Driving down the 405 I noticed more Orange County smog than I'd seen before. Fortunately, I turned off to go to Laguna Beach for a weekend getaway... As pretty as ever. 
Strolling on the beach on a cold early morning walk that included tide pool 
explorations, I was sensitive to smoke in the air from locals burning wood. But that passed into a beautiful blue day where silver 
glitter danced on the glassy Pacific Ocean, dimming at dusk into a romantic orange glow.
Laguna Beach is as about as clean as a Southern California town can be; it's on the coast, away from industry though within miles of San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, which closed in 1992 but leaked what was called trace amounts of radioactive material into ground water near San Clemente. ?? If you want to read more: http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/homepage/article_1246083.php
The ocean is somewhat polluted due to storm run-off mixed with people's toxins but the sun melts away my toxic thoughts, and the beauty of the water and its tides...breathtaking natural beauty.
