

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Picturesque breezeways:

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Replicas of the living quarters of the missionaries:

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And a wonderful exhibit on the journey of Lewis & Clark:

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OLD TOWN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO

Across from the Mission is Old Town San Juan Capistrano and across the Amtrak tracks is OLD OLD TOWN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.  The street is lined with gardens and old homes which have morphed into little cafes, boutiques and art galaries.  It reminds me of the art colony in Santa Fe.  We ate at the Ramos House, recently subject to one of Huell Howser’s shows.  Huell touted the chef at this cafe, and we could see why.  The patio dining is just yards from the tracks.

 

 

 

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Alan ordred a bloody mary, the restaurant’s signature drink.  It was topped off with various garnishments, notably a crab claw and a deep fried deviled egg.

We’ll have to go back because we passed several other eateries that looked adventuresome49602-train.cafe.jpg

There is much to do based at Doheny Campground.  We visited the Surf Museum in Oceanside and enjoyed an extensive and beautifully done exhibit on WOW – Women on Waves, giving a history of women surfers and also the evolution of women’s swimsuits from the old wool-dress types to the thong bikini.  We walked the pier at Oceanside and enjoyed the upstairs patio dining room overlooking the ocean.  In San Clemente we had clams and cocktails on the pier, and watched the Lakers lose to Dallas in the bar at Harpoon Henry’s in Dana Point.  It was a relaxing and educational visit.  We plan to return maybe this summer, only with a reservation!  (Reserve State Park campsites 7 months ahead of time through ReserveAmerica.  On February 1, it is time to make reservations for August!