11/7- Early alarm for a 6 AM flight but it was a good call. I landed at 11:00 local time and got some lunch at the airport. There was a long line at the rental car pickup and of course, traffic on the way to Santa Monica. I didn't get checked in until 2:30. If I had taken a later flight, I would not have had time to take a dip.
Water temperature this time of year is normally in the low 60s. Because of El Nino, it was a comfortable 72. With an air temperature in the low 80s, it was near perfect. If I had it to do again, I would have skimped a bit on the sightseeing in favor of more time at the beach. I didn't expect the weather to be this good when I planned the trip. Waves were pretty big but not nearly as choppy as the Gulf or Atlantic. It was thoroughly enjoyable out there.
11/8- First stop was Echo Park, which is a nice lake with a fountain and skyline views. From there, it was a short detour to Pasadena for a quick view of the Rose Bowl then got some mountain views on Angeles Crest.
Next stop was Griffith Park and a hike to the observatory for views of the Hollywood sign. From there, it was about 45 minutes to Simi Valley and the Reagan Library. Politics aside, it was very well done. I am old enough to vaguely remember the last 2 years of his administration but of course, didn't know enough to form an opinion. Even if I was just 7-8 years older, I am sure that I would have appreciated it more.
From Simi Valley, I took the scenic route through Topanga Canyon to Malibu. Malibu was a bit of a disappointment. Lots of construction and very little parking. I never made it to Point Dume and went back to Santa Monica. It was another great beach session and again, I wish I had more time. No need to worry about the stupid key fob because my hotel was within walking distance of the beach.
11/9-
Began the day with a walk on the Venice Beach boardwalk lined with tall palm trees and mountain views. Beautiful! I spent the next few hours in the surf and didn't want it to end.
Around 1 PM, after lunch, I was on the subway headed for Hollywood. I made a brief pit stop at USC to see the LA Coliseum. Hollywood is somewhat overrated but I knew that coming in. I saw a few famous sites from the outside and browsed a couple of the many souvenir stores. It was pretty cool to see the walk of fame too. Glad I went but it wasn't worth more than an hour of my time. If you want the upscale shopping, go to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
By 3:30, I was back on the subway to downtown LA. I arrived at City Hall just in time to see the observation deck, which provided free views of the skyline just before sunset. After dinner, I got some night shots at Pershing Square and Little Tokyo.
11/10-
Squeezed in another beach session before check out in Santa Monica. I chose to spend this night in Manhattan Beach. Hotels are much cheaper and parking is included plus it's a little closer to LAX.
With some time to kill, I went to the Westwood section of the UCLA campus and purchased a shirt from the campus store. On my way back to the car, I noticed a woman looking at me. As soon as I made eye contact, she showed me all of her teeth. Of course, I did the same. It was nothing flirtatious but it really made my day. I hope that I made the same impression on her and believe I did.
I took Sunset then down Rodeo but didn't shop. It was a rather stressful drive to Manhattan. I relaxed for maybe 20 minutes then hit the beach. Here, the waves were stronger than Santa Monica and broke closer to the shore. Similar conditions in Panama City would have closed the water. Even I had to be cautious. I didn't go after many of the big ones but caught a couple epic rides. I know how to lift the board at the right angle to stay afloat when there is a steep drop. Still, I wasn't taking any chances if they broke almost on the dry sand.
11/11-
Relatively uneventful. Another quick and cautious surf session. The rental car return was painless and I had a full 2 hours before my flight. My connection was in Denver so I was almost halfway home after the first flight. Landed in B'ham at 9:30 and was home by 10:15. Could have been worse. A great trip and I will certainly be back to Southern California. In the future, I may not even rent a car. On this trip, I did need one but if you stick to Santa Monica and downtown LA, the Metro will do.
