I am still in southern California until spring. But I moved to San Clemente. (You may have guessed that I move around a lot, which is why I this column is called The Roving Photographer.) Here is a Google satellite map of San Clemente. [You can zoom in and scroll around the map using the controls.]
San Clemente is one of the nicest beach cities in Orange County. The main street has buildings that were made to look like a Spanish village. S.C. is south of Dana Point (where I was staying earlier this winter) right at the southernmost tip of O.C. Further south is Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base. San Clemente has a big fishing pier which divides the beach into North Beach and South Beach. Good surfing abounds. I prefer South Beach because it is more secluded. There is a very famous surf spot called Trestles at the far south near the county line. (The name comes from the railroad trestle for the Amtrak rail line. The Amtrak Surfliner from San Diego goes by frequently. One of the most scenic train rides in the country.)
Since the beaches are very scenic and private so you might think they would be great places for photoshoots. But I don’t shoot here very often because you have to walk too far from where you can park.
In many ways I like San Clemente more than Laguna Beach or Newport Beach. L.B. has nothing but overpriced trendy restaurants for tourists. Newport Beach too many Lexus’s and five million dollar McMansions. S.C. has real people including some from the Marine base.
One place I can recommend is Sonny’s Pizza on El Camino Real. Red-checkered table cloths, great spaghetti and pizza and the lunchtime is seven or eight dollars plus tax and tip. Under ten bucks. There are also lots of other good eating places restaurants along Del Mar.
I expect to be here for a couple of weeks before I fly east when the weather gets a little warmer. I should be in New York City at the end of March.
