Join the Family Assistance Ministries for this wonderful Christmas event where children will receive toys and/or shoes donated by many in our community. Help us make this a special year for these kids! For more information, or to donate gifts please contact Family Assistance Ministries. (949)492-8477 | www.family-assistance.org
Irish is the theme. Tis’ the 45th annual community St. Patrick’s Dinner Dance sponsored by the Exchange Club in partnership with the City of San Clemente to benefit local charities. Corned beef and cabbage with all the trimmings served from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Ticket donation includes a door prize raffle ticket. Green beer and a full service bar at extra cost. For more information, visit exchangeclubsc.org
It’s the great big FREE event that you have been waiting for and you don’t want to miss! Start the morning with a delicious plate of pancakes, prepared by the San Clemente’s Kiwanis Club (for a nominal fee). Oddly shaped activities, enormous entertainers and one great BIG egg hunt! Visit with the huggable bunny, wander through the Path of Random Facts, play games and enjoy the day eating scrumptious snacks (for a nominal fee)! Arrive on time for the BIG hunt, from newborns up to 10 years! For more information, please contact the Recreation Division at (949) 361-8264.
Sponsored by the Family Assistance Ministries, in partnership with the City of San Clemente. The brunch is open to needy individuals and families. If you are in need or know someone that is, stop by the Family Assistance Ministries at 929 Calle Negocio to pick up an invitation for this event. Walk-ups with no invitations also accepted. If you would like to volunteer for the event or would like to donate food, filled Easter Baskets and filled plastic eggs please call 492-8477.
San Clemente Garden Club (SCGC) is featuring an amazing “Community Gardenfest”. The "Gardenfest" is co-hosted by the SCGC and the City of San Clemente, featuring
• Horticultural mini-symposiums,
• A Master Gardener on site to answer your questions,
• Short educational presentations for your kids, and
• A garden flea market, just to mention a few.
For more information, call (949)498-2335.
Saturday, May 5, 2012; 12pm-6pm
Max Berg Plaza Park (1100 Calle Puente)
The 21st Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration will showcase live entertainment featuring Mariachis, Aztec Dancers, Ballet Folkloric and live bands along with a colorful student art contest and exhibit, children’s activities, authentic food and drinks. Interested volunteers, food, game and sales vendors, please contact the Recreation Division at (949)361-8264.
The City of San Clemente will once again host a day to remember our fallen soldiers of war. All public and local organizations are invited to participate in the wreath and floral presentation. This program is co-sponsored by the SC South Coast Detachment, Marine Corps League, Orange County Sheriff Department, MOWW, and many civic organizations and volunteers. The event is free and open to the public. For more information please contact the City’s Recreation Division at (949) 361-8264.
The San Clemente Rotary Club, in partnership with the City of San Clemente Beaches, Parks and Recreation Department, presents “Swing Dance by The Sea” for the 20th exciting year. USO/Canteen Night Includes dinner from Carbonara's. Uniforms and '40s era attire welcomed.
For tickets and additional information please call (949)361-1298 or visit www.sanclementerotary.org.
Sunday, June 10, 2012; 10am-3pm
Avenida Del Mar (map)
Join the Downtown Business Association as they present the 16th annual car show on Avenida Del Mar. Stroll the street amongst quality show cars from classics to the exotic. The event generally draws over 300 cars, and includes a variety of vendors, entertainment and exhibits. Bring the whole family, and take time to shop or browse Del Mar stores which are also open. A Free shuttle service will be offered from San Clemente High School. For more information about the event, please check the Downtown
Business Association website at www.villagesanclemente.org.
Saturday & Sunday, July 21-22, 2012
San Clemente Pier (map)
The San Clemente Ocean Festival is celebrating 36 years of “The Greatest Show on Surf!”. Come join the fun – Waterman & Waterwoman Competitions, Surf & Bodysurf Contests, Fishing Derbies, Woody Car Exhibit, Ocean Art Show, Children’s Pavilion and much, much more! Saturday, start your day off w/a delicious pancake breakfast, enjoy the activities and events of the day and as the sun sets join friends & family for a FREE concert. The fun continues on Sunday right up to the end w/the ever-popular Rubber Duck Race for the event’s finale! www.oceanfestival.org voice mail 949-440-6141.
This exciting Street Festival features fun and activities for the whole family, including: Food and game booths sponsored by local nonprofit organizations, three stages with continuous live music throughout the day, contests, a Salsa Challenge, arts & crafts show, business exposition, kiddy rides, a classic car & motorcycle show, exhibits, clowns, jugglers, face painters and much more. No admission charge. For more information, call the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce at (949) 492-1131 or visit www.scchamber.com.
Saturday & Sunday, August 18-19, 2012
10am-5pm; Community Center (100 N. Calle Seville)
In partnership with the City of San Clemente, the San Clemente Art Association presents this annual event with over 100 exhibit booths of fine art paintings and hand crafts. Free to the public. For more information, call (949) 369-8343 or visit
www.scartgallery.com.
12th Annual Skate Contest
Saturday, September 15
Ralphs Skate Court (241 Ave. La Pata)
5th Annual Shortboard Surf Contest
Sunday, September 16
San Clemente Pier (map)
The SC OPEN skate-surf contest promotes San Clemente’s local boarders while raising funds for the Beaches, Parks and Recreation Foundation. Skateboarders and shortboard surfers will have the opportunity to showcase their best skate run, wave or both! $35 to compete in each contest. All contestants will receive a contest t-shirt and have an opportunity to win prizes. On-site registration and pre-registration check-in will begin at 7:00am each day of the event. SKATERS MUST WEAR PROPER SAFETY EQUIPMENT INCLUDING HELMET, KNEE AND ELBOW PADS!
Sunday, October 7; 10am-3pm
San Clemente Pier (map)
The Seafest features a Chowder Cook-off with citizens, restaurants, and businesses competing for the best chowder. The event also includes: Arts & Crafts Show, Surf Contest, and Business Expo. United States Coast Guard Search and Rescue Demo Operation, Face Painting; Kiddie Rides and much more! Free shuttle parking is available at San Clemente High School. For more event information call the Chamber of Commerce at 492-1131 or visit www.scchamber.com.
Partner with FAM to feed hundreds of our local homeless and hungry by providing food and/or funds to make this a feast to remember! Adopt-a Family for Thanksgiving! Would you like to brighten Thanksgiving for your neighbor in need? Through FAM’s Adopt-a-Family you can provide a Thanksgiving meal and deliver it right to their home. For more information contact FAM at info@family-assistance.org or 949-492-8477.
Saturday, November 24, 2012; 5pm-9pm
Avenida Del Mar (map)
Proudly presented by the San Clemente Downtown Business Association, our time honored tradition, Puttin’ on the Glitz! Come and bring the whole family to an evening of holiday cheer and enchantment. Santa will be available for photos, there will be live entertainment and the downtown shops will remain open late to help with your holiday shopping list! So what better way to kick off the holiday season by joining in on the festivities as the Downtown Business Association is Puttin’ on the Glitz! For more information: (949)218-5378 | www.villagesanclemente.org
ALL ABOARD -- Amtrak's
scenic rail route travels right through the heart of the San Clemente Pier
area. Photo by Cary Ordway
The International Feel of San Clemente
Those
driving south on Interstate 5 to San Diego will know exactly what we mean when
we say there just is no more spectacular ocean view than the one you encounter
while making your way through San Clemente. On a clear, sunny day, and most of
them are, it's hard to keep your eyes on the road as you take in a landscape
that includes San Clemente's neatly terraced, palm tree-studded hills and the
vast blue ocean with its distant horizon.
These very same views no doubt
influenced Richard Nixon in his decision to buy an estate in San Clemente that
would become the Western White House during the early 1970s. The president would
have Air Force One land at El Toro and then take a Marine helicopter to a San
Clemente beach area where he would ride a golf cart the final few yards to his
prized estate, La Casa Pacifica.
Today the estate still is there on a
bluff overlooking one of California's most pristine beaches, but it's really
only possible to get a glimpse of parts of it from the beach below. Just to get
in position to view La Casa Pacifica, it's a mile-and-a-half walk from the
nearest beach access point at San Clemente State Beach. But what a great mile
and a half it is.
The beach, to us, is one of the main attractions of San
Clemente -- it's possible to walk five miles altogether on a beach that is wide,
scenic and, best of all, hardly used. There is no stumbling over other
beach-goers as you search for some solitude among the masses. At this beach,
there is nothing but solitude along great stretches of sparkling sand where you
can plop down anywhere you like, set up your blanket, chairs and cooler and
pretend that you're Robinson Crusoe for at least the afternoon.
There of
course is a good representation of surfers on any given day along this beach;
this is prime territory for those in search of consistent waves. Boogie-boarders
too are drawn to the beach to ride a curling surf that, in some places, offers a
thrill a minute. But most of the people you see here are simply beach-walkers,
enjoying a gentle stroll on wide sand that seems to go on forever.
A few miles north from San
Clemente State Beach is the pier area, a part of San Clemente that attracts
visitors and locals alike. If you're looking for a weekend getaway, this may
well be the spot with its charming village-like atmosphere where you can dine in
sidewalk cafes, visit the local market or walk out on the pier for some great
views of the surfers and the entire coast. A number of lodgings are available in
this area, many with spectacular views of the ocean and pier area.
One of
our favorite things to do is to stop at the pier on our way through San
Clemente. It's just a little over a mile from the freeway and it's a rewarding
mini-getaway just to drop in at Fisherman's Restaurant on the pier and enjoy
fresh fish and a microbrew while basking in the sun and soaking up the seaside
atmosphere. On a recent weekend, the restaurant's considerable outdoor seating
was fully occupied through most of the afternoon, a sign that we're not the only
ones who have discovered this delightful seaside respite.
Whether over
nighting or day tripping in San Clemente, one of the first things you notice is
the Spanish street names. Not uncommon in California, the San Clemente city
fathers have taken it one step further with a kind of prohibition against any
street name that does not look or sound Spanish. But all of that just adds to
the charm and blends well with the Spanish architecture that is so dominant
along the gently sloping hillsides of San Clemente.
Come to find out, the
Spanish feel of San Clemente is quite intentional and was brought to the city
not by some Spanish conquistador, but rather by the former mayor of Seattle. Ole
Hanson founded the "Spanish Village by the Sea" way back in 1925 with strict
guidelines that called for Spanish colonial architecture with red tile roofs and
white plaster. In other words, Hanson proposed a theme town before theme towns
were cool.
The town retains a historical flavor and visitors are
encouraged to see remnants of the original "Spanish Village by the Sea." The
former City Hall is now an antique gallery. Casa Romantica was Hanson's own
Spanish compound that he lost in the stock market crash of 1929; it is now owned
by the city. A San Clemente visitor center and museum offers visitors a quick
overview of the attractions they'll find in San Clemente.
Another thing
that becomes obvious is that there are few streets in San Clemente that are
straight. Because of the hilly and sloping topography, most roads weave through
and around the hills, again adding a special kind of Mediterranean flavor to the
town. It may be a little harder to find your way from Point A to Point B, but
you will enjoy the figuring out how to get there. And of course it's difficult
to get truly lost when the ocean is visible from just about anyplace in
town.
While in San Clemente, you'll want to stroll down Avenida Del Mar,
where you'll find a wide assortment of shops in a lushly landscaped setting.
This is not some famous shopping district with designer stores and celebrities;
rather it's Main Street USA with the kind of shopping you might find in your
hometown -- a varied collection of shops, boutiques, antique stores, galleries
and sidewalk cafes. It's a fun place to spend a little bit of your San Clemente
getaway.
San Clemente is an ideal day trip for Southern California
residents, but it's also an excellent base of operations for those coming from
farther away. There are close to 20 different lodgings to choose from, ranging
from bed-and-breakfast inns to motor inns to seaside condos. If you base in San
Clemente, you'll find many attractions are located within a short drive from the
city. For example, Dana Point, once the only major harbor between San Diego and
Santa Barbara , is just north of the city.
The same harbor that attracted
those earlier mariners is still very much a port of call, but leaning more
toward pleasure craft with its 2,500 slips that are usually occupied with a wide
selection of expensive yachts and small boats that would make any boat show
proud. The Dana Point Marina, of course, becomes the centerpiece to the area and
the focus of pictures and paintings that are readily available in local gift
shops.
The Dana Point Marina is not just a bunch of boats. A whole
village has grown up dockside to offer tourists shopping and places to enjoy
lunch or dinner. Some 25 shops and 20 restaurants are open in Dana Wharf,
Mariners Village and Mariners Alley. But the boats are a big part of its fun --
it's great strolling along the docks, daydreaming about owning one of these
beautiful craft.
San Juan Capistrano is close by as well and it's easy to
drive from San Clemente to the famous Mission at San Juan Capistrano where you
can tour the picturesque grounds. Just a bit farther up the coast is Laguna,
where you'll find great shopping, a vibrant arts community and Orange County
chic.
Nixon did indeed know what he was doing when he set up his Western
White House in San Clemente. It's about as far away from the pressures of
Washington politics as a president can
get.
San
Clemente has earned a well deserved reputation as the resort
beach town in Orange
County. Long, white sandy strands invite you to take slow sunset
strolls. But beautiful beaches
and 342 days of sunshine a year are only part of the appeal that makes
people want to call San Clemente home.
San Clemente is experiencing a quiet
renaissance. Newcomers
and long-time residents
alike are taking care to preserve and revitalize the timeless charm that
makes San Clemente such an attractive place to own
a Southern
California home. You are personally invited to live life at a slower,
more considered pace - which is exactly what Ole
Hanson had in mind when he founded San Clemente in 1925.
Ole wrote, "I envision a place where people
can live together more pleasantly than in any other place in America." San
Clemente still embodies this vision.
At water's edge, you'll find the crown jewel
of Avenida Del Mar, the San
Clemente Pier. Surrounded by hotels
and outdoor cafes
and bistros,
the pier
has lured locals and fishermen
since 1928. It is also the gathering place for some of San Clemente's
best-loved traditions like the annual clam
chowder cook-off and the Ocean
Festival.
Widely acclaimed for its innovative
educational programs, the Capistrano
Unified School District serves the City
of San Clemente. Five of the district schools have been recipients of
the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program and 17 schools in the district
have been designated as California Distinguished Schools.
San
Clemente Hospital and Medical
Center has served south Orange County for over 25 years. Focusing on
building a healthier
community and continuing to expand services in response to needs of
residents, the hospital's mission is to provide high quality, personalized
care in a cost effective manner. The hospital
has received the distinction of "Accreditation with Commendation," the
highest level of accreditation a hospital can receive for outstanding
patient care.
San Clemente is conveniently located off the
I -5 Freeway. Quick and easy access to other Southern California destinations
is also made possible by the nearby San
Joaquin Transportation Corridor (73).
San Clemente residents who commute to Los
Angeles can relax or catch up on work while riding the rails of Metrolink.
Traveling at an average speed of 50 miles per hour, Metrolink's Orange
County train
service runs from Oceanside through Orange County to Los Angeles'
Union Station, and stops at ten train
stations along the way, including San Clemente.
