With the vibrant, young atmosphere so prevalent in Mission Beach, it’s hard to imagine a time when life moved slower south of Pacific Beach Drive. But a pair of long-time locals insist it did, and shared their memories from yesteryear. “People who come in now have no idea of what the traditions are, so you get a certain amount of conflict because you have people who grew up with a very laid-back attitude in Mission Beach,” said Mary Willmont, longtime resident and a member of the Mission Beach Woman’s club. The area used to be filled with families, whereas vacation rentals and college students dominate Mission Beach now, said Marcia Lilly, a former resident. Lilly lived in Mission Beach during the 1940s. “Families lived together and stuck together,” Lilly said. “Everybody knew each other and we all went to school together. That’s how small it was.” In the mid-20th century, the vacation rentals and residences that now pepper Mission Beach used to only dot the landscape. It’s hard today to imagine many empty spots along Mission Boulevard. “There were more vacant lots than there were houses in our area of the beach,” Lilly said. Even with vacationers, Lilly said that during her time, Mission Beach was never really too crowded in the summer. She actually preferred the colder months as a kid. “I couldn’t wait for the winter because I could walk on the beach in South Mission Beach by myself — not another soul on the beach. It was tranquil,” Lilly said. As far as traditions, Willmont fondly remembers the annual Easter parade in South Mission Beach. “Every year we met in front of The Pennant. We decorated our bicycles and we brought baskets of wrapped candy and we basically circled around South Mission Beach,” Willmont said. “People who lived at the beach with kids would stand out and we would throw our candy to the kids and bicycle.” Lilly recalls The Plunge in Belmont Park, the large indoor pool that is now part of Wavehouse. Lilly said she spent many summer days at the pool. “We all used The Plunge,” she said. “We were all raised in The Plunge.” Even though the culture in Mission Beach has changed over the years, Willmont said groups of friends that used to live in the area have stuck together. Wilmont still keeps in touch with old acquaintances from Mission Beach. “That’s one of the great things about having lived in Mission Beach for so long,” Willmont said. “The beach has always been a meeting place for people. People in my age category — ages 70 and up — grew up coming to the beach and kept friendships that they made there.