I have been living in Palm Springs for nearly 10 years.  I moved from San Francisco to get away from the "Big City" to live in a more serene environment.  I love the mountains, the desert landscape, the natural beauty of my community.  At this moment, I'm getting sick of serenity!!!

Here it is the middle of July, it's 106 degrees, a dew point of over 50%, so it is getting very humid in Palm Springs.  I want to be on the beach, kicking back with a good book, and maybe a couple of cocktails with those little umbrellas in them.  I've got a very big case of the Summertime Blues.

So when Adam Waldman announced the "Sounds of Summer" contest, it brought up a lot of memories of my carefree, childhood days.

I grew up in San Diego, and some of my earliest memories were of my family taking all of us to the beach.  There were 3 kids in the family.  My older sister, Toni, me, and my younger sister, Cecelia.  I remember my Mom & Dad packing up the 50 gallon Coleman cooler with hot dogs, hamburgers, soda, potato salad, and everything that you need for a day at the beach. 

Once the Rambler station wagon was loaded with the Coleman, the lawn chairs, umbrellas, and our buckets & shovels to make sandcastles, we were finally off to the to the beach. 

There are many great beaches in the San Diego area, but the one my family would always go to was Mission Beach.  As a kid, the coastline seemed to go on forever. Lots of big waves, lots of sand, but my favorite part of the beach was Belmont Park.   

The amusement park had been built at that location in the early 1930's, and the highlight was a wooden roller coaster called the Giant Dipper.  I remembered the first time I had seen that rollercoaster, I was five years old and the year was 1970.  It was the tallest thing I had ever seen and I knew I wanted to go for a ride.  Sadly, I was informed that I was too short to ride the rollercoaster.  I wanted to cry.  I do remember the very first song I had heard that day at the beach, and it always reminds me that I couldn't ride the Giant Dipper:

 Sly & the Family Stone's "Hot Fun in the Summertime" 

End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi Hi Hi Hi there
Them summer days, those summer days

That's when I had most of my fun, back
high high high high there
Them summer days, those summer days

Hot Fun in the Summertime

To see the video, click here.

 "California Dreaming"  by the Mamas & the Papas was an iconic song for its generation.  This song was always on the radio when I would be at the beach.  Being the native Californian that I am, I never really experienced a cold climate.  If I were living in Michigan in winter and I heard this song, I would want to be on a sunny, sandy beach.

All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a walk
On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm
If I was in L.A.
California dreamin'
On such a winter's day   To see the video, click here.

 This song had to be on mine, and everyone's Song List.  This song automatically transports you to summer at the beach.

Nibblin' on sponge cake, 
watchin' the sun bake;
All of those tourists covered with oil.
Strummin' my six string on my front porch swing.
Smell those shrimp
They're beginnin' to boil.

Wasted away again in Margaritaville,
Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.
Some people claim that there's a woman to blame,
But I know it's nobody's fault.    For video, click here.

If you had read my entry called "My Guilty Music Pleasures" back in December, you would know that Adam Waldman, Jason Crouch, and that prankster Paul Slaybaugh was having everyone dredge up the songs that we all loved, but didn't want anyone to know about. 

Once again, "Rock Lobster by the B-52's" makes it to the #2 spot on my music list.  I never know why it doesn't make it to number #1.   There is always another song that is better.  "Rock Lobster" is the ultimate summer song.  It's Beach Blanket Bingo on acid!!

 To see the video, click here. 

My #1 spot for the Sounds of Summer had to be special, it had to be something that had a profound effect on me and a whole generation of beachgoers. It had to be good in order to beat out "Rock Lobster".  So in honor of Estelle Getty (aka Sophia Patrillo of the Golden Girls) who died this week, I am going to set up the #1 Sounds of Summer.

 Picture it, San Diego, June 13th, 1975.  It was a beautiful day at Mission Beach.  The skies were clear, kids were playing, people were riding the Giant Dipper at Belmont Park.  There are thousands of people enjoying the gentle surf, without a care in the world.  This scene was being played out all over the country.

Then on June 20th, 1975, everything changed.  This was the sound that everyone on the beaches across the United States will never forget:  Make sure to crank up the volume for this one:   CLICK HERE.

Pictures are compliments of Flickr

About the Author:

Harold Watts of Lyle Realtors has been a REALTOR in Palm Springs since 1999.  Focusing on the 2nd & Vacation home market, Harold has been helping Real Estate Buyers and Sellers achieve their real estate goals.   If you want to know what is happening with the Palm Springs Real Estate market, give Harold Watts a call at 760-778-6200 or email him at Harold@LyleRealtors.com