18) Hawaii

The public image of Hawaii and Malibu is quite similar.  While Hawaii may give slightly more tropical feelings, both induce images of perfect waves crashing onto the beach, with just the right amount of sun in the sky.  Both places' geography has allowed them to gain a strong reputation for surfing paradise.

Surfing has long been tied to Polynesian culture and was popular all around the Pacific islands such as Tahiti, Tonga, and Hawaii.  It wasn't until 1907 that a land baron named Henry Huntington brought surfing to California.  While in Hawaii on vacation, he saw Hawaiian boys surfing and decided it would be a great way to attract people to his land in the Redondo Beach area.  Huntington hired a Hawaiian surfer named George Freeth to teach the locals how to surf.  From there, surfing made its way along Southern California's coast and became popular and recognizable amongst Californians.

The Malibu Surf Assocation was founded in 1961 and solidified surfing's spot in Malibu's culture.  Though not all surfers are members of MSA, it has helped grow the sport and continues to move forward today.

This video describes a bit about the history of surfing in Southern California:

As an aside, thank you for reading my blog and I hope you have found it informative and will look at Malibu a little deeper next time you pass through.

Ethan West

16) The North Pacific Coast

The greatest annual average precipitation on the continent is found amongst the North Pacific Coast region.  75 inches of precipitation annually is common and some areas record up to 230 inches annually.  All of this precipitation supports a rainforest that grows some of the largest trees in the world.

Although it is also located on the West Coast, Malibu is much further south, and as a result, receives an average of only 18 inches of rainfall per year.  Gone are the large rain forests found on the Northwest.  Instead, 18 inches of rain per year gives Malibu low-laying scrub vegetation.  Even if Malibu were to receive significantly more rain, it would not necessarily be a good thing.  Historically, when there is a large storm, the steep hillsides of Malibu become over-saturated and break up.  This results in mudslides that block roads and destroy property.  18 inches of rain per year for Malibu is plenty enough for its residents.

15) California

It is no secret that Malibu is located in California.  In fact, for someone not from California, Malibu is likely one of the first things they picture in their head when someone mentions California.  As Californians, I'm sure we've all encountered this.  Whether you are in another state or someone from another state is visiting, most people seems to have a notion that if you're from California, you likely spend most days in Malibu on the beach either surfing in the waves or tanning alongside some palm trees.

"Foreigners" are right for thinking this because in a way, Malibu is California and California is Malibu. Malibu embodies many things about California.  Aside from all of the physical similarities, many other things can be tied together.  Malibu has a pretty open-minded way of thinking and embraces it, much like the rest of the state.  Prices of everything in Malibu, from houses to coffee are quite high, even compared to the rest of the state, just like how prices of things in California are much higher compared to other states.  You could say that Malibu is the crown jewel of America's crown.  Maybe I say that because I'm proud of my state, and I'm sure there are many people out there who would disagree with that statement, but I can safely say that Malibu is the most Californian city in California.

14) The Southwest Border Area: Tricultural Development

In the Southwest, there is a very dense population of American Indians, compared to other regions.  In some regions of Arizona and New Mexico, American Indians comprise at least 70% of the population.  Some of the tribes that are predominant in this region are the Navajo tribe, the Apache, the Pueblo, the Papago, the Hopi, and the Utes.  Although these tribes are spread around the region, most are found around the Four Corners area.

Like the Southwest, Malibu also has a history with American Indians.  For 4000 years, Chumash tribes inhabited Malibu and its surrounding areas.  The Chumash can even be credited for naming Malibu.  They're name for the area was, "Humaliwo," which meant, "the surf sounds loudly," an apt name for the area.  The Chumash continued to inhabit Malibu until the early 1800's when Spanish settlers began to arrive in larger numbers.  The Chumash tribes were then pushed away towards different areas of the coast that were not yet settled by Europeans.

13) The Empty Interior

One of the most notable landmarks located in the Empty Interior is the Hoover Dam.  The Hoover Dam, located 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas, was completed in 1936 and controls the flow of Lake Mead while producing large amounts of hydroelectric power.  Most people don't know this, but Malibu has a dam of its own.  Rindge Dam, named after Malibu's founding family, is located in Malibu Canyon and controls the flow of Malibu Creek.  Rindge Dam was completed a full 10 years before the Hoover Dam in 1926.

While Rindge Dam may be older than the Hoover Dam, the Hoover Dam is considerably larger.  The Hoover Dam measures almost 730 feet high compared to Rindge Dam's 100 feet.  Rindge Dam is accessible only by foot after an intensive hike and is frequented by only the most dedicated hikers while Hoover Dam attracts about 1,000,000 tourists every year.  

One interesting fact about the Hoover Dam is that of the electricity it produces, 56% of it goes to power parts of Southern California.  Rindge Dam does not produce any power, however one interesting fact about it is that the frame is made out of the 15 miles of old rail of the railway that used to pass through Malibu.  Many environmentalists have protested for the deconstruction of Rindge Dam, but that would cost about $80 million and the effects of the increased flow of Malibu Creek are unknown.  

12) The Great Plains and Prairies

While not all of the Great Plains and Prairies are completely flat, the majority of it is.  This is not to say that all of the plains lay in low elevations.  The eastern end of the plains are about 1500 feet above sea level and slowly merge into the western end that lays about 6000 feet above sea level.  The change in elevation between eastern and western ends happens very gradually.

The flatness of the Great Plains are in stark contrast to the dramatic mountains located in Malibu.  The Santa Monica Mountain Range that runs through Malibu (along with many other coastal cities) allow for elevations ranging from 0 feet above sea level at the beach to about 2000 feet above sea level at the highest points in Malibu.  While more mountains aren't necessarily better, it sure does allow for more (and different) photo opportunities.

11) The Agricultural Core

When viewed from a bird's eye perspective, land parcels in the Agricultural Core are rectangular in shape.  The reason behind this was so that land could be more accurately accounted for.  The Land Ordinance of 1785 began this trend.  It was then that land was delimited and split into territories determined by east-west and north-south lines.  The parcels were then divided into townships.  Townships were originally 36 square miles.  From there, land was divided even more precisely before being put up for sale.  This led to what looks like a rather precise grid of land when viewed from above.

All of this is in stark contract to the orientation of Malibu.  Malibu is situated on a narrow sliver of land along the coast with no room for grids of land.  Homes and shops are built wherever they will fit.  Many homes built right into the sides of mountains.  When viewed from above, there is no order or organization of Malibu's properties.

Do these regions' people embody their land orientation ideals?  Are people in the Agricultural Core more conservative and old-fashioned because their properties are all organized into perfect squares?  Likewise, are residents of Malibu more free-thinking and independent because of the lack of structure in the organization of their properties?  It's unlikely that land organization is the sole cause of these character traits, but it is interesting to consider, no less.

10) The Southern Coastlands

Both Southern California and the Southern Coastlands share one large commonality.  Their beaches are widely known as the most beautiful beaches in the country.  The humid, subtropical climate in the Southern Coastlands is much different from that in Southern California.  The Southern Coastlands have mild winters and hot summers along with year-round humidity, while Southern California's coastlands have mild winters, warm summers, and relatively dry weather year-round.

So which region has the better coastlands?  Is it a matter of preference?  Do people from the East Coast automatically think Florida's beaches are better than California's?  Do people from the West Coast think that California has the better beaches?  The beaches themselves are different.  While the beaches in Florida may have bluer water and whiter sand, the beaches of California have a dramatic backdrop of mountain ranges.

So which do you prefer?  The coastlands of areas like Florida or the coastlands of California?

9) The Changing South

Chapter 9 discusses the changes that the South has undergone over the years.  From racial tension to economic drama, the South has changed over the years, yet remains distinctively as "The South."

Malibu, in its most current form since the late 1920's, has not changed all that much.  Its most significant change came in the 1920's when the Rindge family who owned all of the property in what is now Malibu fought a fierce court battle to keep the Pacific Coast Highway out of their land.  Eventually, they lost the court battle, and the highways was built.  Upon completion in 1929, Pacific Coast Highway separated the Rindge land from the shoreline, signaling an end to the last private Spanish land grant.  Due to the length and scale of the court battle, May Rindge was forced to begin leasing and selling parcels of the family's land to pay legal fees.  She created the Marblehead Land Company and sold pieces of land to outsiders, opening up the property to those looking for an escape from the bustling Los Angeles.  It was common for Hollywood movie stars to buy this land and eventually a small neighborhood was created that was called, "Malibu Movie Colony."  This small subsection of Malibu is now known today as the exclusive Malibu Colony.  Since then, Malibu has continued to grow into the public, yet exclusive city it is today.

8) Malibu and Long Beach

Chapter 8 compares two different cultures at different ends of the Appalachian mountains.  To mirror this and make a new comparison, we can compare Malibu and Long Beach.  Both are cities located on the coast and enjoy the Pacific Ocean.  The two citties are only about 50 miles away from each other, yet they are very different.

Both Malibu and Long Beach enjoy nearly the exact same Mediterranean climate with warm temperatures throughout the year and relatively little rainfall.  One difference between the two is that Malibu has much more complex terrain, while Long Beach is relatively flat, allowing for larger, more commercial structures.

The two cities differ greatly in their demographics.  While Malibu is about 90% white, Long Beach is much more diverse.  Long Beach's population is 46% white, 40% Hispanic, and about 14% African American.  Another area where the two cities differ greatly is in median income.  While the median income in Malibu is well over $100,000 a year, the median income in Long Beach is just under $40,000 per year.  This makes a large difference in the make up of retail outlets, housing, and restaurants.  While Malibu has exclusive, high end retail outlets and restaurants and large, unique homes, Long Beach has more generic, lower-price retail outlets, chain restaurants, and smaller homes.

Long Beach does benefit from great accessibility and large industries.  The Port of Long Beach is a large shipping port that is the entrance to America for many foreign goods.  Also worth mentioning is Long Beach Airport, which provides another option for those traveling in California, but not wanting to deal with the crammed LAX.  Long Beach also has several large-scale employers, such as the Long Beach Unified School District, Boeing, and California State University Long Beach.  Part of this is due to the fact that larger cities have larger companies, so a small city like Malibu would never attract a company like Boeing.  These large employers offer many jobs to its citizens.

Another interesting point of difference between the two cities are in their festivals.  Malibu's paramount festival is the Malibu Chili Cook-Off, a weekend-long small street fair and carnival.  In Long Beach, the paramount event is the Long Beach Grand Prix, a weekend where several streets are closed, and racecars including Indycars and Le Mans racers contest a race around the streets of the city.  Having been to the race numerous times myself, I can say that Long Beach makes for a great setting for an event that is known as a great street party, and there is even a race happening in the background.  The Long Beach Grand Prix is well known worldwide, and over 200,000 people attend it every year.

7) The Opposite of the Bypassed East

Chapter 7 discusses the region of northeast North America called The Bypassed East.  This region is described as being a relatively cold and bleak place.  Malibu is almost the polar opposite of the Bypassed East.

While the Bypassed East is cold and receives substantial precipitation, Malibu is generally warm throughout the year and receives very little precipitation.  While both the Bypassed East and Malibu are very mountainous, they are quite different in nature.  The mountains of the east only contain civilization in their lowlands and valleys, whereas in Malibu, residences and business are built right into the hillside.

In the Bypassed East, farming was never easy, and has only been in decline.  In Malibu, farming was never significant, but there are several small wineries scattered across hillsides that offer locally made wine.

While commercial fishing is a large industry in the Bypassed East, in Malibu, this is not the case.  There is some private fishing, but not nearly on the same scale as in the east.  One theme remains the same between the two regions.  Pollution is endangering the fishing industry in the East.  While there is no business industries in danger due to pollution, it is still a big concern in Malibu due to the wildlife being put at risk.

In the Bypassed East, half the population lives in small cities, while the offer half lives in rural areas.  There is no real "city" type of densely populated area in Malibu, so just about all of Malibu is considered rural.  There are, however, areas that are more rural than others.  While some homes are built in small development communities, there are others that are standalone homes built into the hillside.  These homes are set back into the hills and are very unique.

The demographic and economic patterns of the Bypassed East are undergoing transformation and the future is uncertain.  In Malibu, it is quite the opposite.  The demographics remain the same as they have for several decades.  Malibu is a home to a predominantly white population, and largely households without children.  It is a city made for upper class, wealthy people who enjoy their freedom.

5) Malibu Manufacturing Core

Due to its beautiful, yet complex location and terrain, there is no real manufacturing of goods in Malibu.  The Manufacturing core in this sense merely means how money is brought into the city.  Retail, food services, and real estate are three main pillars in Malibu's economy.  The small city is speckled with numerous high end stores and exclusive restaurants and has some some of the best homes in the world to offer to prospective residents.  Below, the Malibu Country mart is home to many high end stores and restaurants:

Although it is not a retail outlet, restaurant, or dealer of real estate, HRL Laboratories is the largest employer in Malibu.  At HRL, high tech developments such as microelectronics, high power lasers, integrated circuits, and smart materials are pioneered.  I bet that very few people would ever guess that something like a high power laser would be developed in such a seemingly laid back city such as Malibu.

4) Malibu-opolis

Located on a southern-facing section of California coastline, Malibu is situated away from the large commercial and industrial areas of Los Angeles.  While its coastal location may seem like it provides unlimited water transportation, this is not true.  Water transportation is largely recreational, with all major commercial shipping and transport taking place many miles south in Los Angeles.  

Malibu is accessed solely through its highways which are now famous due to the beautiful views they offer.  The largest and most travelled highway is the well known Pacific Coast Highway.  PCH spans the length of California and Malibu is one of the must-see cities along this route.  Providing access inland through the  canyons are several smaller arteries, such as Mulholland Highway, Kanan Road, Malibu Canyon, and Latigo Canyon.  These canyon roads have spawned a small subculture of car and motorcycle enthusiasts who trek to drive these canyons every weekend.  The roads themselves have now become a hangout to both cool cars and the people that love them.  The following video sums up driving in the canyons nicely:  "Nice Cars + A Few Idiots."

3) Foundations of Human Activity

The name, "Malibu," got its origins from the Chumash name, "Humaliwo," which means, "the surf sounds locally."  The Chumash tribe originally settled the Malibu area as part of their land which spanned from the San Joaquin Valley, to San Luis Obispo, to Malibu, to several islands off the coast.

Malibu's "new world" origins began with Spanish explorer, Juan Cabrillo, docking in Malibu Lagoon in 1542.  The Spanish did not return to the area in any large form until the early 1800's as part of the California Mission System.  Malibu and its surroundings were part of the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit, a land grant issued to Mexican army soldier, Jose Bartolome Tapia as a result of his service in the Mexican army.  Following Tapia's death in the mid 1800's, the land was sold to his grandson-in-law, Leon Victor Prudhomme.  Following California's cession to the United States with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Prudhomme could not validate his title to the land and it was consequently sold to Irishman Matthew Keller.  Following Keller's death, the land was once again sold to Los Angeles businessman Frederick Hastings Rindge in 1891.  The Rindge family kept their property tightly under wraps for many years, fighting to make sure no roads or railways were built on their land.  By 1929, the State of California had won the case to build a section of the Pacific Coast Highway on their property.  Soon after, the property was divided and sold.  The Rindge house is now a state landmark located between Malibu Lagoon State beach and the Malibu Pier, which was originally built for the family yacht.  Below is the Rindge home as it stands today:

Around this time, wealthy Hollywood celebrities began building vacation homes along Malibu Beach, which at the time, was still owned by the Rindge family.  Eventually, financial woes forced the Rindge family to sell the Malibu Beach property and it was then that Malibu Colony was born.  Today, Malibu Colony is a very wealthy gated community that is packed with multi-million dollar homes situated on small lots located right on the oceanfront.  A slice of Malibu Colony:

In 1991, Malibu was incorporated as a city, largely so that they could gain more control over the extent of public projects, such as sewer lines and public beach access.  As of 2010, Malibu boasts a population of nearly 13,000 residents.  An overwhelming majority (91.5%) of Malibu's residents are white.  Out of nearly 5300 households, almost half of them are married couples with no children under the age of 18.  In the city of Malibu, there are 6884 housing units, with an average density of 346.2 per square mile.  The median income for a household in the city is about $102,000 while the median income for a family is about $123,000.  These figures once again reinforce the notion that Malibu has attracted a crowd that seeks the finer things in life.  

2) The Physical Environment

Malibu's physical environment is what initially began attracting people and continues to do so today.  There is no part of Malibu where the physical geography isn't noticeably present. 

Malibu is located in the southernmost end of the Transverse Ranges.  The Transverse Ranges are mountains formed by the slippage of the North American Plate and Pacific Plates against each other over time.  As a result, these mountains are made out of sedimentary rock that was once a part of the sea floor.  Millions of years of violent geologic activity have resulted in Malibu having many complex, folded mountains that are separated by dramatic canyons.  All of this is in very close contrast to the large, flat beaches that sit right in front of the mountains. 

Malibu, located in the 34* North latitude, benefits from a Mediterranean climate.  This climate renders warm to hot, dry summers paired with mild to cool, wet winters.  On average, the warmest month is August with a mean temperature of 77 degrees, the coolest is December with a mean temperature of 53 degrees, and the city receives an average rainfall of 18 inches per year. 

Due to Malibu's coastal location and Mediterranean climate, it's vegetation is primarily in the family of Coastal Sage Scrub.  Common plants in this family include California Sagebrush and Buckwheat.  In the northern parts of Malibu, vegetation is primarily chaparral.  Popular in these areas are drought deciduous shrubs and California oak trees.  The soils in Malibu are pretty diverse.  They range from beach sand to acidic sand on hard pan to alkaline clays.

1) Introduction

Malibu, California, lovingly nicknamed, "The 'Bu," by locals, is a 21- mile strip of beach-front land located on the Pacific Ocean.  Malibu's warm weather, sandy and expansive beaches, and swimmer and surfer-friendly waters have attracted many people in search of "the good life."  Because of this high demand, everything in Malibu commands a premium.  This premium price means that, for the most part, only the most affluent of Californians reside in Malibu.  This status has attracted many movie stars, music artists, and business magnates which adds to the illusive appeal of the city.  To many people worldwide, Malibu is the epitome of paradise.