Duuuuuuude!!!!

I went out to the beach towns of Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach to see the beach and eat at Hodad’s.

It is incredibly cold for a 75 degree day on these coastal towns, and a fair-skinned lass like myself can find herself burned to a crispy red without ever feeling much heat! So, I took the precaution of slabbering sunscreen everywhere. I have noticed the dry, aged weathered skin of so many Southern Californians that is due to the unending supply of irresistibly beautiful sunny days and that has scared me into using sunscreen – which I rarely do.

Ocean Beach is a nice sun-kissed beach town and comes with an extensive collection of California stereotypes. Being from Canada, I thought these were exaggerations, but the granola types, the surfer dudes, the old guy in the bicycle-racing suit, the peaceniks, the gray-haired surfer in a wetsuit, the beautiful men wandering the sidewalks and beach, the group of teen girls piled into a colorfully-painted VW Beetle, the blonde lady whose hair looked like clumped nautical rope – they’re all here!

Hodad’s was everything it was made out to be on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” Fabulous burgers, friendly attitude, neat ambiance. And a chocolate malt that was so thick you had to use a spoon. Heartily recommended.

After OB, we also went to PB and La Jolla. (Californians are so laid back that they cannot muster the effort to say whole words, it seems. So Pacific Beach becomes PB, and avocado becomes AVO.) There were nice cafes, each town had its own personality and the vintage clothes shopping was bountiful. I got myself a hot leather skirt for 20 bucks, and a couple of beautiful sundresses for half that much and a clubbing dress for even less.

We had lunch at the Green Flash at Pacific Beach yesterday, where we were served by a cute waitress whom I can only describe as eerily evocative of Jodie Foster. The salads were yummy and we got to eat outside in the mildly warm California beach air. What could be better?

La Jolla reminded me a bit of Monte Carlo, especially since they promote themselves that way, but it’s not really anything like the real thing. I did witness an incredibly self-important rich blonde woman and her superior attitude with a hotel doorman and valet. But I don’t think that counts.

I think I liked Pacific Beach the best, because it seemed to me like the most down-to-earth town with easy access to the beach. I didn’t spend long enough anywhere to know for sure, but that was my gut feeling.

But the most important thing to me personally about all the beach towns and all the people I have encountered in the San Diego area is that they don’t have a problem with Janie. With the exception of Provincetown during Fantasia Fair week – which totally doesn’t count because it is artificial and temporary – I have never been anywhere where I have felt as much at ease walking around just being my girly self. And that includes San Francisco. I may very well start thinking about hanging out here a lot more in the future.