A heartbreaking trip to Malibu

Dateline Malibu, California:

In the 1970s, one of my favorite television shows was “The Rockford Files.” James Garner played this hip private detective who was always getting into adventures that were over his head. But, somehow, he survived to live another week—go figure.

For me, the coolest thing about the show was how he was living in a trailer parked on the beach in Malibu. I thought, what a great way to live. How peaceful would it be to wake up each morning and look out your window at the Pacific Ocean? Can you think of a better way to start your day?

I moved to Southern California a few years after “The Rockford Files” ended. One of my first trips was to check out Malibu. While my first time driving on the Pacific Coast Highway was stunning, I was somewhat disillusioned upon arrival. There were no trailers on the beach—not a single one. Damn, that Rockford!

But, there were gorgeous homes both on the beach and on the other side of PCH. And then there was the Ocean. For me, there’s nothing like the Pacific Ocean. The water is so beautiful; just looking at it soothes your soul.

I never lived in Malibu, but I spent plenty of time there during my almost fifteen years in SoCal. I grew to love the beauty and peace. When I come to Los Angeles on vacation, it’s one of the places that is at the top of my list to see.

When I was there in March, we were hanging out near the beach in Santa Monica. We decided to drive up PCH to see how close to Malibu we could get. It wasn’t very far. It was just a few blocks before there were barricades and a police presence. The area was still reeling from the fires. It was too soon to get to Maibu.

Last week, I was again in L.A. It was the same scenario—hanging out in Santa Monica, trying to get to Malibu. This time, it was no problem. PCH was open and apprehensively, I was ready to see what happened to the city that I loved.

You drive in and see the Ocean—it’s a tease, because it doesn’t take long to see the devastation. Many of those beautiful homes are completely gone. There’s no trace of them. It was like they were never there. Then you see the ones that have sort of survived. The damage to them makes it seem worse than the ones that are gone. Yeah, they’re standing, but the repairs to them will take years, if they’re even salvageable.

What’s just as shocking is to see how many cars have been burned out. They’re just sitting there looking like a skeleton—all you see is the shell. There’s no way you can tell the make and model of the car.

What makes the scene even more bizarre is that down below, you have people enjoying the beach. There are surfers, swimmers and families having a good time enjoying the sun, sand and water. Life does continue, even alongside the damage and devastation.

You saw all of this on TV during the fires. It tugged at your heart at that time. You couldn't help but have empathy for those whose lives were ruined, not only in Malibu but in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. However, seeing it live and up close gives it a different feel, especially if you know anyone who was affected.

It’s now a week since the trip to Malibu. I'm still thinking about those cars. They will now be part of my thoughts about the city, along with the sand, the Ocean and yes, Rockford’s trailer. There’s room for all of them.