Adventures in Southern California: dog beach

I've attempted surf kayaking in my inflatable Sevylor Canoe several times. It usually buckles in the middle on the larger waves and I end up having to abandon ship to save myself. Its a great canoe for lakes and mild white water, but I don't recommend using an inflatable on the ocean unless you plan on dumping it out several times. I actually had to install a custom drain plug on the back on my boat. My next purchase is going to be a spray skirt for it. I ran across this Youtube video of a guy surf kayaking at Bolsa Chica next to Huntington Beach. He mounted a Go-pro on his boat and shot some really great footage. I can't believe his video only has 4,000 views. It shows you where most people's priorities are when you see that the latest Justin Bieber video on Youtube has 400 million views.

Avila Beach

Avila Beach is located approximately 3 hours North of Los Angeles just off the 101. In truth, its just a sleepy little hamlet situated at the mouth of San Luis Obispo Bay. It's like The Shire with an amazing beach. The town is mostly filled with wealthy retired people and the kind of little arts and crafts stores that your grandmal would love. Pets are allowed on the main beach, and someone in Avila must make a fortune selling poodles to the old folks because I saw at least 100 of them racing around on the sand. Avila has another beach located just South of town on the other side of the bluff. Its easily one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen in my life. Its a pristine undeveloped area teaming with sea lions, exotic birds, and giant acorn trees. The huge rock outcropping offers a panoramic view of the entire bay. With a little exploring, you'll find a giant pirate cove and several natural arches. The hidden cove at Avila is historically a nude beach, but we didn't actually see anyone in the buff. If you're headed North to Big Sur, I would definitely recommend taking a 2 hour detour to check out Avila. You may end up retiring there one day. To access the Pirate Cove, take the Avila Beach Drive exit off route 101 and follow it for approximately 2 miles before turning left onto Cave Landing Road. Follow Cave Landing Road for about a mile uphill until you hit the dirt parking lot. The pirate cove is located under the rock outcropping on the bluff.