Sands have loyal visitors

As Memorial Day weekend once again ushered in the summer crowds, Balboa Peninsula residents prepared for increased traffic and parking problems.

Sunday, the three-mile trek along Newport Boulevard from where the 55 freeway ends in Costa Mesa, to the Newport Pier, turned into a 30-minute commute as beach-going vehicles battled one another for a spot on the strip.

Sheryl Alves and Brian Pocock moved to the peninsula just over two years ago. They learned quickly that if you want to get around on the peninsula, a beach cruiser is the only sensible way to roll.

“You have to have them,” Alves said, adding that the bikes have become a piece of the city’s culture. “It’s your only mode of transportation here,” during the summer. The couple often rides them up to Triangle Square to catch a movie, or down the street to do some grocery shopping.

And with the ocean practically at their frontdoor step they plan to hit the beach as often as possible and not much else.

“We like to keep it low-maintenance, hop on the bike with our towels and maybe bring something to play with” like bacci ball or Frisbee, Alves said. “I always bring a book.”

Opting for the hybrid of the car and bike camps, the Higgins family rented a golf cart during their weekend stay. Traveling from their accommodations at Newport Dunes across the highway, the cart proved its worth as it squeezed into many spots only a bicyclist would dare embark. Plus it allowed the family of five to park directly on the sand.

But “even with the golf cart it was difficult to get around,” Jodi Higgins said. “You’re not allowed on the boardwalk and a bunch of places.”

Higgins, 42, of Glendora knows all the spots having visited the beach town since her teens years. In all that time she’s stayed pretty loyal to the sands surrounding Tower 15 on the peninsula. This year should be no different.

For her son, Blake, 10, playing baseball, basketball or whatever sport that involves a ball, on the sand is super cool. Whereas Amanda, 17, and the oldest kid in the crew, prefers improving her natural tan under the sun.

“You can go in the water and play sports” all in the same place, Blake said. “I make a lot of friends here too. I made five new friends since we’ve been here.”

The family plans to return in August and hit the town again on the cart.