Just across the Silver Strand from Coronado lies Imperial Beach, California. Whereas the ocean has polished Coronado to a manicured, upscale gem, the waves of the Pacific have reduced Imperial Beach to a weather-beaten collection of trailer parks and beer marts. What accounts for the disparity, I don't know. Imperial Beach is a stubborn city, proud of its refusal to conform. These beach bums are lifetime alocholics with bonafide dreadlocks who are just as likely to sleep under the pier as crash at a friend's house.
If you stayed in Coronado long enough, you couldn't help but go native with turquoise jewelry and a collection of tennis skirts. Imperial Beach, on the other hand, gives you the impression that if you stayed long enough you would develop a chronic tattoo habit, liver disease and a hacking smoker's cough. Imperial Beach doesn't apologize for that. That's just the way it is.
So I can't explain why it feels like home when we take that Palm Avenue exit off the 5. I guess we've just made it our own by returning year after year for over 20 years. I love that Imperial Beach hasn't changed much. It gives me comfort and reminds me that, as Simon and Garfunkel said, "After changes upon changes, we are more or less the same."
Looking back at pictures from all of our past years at Imperial Beach, I know we can't go back. Yet we can go back, and I suppose that's why we do.
Big Golda, Imperial Beach, 1995
If you stayed in Coronado long enough, you couldn't help but go native with turquoise jewelry and a collection of tennis skirts. Imperial Beach, on the other hand, gives you the impression that if you stayed long enough you would develop a chronic tattoo habit, liver disease and a hacking smoker's cough. Imperial Beach doesn't apologize for that. That's just the way it is.
So I can't explain why it feels like home when we take that Palm Avenue exit off the 5. I guess we've just made it our own by returning year after year for over 20 years. I love that Imperial Beach hasn't changed much. It gives me comfort and reminds me that, as Simon and Garfunkel said, "After changes upon changes, we are more or less the same."
Looking back at pictures from all of our past years at Imperial Beach, I know we can't go back. Yet we can go back, and I suppose that's why we do.
3 comments:
Love it. Speaking of IB, we're hoping to make it happen in the spring. Hope the Scott Dopps are up for a few Ryan Dopps crashing the trip. :) I've actually been thinking a lot about IB lately. Maybe it is because the thought of the plush condo down from yours, a pantry full of cookies and hot chocolate on the deck is just what I need right now. :)
Love that picture!
Great blog and picture of Big Golda, I have fond memories of that trip..she loved the ocean so much. So glad we found IB some twenty years ago and that you have kept up the tradition of going there. Many memories have been made and hopefully many more to come. It is always good to know you can go to a place that is constant and you can count on not changing that much, can find the same pizza parlor or dollar stores w/o saying where did they go only to find a newer store in its place or a road running through it. That is IB, almost standing in time. Hopefully I get back there as I have not been since BG was, but live through your visits there, thanks for always sharing. Stand your ground IB, don't change! We will keep coming back and back to enjoy your sand and beautiful sunsets. XO Tricia
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