Pier-to-pier network

Alicia Robinson

There’s something about a pier that captures the imagination.

Photographers love to snap shots of waves peeling along pilings.

People will wander to a pier’s end for absolutely no good reason.

There’s always plenty to do wherever a pier has taken shape, with the

Orange County coast offering its share of possibilities.

BALBOA PIER

For families, the Balboa Pier, at Main Street toward the end of

the Balboa Peninsula, is a great place to spend the afternoon. From

the pier you get a sweeping view of hillside homes in Newport Coast,

and you can see almost all the way to Crystal Cove.

If you’re strolling down the pier, when you reach the end you can

stop by Ruby’s Diner for some lunch or to cool off with a shake. They

come in 17 flavors including pineapple and black forest. Ruby’s has

an upstairs patio with a water view, or you can use the walk-up

window if you don’t want to stay and eat.

“We thought this was the diner from ‘The OC,’” vacationer Matt

Pomeroy said on a recent afternoon. “The food was still good.”

The Pomeroy family, from Ohio, also checked out the Balboa Island

ferry while in town.

The ferry, just a short walk from the pier, can be a fun ride for

kids -- the staff at Ruby’s recommends the ferry and the nearby

Balboa Fun Zone to out-of-towners.

Peninsula Park has picnic tables and a grassy area for

brown-bagging visitors, and a playground with swings sits at the foot

of the pier.

You’ll find hopeful anglers on just about every pier, and it’s

popular on the Balboa Pier too. This time of year, you might catch

some sardines, mackerel and maybe halibut.

Fisherman Gerard Edgar, who comes from Costa Mesa to fish the

Balboa Pier, revealed the secret of why he likes it here: the parking

is cheaper than at the Newport Pier, and you can park all day without

having to run back to feed a meter.

For a little fresh air and exercise, Easy Ride Bike Rentals offers

surreys that can hold a large family, with rental prices from $25 to

$35 an hour. More diminutive groups can rent a tandem bike, and the

shop also offers a unique three-wheeled recumbent bike. It’s like a

cross between a hammock and a giant tricycle, designed by shop owner

Dale Head.

While news reports say Americans are getting fatter and lazier,

Head said, “Down here in Newport Beach, that’s not the case. It’s a

lot of work to pedal [the surreys], and they enjoy the exercise.”

ON A BUDGET

Hang out on the beach for a while, then drop by the Fun Zone

arcade, where you can get 22 game tokens for $5, and for an ice cream

treat, enjoy a $3 Balboa Bar -- popularized by that ubiquitous show,

“The OC.”

NEWPORT PIER

If it’s early in the morning, or you need a little something late

at night, Seaside Donuts and Bakery is open 24 hours with all the

doughnuts, pastries and muffins you could want.

“Their croissants are better than 99% of the croissants you’ll get

in the Western Hemisphere,” said Arnold Schuchter, a Newporter who

should know -- he writes restaurant reviews for travel magazines.

If you forgot your sunscreen or you need a snack, Henry’s Grocery

has candy, flip-flops, and cold drinks. Employees there will

recommend the Crab Cooker for a seafood meal. When money is no

object, the nearby 21 Oceanfront has entrees starting around $25 up

to the Baja pink abalone for a wallet-slimming $95.

Locals know the place for a cold beer is Blackie’s By the Sea,

which has been by the Newport Pier for more than 50 years. But don’t

expect a drink with a frilly umbrella and fruit stuck in it -- at

Blackie’s the most popular quaff is Budweiser, said bar manager Les

Bobbitt.

A kiosk with an ATM and visitor information is at the foot of the

pier for tourists who get low on cash or want to know how to get to

Fashion Island.

A good place for lunch, in the opinion of 11-year-old Elena Connelly, is Charlie’s Chili, which she said is “really, really

good.” She and her mom, Lori, were vacationing recently from

Pennsylvania and planned to go body boarding and Rollerblading during

their stay.

Body boards, surfboards and bikes can all be rented by the hour

from Boardwalk Sports, and there are summer deals on the boogie

boards.

ON A BUDGET

Rent a body board for an hour at Boardwalk Sports for $3.75, and

quench your thirst after tackling the waves with fresh lemonade from

Jane’s Corndogs -- regular size is $2.50.

HUNTINGTON PIER

The pastime of choice around this pier depends on whom you ask,

but you can find both extremes -- athletic activities and purely

consumer pursuits.

“I think the biggest thing to do around here is shop; either that

or eating,” said Brandon Emery, who works at the Jamba Juice across

Pacific Coast Highway from the pier. “There’s a lot of nice

restaurants too.”

Similar to Balboa, there’s a Ruby’s Diner at the tip of the pier,

and the inland end features Duke’s and Chimayo, where burgers and

seafood can be had post-surfing or shopping. Purveyors of surfboards,

sunglasses and high-end jeans line Main Street where the pier ends.

But amusements that don’t require cash also abound here.

Volleyball nets are set up in the sand on both sides of the pier, and

in the morning the waves are dotted with surfers. Locals say you’re

sure to see something weird while people-watching near the pier --

interesting people, souped-up cars, and often police action when the

weekend crowds get thick.

Biking, skateboarding, Rollerblading, or even just feeding the

seagulls are popular activities, said Darrell Younger, who was taking

a yoga class in Huntington Beach recently.

“I think that’s what draws a lot of people. There are a lot of

outdoor activities and they’re mostly free,” he said.

ON A BUDGET

Check out the surfers or the coastline up close through telescopes

on the pier for just 25 cents, play a game of beach volleyball, and

then chill out with a fruit smoothie from Jamba Juice -- the small

size is about $3.

LAGUNA PIERS

Once upon a time Laguna Beach had not one, but two piers. The

first was built in the early 1900s and extended from Heisler Park,

out past Rock Pile.

The El Nino storms of 1938 destroyed the wooden pier, according to

the Laguna Beach Historical Society.

Decades later, a concrete pier was constructed at Aliso Beach. But

even the more modern structure proved unable to withstand the

elements. Due to significant storm damage the Aliso pier was taken

down in the mid-1990s.