Imperial Beach is basically the southwestern-most community shore in the contiguous United States, right to the north of the Tijuana River estuary on the southwest edge of San Diego County.
There is a pier, an old-school sea shell shop, and the sands are crowded with multiethnic families, chilled-out cholos, and crews of gangster-ish and red-faced skater-surfers, seemingly proud to be calling this their turf. Every summer a major sand sculpture festival happens here.
With easy access to parking and an extra-heavy dose of that laid-back Southern Cali feel, IB is also an ideal place to dip into the Pacific and lie away a few hours on a vacationy sort of Sunday afternoon.
When I was 23 I hitchhiked from New Orleans to the west coast looking for a new home. I made my way to San Diego via El Paso, Taos, Phoenix... with nothing but my backpack and camera. Imperial Beach is where I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. I plopped my pack in the sand just about where the little boy is in your photo. I cried I was so happy.
I wanted to live in a city and would have stayed but I kept meeting southerners stationed in SD (and several generations of offspring) -- just what I was trying to get away from. So I went north.
Posted by: pelonpelon@twitter | 30 June 2009 at 04:35 PM
... That's my nephew.
Posted by: Daniel Hernandez | 01 July 2009 at 04:09 AM