SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.—Surfin’ Donuts sits just east of the 5 Freeway I-5 in San Clemente, a great stop for a hot coffee or fresh squeezed orange juice and donuts. This morning, it’s one each of chocolate, glazed, and raspberry-filled donuts before I continue my way west along El Camino Real towards Avenida Del Mar, where I’ll park and go for a stroll in this sleepy coastal town.
In 1928, when the city was founded, San Clemente had more than 500 buildings in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, known for its red roof tiles, white stucco walls, patios, and verandas. Deed restrictions at the time permitted only such architecture.