Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
SOUTH BAY BEACHES
This string of beach towns will soothe the big city mess from your psyche in one sunset. It
all starts just 15 minutes from the airport with
Manhattan Beach
, a tony town with high-
end shopping and dining, and homes stacked high on steep streets because of the sub-
lime stretch of sand and sea out front. USC frat boys and sorority girls, financially chal-
lenged surfers and the beautiful boys and girls who love them call
Hermosa Beach
home.
The rents are lower here, and the scene trashier, but that's part of the charm. As the
coast winds to the south end of Santa Monica Bay you can follow it to diverse
Redondo
Beach
, with its signature
pier
, and onto the stunning
Palos Verdes Peninsula
, where
310-377-1650;
www.wayfarerschapel.org
; 5755 Palos Verdes Dr S; 10am-5pm; ) and the
Verdes; r $350-500, ste $655-2150; ). Also on the peninsula is
Abalone Cove
9am-4pm; ). This is the best place to hunt for starfish, anemones and other tidepool
critters is in and around this rock-strewn eco-preserve. The walk down to the beach gets
pretty steep in some sections, so watch your footing.
Beach Blvd; mains $10-14; 11am-1am) in Manhattan Beach and
Abigaile
( 310-798-8227;
www.abigailerestaurant.com
; 1301 Manhattan Ave; mains $10-30; 5pm-late Mon-Fri, from 11am Sat
& Sun) in Hermosa, but our favorite place to eat is Manhattan Beach's wonderful raw bar,
oysters from $2.25, dishes $9-19; 11:30am-10pm Sun-Wed, to 10:30pm Thu-Sat), and the most
Catalina Ave, Redondo Beach; burgers & sandwiches $7-14, plates $13-20; 11am-9:30pm Mon-Sat,
noon-8pm Sun), a fusion greasy spoon tucked into the back of a Redondo Beach liquor
store. Find it.
San Fernando Valley
Home to most of LA's major movie studios - including Warner Bros, Disney and Univer-
sal - 'the Valley' is an exercise in sprawl. Attractions are few and scattered about; Burb-
818-972-8687, 877-492-8687;
