Letter of the week

I have lived in Corona del Mar more than 20 years. My home is

significantly closer to the beach than it is to the Dunes. Nonetheless,

two or three times a year, I take my motor home out of storage in Santa

Ana, spend a day or two preparing it for a trip with my family and drive

it to the Dunes for a weekend.

Why in the world would I do this? For one thing, it’s not a cheap

weekend. If you don’t believe me, call the Dunes Resort and check out the

nightly rate for a beachfront site during the summer. Secondly, it’s not

for convenience. Beachfront sites in the summer must be reserved months

in advance and then the actual site you get is potluck.

So why would one go through all the effort for a non-trip as this? The

answer is for the rare and unique access to a rare and currently unique

place. The same reason I see Girl Scouts camping, couples getting married

and company picnics all on the beach while I’m there. It’s going on all

of the time. My wife, two daughters and I love the experience and are

always saddened when we must leave.

For many years I drove the stretch of East Coast Highway on the bluff

past the Dunes and I never gave it a second thought. Then one day

somebody told me about it and I checked it out. I was amazed. Based upon

my own very unscientific survey, I strongly suspect that most locals are

oblivious to the place as I was.

I recently saw a picture of the Dunes taken sometime during the 1960s.

Although there were no RVs, there were plenty of campers. All in all, not

that different from today. I became envious of those who have enjoyed the

place long before me.

I believe that the leaseholders of the Dunes area are its guardians.

We will be saddened if the area is irreparably altered and diverted from

its current use now and in the future.

TOM STEFL

Corona del Mar