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We moved to Briny in February 1953. I would be 3 and my sister would be 5 in April of that year. Growing up at the beach in Briny was the best . . . and I have the skin cancer to prove it!

We rented year-round. In the winter when the snowbirds came down, we would find an empty spot to park our trailer and in the summer would move up by the beach. We always lived near the beach because that’s where mom wanted to be. When I was in junior high school, we moved to a house my father built on Douglas Drive, on the north side of Briny, and around 1970 he built our 2nd home on Surf Road, on the south side of Briny.

We still have movies of the Christmas recitals put on by the dance students of Aleta Dore (sp?) . . . yes, in the quonset huts. Does anyone remember our director? I will have to ask my mom and sister who directed those recitals. If memory serves, those participating included Judy, Diane and Denise (and possibly David) David, Eric and Tommy Ham, Dana Littlefield, Clare Ohland, a Bashaw or 2 and Diantha Inn.

Those quonset huts also housed the multi-denominational church where we attended Sunday School.

We lived in Briny long before double wides were invented. We were 6 in a single trailer. My older sister and I slept on a pullout couch on the screened-in patio with the 2 youngest kids in the bunkbeds, mid-trailer. On cold mornings, we would be hard put to get out from under the covers and into the warmth of the trailer, where mom would be warming our undies in the oven as well as taking the chill off the trailer. In the summertime we would fall asleep to the heady fragrance of night-blooming jasmine and the sound of the ocean. the only thing that sounded better than the ocean waves lapping the shore was the sound of rain on our tin roof or canvas awning.

i doubt i could have found a better place to grow up.

I love Briny and always will. I have been coming since I was small. My great grandparents and my grandparents the Coirs have been here forever. My beloved Grandfather loved Briny so much. He loved to talk, visit work in the art shop, he could hardley wait till winter started. He now lives in the waters off of Briny, always waiting for us to come down. Now my own parents and my dog brother winter here. I come down to share memories with my Gram, and begin new ones with my parents. My heart lights up at the thought of Briny. THANK YOU for such heart warming memories.

I remember playing at Dante’s Den around 1976 when it was the mecca of rock in the area. We came in from Colorado (band was Swan, Led Zeppelin afficionados) and immediately loved the place. It was the best place to play! Dave, i remember your band Cherry Hump from Kokomo, Ind. and you guys were legends at Dantes Den! I remember Carvin and Debbie the bartenders (don’t ask me how I remember…) I lived in the small cottages behind the surf shop (still there!!) and have a lot of great memories.

@Ellen Grannis:

Hello Ellen,
You may not remember me. I lived at 51 Douglas Drive with my parents as a child . My Brother Lane was around your age I believe. I used to hang around with Cookie. She fell and cut her chin open on our front porch one year and I cried my head off for days!

I saw a post on here from her. But no way to contact her. I would love to say hello to her after all these years. I still have photos of the two of us together on our front porch on Douglas Drive!

I remember the sun the fun the beach… the sound of the waves,, ocean breeze,, palm trees rustling next to our windows every night.. barefoot all the time… Yes all blondes and all tanned all the time!!
Why Did I ever leave..?? ;’)