LA boasts a 75-mile long coastline and has some of the best beaches in America. We stayed in the Marina Del Rey, one of the largest man-made small boat harbors in the world. The view over the fancy yachts was quite a treat to wake up to each morning, and is definitely something we could get used to!
A short walk up the coast from us lies Venice Beach, famous for its chilled, hippy vibe and boardwalk along the beach. Here we encountered 'kush' doctors, guitar-playing Moors on roller skates, weight-lifters from the 1980s and rather posh hobos. It was a bit flea-markety, and tattoos and dreadlocks seemed to be the order of the day, but it was quite fun and very beachy!
A trip to Venice Beach is not complete without some cycling, so we rented bikes and headed down the coast to Santa Monica. This is a more upmarket area, and is strongly characterised by its great pier, complete with theme park and the famous Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
Another typical LA activity is skating along the Venice Boardwalk, so we also hired roller blades and weaved our way through the runners and bikers. I took the stereotype to the next level when I ordered a soft serve ice cream. What a great day at the beach :)
Venice does have some less hippy areas, such as the 2.5 million dollar homes along its canals. We cycled along the narrow paths of the canals, quite taken with the peaceful kitsh and charm of the place...
