Addicted to Coppertone

by Kathy Holmes

"My name is Sandy Brown and I'm addicted to Coppertone" is how the 20-something character in my novel, Real Women Wear Red, introduced herself. No wonder I wrote that into the book because I grew up in a southern California beach city, and nothing says southern California to me like the scent of Coppertone. And nobody captures the feeling of southern California beaches like Disney does in their Paradise Pier section of Disney's California Adventure (DCA) Park - pictured above.

It was Flip Flops and FABs all around at the opening weekend of DCA's Food & Wine Festival. We tasted California wine, Italian wine and beer from around the world. While I do enjoy a good microbrew now and then, I wouldn't call myself a beer drinker. But I am discovering that now is an exciting time to discover new beers. For me it all started with Blue Moon, which was introduced to me by Laura Caldwell's character Izzy McNeil in the Izzy McNeil mystery series. Have you ever done that - tried something new you discovered in a novel? Well, now I'm hooked on Blue Moon with its citrusy orange flavors and similar beers with a hint of the tropics like what the Kona Brewing Company is brewing.

But one thing led to another this past weekend, and we found ourselves traipsing down memory lane to Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and Balboa Island. These are the beaches of my childhood when we were on the cutting edge of pop culture wearing our flip flops, pedal pushers, and t-shirts, listening to the Beach Boys  on our transistor radios at the beach. Where VW Bugs carrying surfboards were the norm, before "bitchin" and "dude" were part of the common vocabulary, when you might wear a "grass skirt" and halter top with Hawaiian leis at Halloween and were asked, "Do you like surfers" and you'd better say "yes."

Fellow southern California beach girl and Pop Culture Diva Chiron O'Keefe knows what I'm talking about. So naturally when we returned home and I started catching up up on PCD posts, wondering what I should write about this week, I read Chiron's post about the Beatles and the wave of nostalgia I was already feeling practically drowned me. :) It was only natural I'd have to blog about that special time in a special place that will haunt me my entire life no matter where I live - from California to Florida and places in-between. Not only that, but after the trip, I was inspired to return to work on my manuscript in progress that's set in that place and time.

And because no PCD post would be complete (for me) without a youtube video or two, I thought I'd share some of my favorite nostalgic, pop culture memories (I can smell the Coppertone) from my childhood.

Surfin' USA



Little Deuce Coupe



My signature song - Fun, Fun, Fun



Surfer Girl - Beach Boys' first slow song




Don't Worry Baby



Kokomo - led this California girl to Florida and the Caribbean and the writing of Real Women Wear Red, set on a Caribbean cruise.



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