O.C. Q&A: Laguna Beach Edition

Downtown Laguna Beach, circa 1954.

Q:  Is that area just north of Laguna Beach spelled "El Moro" or "El Morro?" 

A:  "Morro" is the correct spelling of the Spanish word for a rounded promontory -- in this case a reference to nearby Abalone Point. Both versions appear on early maps. But there was some "creative spelling" early on. Historian Don Meadows wrote about "Morro Bay" and the adjoining "Moro Canyon," splitting the difference. He noted that the "Moro" misspelling is now the traditional name for the canyon. As for the cove, there are vocal proponents for both spellings. Should I stir the pot by mentioning that the area is also historically known as Scotchman's Cove?

Q:  Why is Laguna Beach the only O.C. coastal city without a pier?

A:  The dramatic surf that makes Laguna Beach so scenic also destroyed its many piers. One of the best known was built of eucalyptus logs in the late 1890s. It began near the current Heisler Park gazebo and extended 500 feet. It was rebuilt in 1911, blown down in a storm, and replaced in 1926 with a new 1,150-foot pier that bit the dust in a 1939 hurricane. Bits of the pilings are still visible on Bird Rock. The last pier in Laguna, at Aliso Beach, was built in 1971 and required regular repairs until storms in the late 1990s spelled its demise. Officials finally stopped fighting nature, and Laguna remains pierless.

Q:  Which Laguna came first: Beach, Hills, Woods, or Niguel?

A:  When we old-timers say “Laguna” we still mean Laguna Beach. That town – named for the lakes at the top of Laguna Canyon (Cañada de las Lagunas) – was born in the 1870s. The hills above it have been called the Laguna Hills since at least the 1890s, but that didn’t become a community name until further development in the early 1960s. In the late 20th Century, everyone wanted the Laguna Beach aura to rub off on their new communities. The neighborhoods adjacent to Leisure World incorporated as Laguna Hills in 1991, while Leisure World itself incorporated as Laguna Woods in 1999. The name Laguna Niguel was created by developers in 1959 and it too became a city in 1989. And don’t forget the 1980s’ Laguna Audubon development (no connection to the Audubon Society), where residents sued, saying they were sold houses in plain old El Toro (now called Lake Forest) when they thought they were buying in ritzy-titzy Laguna Beach.

Q:  How long has the Shake Shack stood above Crystal Cove?

A:  This beachfront landmark appeared not long after the adjacent segment of PCH opened in the late 1920s, when little date shake and orange juice stands were synonymous with roadside Southern California. Early on, it was the Laguna Beach Hot Dog Stand. By the 1940s and ‘50s the focus was on orange juice, although nuts, shakes, and dried fruit were also sold. 

The shack was heavily remodeled in 1968. In the mid-1970s Virginia McKinney took the reins, renamed it Sunshine Cove, and added health food options to the menu. The State bought the land as part of Crystal Cove State Park in 1979, and the stand became a park concession. 

The Ruby's diner chain held the concession from 2006 until about 2020, and continued to serve the classic date and “Monkey Flip” (chocolate-banana-date-and-peanut-butter) shakes. And after a brief dalliance with a white a blue paint job, the building was returned the building its traditional bright yellow. It's unclear who has the concession from State Parks now, but the Monkey Flip doesn't seem to have made the cut. 

[This post originally consisted of just the photo above. The Q&A was added on 1/6/2014.   --CJ]