Big crowds packed Golden Gardens Sunday afternoon to escape the heat.

They also came to witness canoes arriving from all over Washington and British Columbia as part of “Tribal Journeys 2009.”

With the parking lots packed, traffic is diverted at the entrance. And with a smog watch in effect, no fires are allowed on the beach.

It almost looks like California out here, without the tan. The sand is sizzling hot.

And while the canoes look small on the water, they’re not easy to pull up on the beach. The Tribal Journeys celebration lasts into the evening.