What's a corn roast?

Early last year I remember hearing about the famed corn roast that has become an annual tradition for our ward. It was sold to me as a "not-to-miss" event, with food and beach fun for the whole family. I figured it's a time to celebrate the approaching end of summer and a return to the glorious regimen of the school year. At least that's how I choose to interpret a mid-August beach party. So of course we couldn't miss it last year, and we were certain not to miss it this year.

The biggest change to the event this year is it was held at Aliso Beach Park in Laguna Beach, rather than at last year's Pico Beach in San Clemente. This change brought a couple major improvements to the whole experience. Besides having cleaner sand and being a few miles closer to home, Aliso Beach has parking available right next to the sand. This meant no lugging beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, toys, and kids down stairs or steep pathways. More importantly, it meant no lugging beach chairs, umbrellas, waterlogged towels, toys, and kids UP stairs or steep pathways to get back to the car after the party.

We planned for this beach outing for just a minute or two before jumping in the car to head out. Surprisingly enough, we didn't forget the beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, toys, or kids. We remembered a bouncy seat, blanket, and change of clothes for Sketch. We remembered money for parking and even the camera for recording all these special moments. I did forget the sunscreen, but this shindig didn't start until after 4pm, so my forgetfulness was intentional. Strangely enough, I've found that if I forget something on purpose I won't forget something accidentally.

Even with all that planning we drove into the parking lot just as the blessing was being given on the food. Oops! We had all the ice and beverages in the car with us. Do you think the prayer followed us (and the drinks) as we drove around looking for a parking spot?

After unloading the beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, toys, kids, and beverages, and staking out our postage-stamp piece of sand, we dug into the food. This is where my confusion stems from. This year (just as last year) we dined on salads and fruit, hot dogs and brats, a multitude of treats and chips, and the event's namesake item: unhusked corn-on-the-cob boiled in ocean water over an open flame. Wouldn't that make this party a corn boil?

Regardless of what you call it, we had a pretty good time. Sketch made his formal beach debut and Things 1-3 ingested a respectable quantity of sand. The wind was breezy, the water was cold and salty, the sand was sticky, and the towels were sufficiently waterlogged by the time evening approached. We all (including the car) were in dire need of baths long before we arrived home.