THANKS, YA'LL! Some interesting posts as mentioned above.
I'm sorry that I never had the opportunity to make the Southern California beach-scene a regular activity, but I tried amost every weekend we got "released" from Pendleton.
We played a lot of war-games back then from ship to shore to the eastern limits of that base and I was usually assigned as one of the 'bad guys' who would hassass the 'good guys' when they landed and then depart over the PCH under a dense cloud of dark red smoke to continue the 'war' and make it difficult for the good guys to accomplishment their mission.
That red smoke caused some severe traffic problems for every driver heading between Oceanside and San Clemente and it's most likely that the local community objected so that no red smoke is used now-a-days.
Sorry ... Off track, But just a few miles further south beyond Oceanside City limits and those war games, there was a very small gym right on the beach side of 101 and it was owned by Ralph Kroger if my memory is still up to par.
That little gym stood there all by its lonesome a few feet off the highway and you could just about fall out the back door into the Pacific.
The closest other structure was on the other side of 101 ...the Del Mar Horse Race Track.
Do any of you So. Cal. lifters remember this little gym and its owner Ralph Kroger?
And then just a few years later Ralph moved to Hawaii and opened a gym in Hilo, Hawaii until someone said he became a preacher and moved back to California.
So we had Vince's Gym in L.A. up there by Universal Studios, Gold's original Gym in Venice (if I'm incorrect about that gym space in what is now called The Sand Castle Apartments), Zuver'sGym in Caasta Mesa, Pearl's in Pasadena, Ralph's Gym on 101 within the vicinity of the Del Mar Race Track, a Police Academy gym someplace close to the San Diego Zoo where a lion roared the moent when Pat Casey got the world's 600 lb bench press record, and then Stern's Gym smack-dab in the center of San Diego's old business district.
And Jack LaLanne was just about ready to open up within a number of So. Ca. locations or already had.
There are numerous way-back stories in all these gyms!
I'm bad at recalling precise dates so feel free to correct me when I'm wrong.
And how many of you old time lifting enthusiasts remember Wyn Paris, 'Peanuts' West, George Frenn?
There were more gyms either open or opening up, but they were outside of my reign of knowledge, but kick me in the head and I might remember.