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Beach Guide: Sunset Beach
If you've never taken a stroll through Sunset Beach, you're truly missing out on a pleasant little secret spot. Who knows... you may have driven right through it without even knowing. It really belongs in a class of its very own. This 1 mile long stretch of Orange County coastline is about as unique as a beach town can get these days. It's located just north of Huntington Beach (just above Bolsa Chica) and South of Seal Beach.
Sunset Beach, to this day, remains unincorporated (meaning, it's not a part of any particular municipality). This also means that they do not have residential mail delivery, however they do have a local post office, where residents can pick up their mail.
For a small, quaint little beach town, Sunset Beach still offers a plethora of attractions for locals and tourists alike. Beach parking is usually always readily available... and free (one of the many refreshing things about Sunset), and is located just off of PCH lining the Green Belt, a 14 acre park running parallel to the beach where people jog, walk their dogs, and relax.
Sunset plays host to plenty of restaurants and bars to get that fix of any sort. There's Nadine's Irish Mist, a mellow Irish pub, or you can even grab a cocktail at Turcs right up the road, or hit up happy hour at Taco Surf.
They've got roadside diners like the Harbor House Cafe, Woody's Diner, and Harry's Grill. All three of these spots are super mellow and grill up those dishes that hit the spot any time of day/night.
Sunset is also home to some of the best seafood restaurants in the area. These spots include Captain Jack's, Harpoon Harry's (not to be confused with Harry's Grill... they're quite different), and Fish Camp. You'll be surely impressed with what any of these three spots will serve up for you.
There's also one of my favorite spots in Orange County, Brix. This is a super relaxed wine bar that also serves up some great food. The vibe is real and the scene is always a friendly one.
If you're looking to get active on your visit to Sunset Beach, there's a couple of Kayak joints (they also rent Stand Up Paddle boards if that's more your thing), Kite Surfing lessons and sales, as well as the famous Bruce Jones Surf Shop with surfboard sales and rentals.
The beach itself is typically pretty quiet and the surf line-up is usually empty. Although Sunset Beach is not famous for surfing, it does have a tendency to get pretty good sometimes. And, the best part about when it does go off is: Nobody's out!
Sunset Beach is a very nice place to spend the day. You can park your car in the morning and simply walk around the entire day without getting bored or even tired (it's a really small stretch of entertainment).
Keep an ear out for the annual activities that take place in Sunset Beach: A one mile long garage sale, the Christmas parking lot "No Parade", Mother's Day Weekend Art Festival, and the Chili Cookoff.
Keep your eyes open for sunset Beach the next time you're cruising up PCH... if you blink, you might miss it!
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