"Join us for tons of [...]]]> January 25th is the Whale Fiesta at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.  Look at the nifty whale sand sculptures on the beach.  Also admission to the aquarium is free that day.  I predict lots of youngsters will be at the event as this looks extremely family friendly.  Their website write-up is funny:

"Join us for tons of fun as we celebrate the migration of the Pacific Gray Whale past our shores and the start of the Whalewatch season at the annual Whale Fiesta on Sunday, January 25, 2009 from 10 am to 4:30 pm. Co-sponsored by CMA and the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, it’s a family day filled with activities and exhibits for all. We’ll have our famous Duct Tape Whale Sculpture Contest, games, arts and crafts, puppet shows for children of all ages, talks by whale experts, food and gift vendors, marine awareness organizations and music! This year we are building a life-sized rare Cuvier’s beaked whale out of sand on our beach. Grab your shovels and come lend a hand! Admission is free and a 25-cent park and ride shuttle is available at 22nd and Miner Streets (at the end of Harbor Blvd.). For more information, please call Larry Fukuhara at (310) 548-7562 x223."

The American Cetacean Society and duct tape whale sculptures?  Who can resist that? 

MALIBU PUBLIC BEACHES SAFARIS—SUMMER 2008

Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches in Malibu? The twenty miles that are lined with private development? The "Malibu Public Beaches" safaris show you how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe on a Malibu beach [...]]]> The Los Angeles Urban Rangers are pleased to announce:

MALIBU PUBLIC BEACHES SAFARIS—SUMMER 2008

Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches in Malibu? The twenty miles that are lined with private development? The "Malibu Public Beaches" safaris show you how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe on a Malibu beach legally and safely. Each safari visits two different beaches. Skills-enhancing activities include a public-private boundary hike, sign watching, a no-kill hunt for accessways, and a public easement potluck.

We are offering five safaris this summer in west and east Malibu:

SAT June 14, 11:00am-2:30pm (East Malibu)
SUN June 15, 11:00am-2:30pm (West Malibu)
SUN July 27, 9:00am-12:30pm (East Malibu)
SAT Aug 2, 3:00pm-6:30pm (West Malibu)
SUN Aug 3, 3:00pm-6:30pm (East Malibu)

Safaris are free. Spaces are limited. To sign up, e-mail info@laurbanrangers.org w/name, # of people and preferred date. For further information on the safaris and the Los Angeles Urban Rangers, please visit http://www.laurbanrangers.org/.

A downloadable "Malibu Public Beaches" guide is available on our website.

Hope to see you at the beach!
Los Angeles Urban Rangers
www.laurbanrangers.org

The Los Angeles Urban Rangers is a collective of artists, writers, architects, and urban designers. We adopt the park ranger persona – friendly, knowledgeable, direct, and a tad gee-whiz mobile – to explore the workings of our home megalopolis, and to give people the interpretive tools to do the same.

****  This is a totally great time!  Click on my Beaches tab to see my pics from last summer when I was obsessed with the beaches.  **** 

In conjunction with the Just Space(s) exhibition at LACE, the LosAngeles Urban Rangers announce:

"MALIBU PUBLIC BEACHES" SAFARI

Saturday, November 3, 11:00am-2:30pm

Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches inMalibu? The twenty miles [...]]]> Hurry!  Sign up before it fills up!  I had a great time on this when I went back in August.

In conjunction with the Just Space(s) exhibition at LACE, the Los
Angeles Urban Rangers announce:

A downloadable "Malibu Public Beaches" guide is available on our
website.
http://www.laurbanrangers.org/content/files/malibubeachessafari/laur_malibu_guide.pdf

============

On Saturday, August 11, 2007, the Rangers, a merry band of artists, urban planners, and environmentalists, led a "safari" to the Malibu Beaches and showed about 35 people how to access and enjoy the pristine beaches there [...]]]> Thanks to the Los Angeles Urban Rangers, I’ll never be intimidated by a no-trespassing sign again. 

On Saturday, August 11, 2007, the Rangers, a merry band of artists, urban planners, and environmentalists, led a "safari" to the Malibu Beaches and showed about 35 people how to access and enjoy the pristine beaches there that are blocked by beachhouses.  Under California law, the coastline up to the mean high tide line is open to public access.  Not too many people know this, and thus shy away from what seem to be exclusive beaches. The owners also post up misleading private property signs to scare off people.  Please see my previous posts for more info and links to great maps.

The safari was very well organized with activities such as enacting stereotypical beach activities and making tableaus out of them, "trailblazing" – measuring off dry sand easements, potlucking and singing. We used a tape measure to find the specs of the sandy beach that we were allowed to play on.  Homeowners can own parts of the sand, just not the part that directly touches the ocean.  Many of the private properties have easements which allow the public to use the beach.  It was empowering seeing what a 25 feet easement looked like and knowing we had all that space.  We took a moment of silence at an accessway gate (public path to the beach) that was only opened for three weeks, most likely as a vengeful act by one beachhouse owner to another. In front of another beach house, we sang Arlo Guthrie’s "This Land is Your Land."  The rangers, outfitted in forest ranger garb, were knowledgeable, sincere, and irreverent, a great combo.  Smokey the Bear and Ranger Rick would love them.

At least one angry homeowner in bathing trunks came after us as we used a tape measure before this property. At the end of his beach deck, he stood ready to bite. We entered the beach at the 22126 Pacific Coast Highway, the David Geffen accessway as it is fondly known.  I feel bad for the guy; he’s basically has a parade of beachgoers right next to his compound.  But what does he expect?  He doesn’t own the beach.  His security guard patrolled the area, telling a few group members not to lean on the porch.

Here are some shots from our day.
My killer FREE parking spot right next to the accessway (22126 PCH) and right before Geffen’s house.  Notice the brown Coastal Access sign.  Look for these as you drive for they mark accessway gates.  Some accessways, however, are not marked.

22126 PCH is the accessway to Carbon Beach.  At least the gates match the Cape Cod look of Geffen’s house.  Walking from my car to the beach was equivalent to walking from one room to another.  No more forking over $10 for parking and being with crowds at other beaches.

The lovely Carbon Beach.  1:00 pm on a Saturday and no one’s around!  Also there are no lifeguards, restrooms, and food stands.  Restaurants and businesses are nearby enough if you dare to walk across PCH.

 
Safari-goers listening to the rangers:

Safari participants next to the "natives":

Ranger with beach arrows.  Those umbrella-tipped pins were used to mark off the easements.

One of the many Malibu Road accessways, off of Webb Way from the PCH.  This beach felt more secluded.  

Watch out for dog poop (that’s seaweed above). Though dogs are not allowed on the beach, they were everywhere and apparently not curbed.  I stepped in some poop and spent the rest of the safari trying to get it all off. Yuck.

Misleading signs:

Afterwards, we ate shrimp cocktails, mussels, and fish tacos at Malibu Seafood, very fresh and delicious. I’ve lived in L.A. for over a decade and this was the first time, I truly felt the call of the ocean.  Thanks Rangers!  Thanks to the California Coastal Commmission and Access for All for all their hard work forging public access to the beaches.  Visit their sites to get maps and more info. (The Access for All site appears to be in progress.)

Previous posts on this topic here.   It’s your beach, go out and enjoy it!

The free Malibu Public Beach safaris led by the Los Angeles Urban Rangers (previous post) are this weekend, but they’re all full. Openings are anticipated for next weekend. Instead DIY your own safari with these steps:

1. Read this LATimes article on the safaris. 2. Download the free guides at www.laurbanrangers.com3. Download the California Coastal Commision’s [...]]]>

The free Malibu Public Beach safaris led by the Los Angeles Urban Rangers (previous post) are this weekend, but they’re all full. Openings are anticipated for next weekend. Instead DIY your own safari with these steps:

1. Read this LATimes article on the safaris.
2. Download the free guides at www.laurbanrangers.com
3. Download the California Coastal Commision’s free map, "Broad Beach Coastal Access" here.  Look to the left side for it.

Yes, this is a lot of paper to get through, but it’s so worth it.  I found the wonderful and uncrowded Lechuza Beach following the maps above.  I parked in a ritzy neighborhood, pressed on a magic gate, walked down a short driveway past more ritzy beach houses, and entered a beach that truly made California feel like an escape, a feat in this dirty city.

The access gate on East Sea Level Drive was hard to find because the sign for the drive was obscured by a tree and the gate had a no passing sign on it.  The sign should not be there according to the California Coastal Commission, a state organization that regulates beach access acreas in Malibu. I have to emphasize again the free and easy parking!  These are neighborhood beaches that the oceanfront property owners try to keep people away from.  But the beach is not private property in California.  This is like trying to say Griffith Park is your private property.  The beach is a public space that belongs to all. So get out and enjoy yourself.  You’ll never be back at Topanga or Zuma again.  Well, okay, maybe if you need a restroom or a lifeguard because the hidden beaches in Malibu don’t have these things.

The magic gate and the misleading sign.

Here is my post-safari report, with lots of pictures, on accessing the East Malibu beaches. Fun fun fun.  (Lechuza is on the West side of Malibu.)

Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches in Malibu? The twenty miles that are lined with private development? The "Malibu Public Beaches" safaris will show you how to find, park, [...]]]> Learned about this via laobserved.com.  A group called the L.A. Urban Rangers is showing people the secret beaches of Malibu:

Tired of Zuma and Surfrider? Want to find and use the other beaches in Malibu? The twenty miles that are lined with private development? The "Malibu Public Beaches" safaris will show you how to find, park, walk, picnic, and sunbathe on a Malibu beach. Each 3 1/2-hour safari visits two or three beaches and explores natural history, jurisdiction, and the identification of public and private property. Skills-enhancing activities include a public-private boundary hike, an accessway hunt, sign watching, and a public easement potluck.

Sign up here: http://www.laurbanrangers.org/
Read my post on finding Lechuza Beach using LA Urban Rangers material.  It was a haven.
And here is my post-safari report on the accessing the East Malibu beaches. Lechuza is on the West side of Malibu.