HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Santa Monica Pier was a hive of activity
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Christine had to work-bah humbug
WORD OF THE DAY: Two-fer
Christine had to work today (boo) so my sightseeing tour was all up to Eric today. He had a plan of getting to the beaches today taking in Malibu and Santa Monica and what-ever else we could find in between.
We started heading 45 minutes out of LA through the San Fernando Valley (where the Kardashians live amongst other celebrities) and through the Santa Monica Mountains to get to Malibu. The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. The range extends approximately 64 km east-west from the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County. The Santa Monica Mountains have more than 1,000 archeology sites of significance, primarily from the Californian Native American cultures of the Tongva and Chumash people. The mountains were part of their regional homelands for over eight thousand years before (and after) the arrival of the Spanish invaders, known as the Spanish colonizers. They mostly became extinct after USA annexation of the area. It really was a beautiful area and quite dry and can be known for fires in the summer as it really gets dry around here. There were still spots of green on the mountains as we drove through and even got some fog that dropped some spots of rain before we descended into the Malibu area.
It was coming on lunch time so we stopped for lunch at a place right on the (Malibu) beach called Paradise Cove. There was an indoor and outdoor area in the sand. We decided to sit outdoors, even though it was a little cool, they had a plastic cover over the rafters and heaters going on around the tables. It was quite busy so we had to check in at the entrance and given a lobster bleeper to let us know when a table would be free. So we just ‘had’ to get a cocktail while we took a seat and waited and it gave us an opportunity to check out everyone’s meals as they come out of the kitchen. The one thing that was all in common with all the plates was that the servings were MASSIVE!!! The ribs were MASSIVE, the calamari was MASSIVE and the seafood platter was MASSIVE. We only had to wait 10 minutes then we were lead back outside to our table. It was nice to kick off the shoes and run your toes through some white Malibu sand. I was leaning towards the calamari; it really was a massive serve in a massive cocktail glass that seriously would fit 10 cocktail drinks in. I asked if they did a half serve, but the answer was no, so with Eric promising to have a few I ordered the calamari anyway. While we were waiting there were a few seagulls hanging around tables and jumping from the umbrellas hoping to get some scraps from people while they weren’t looking. A few tables over a seagull came all the way in, grabbed some chips right off her plate and swooped out again. Cheeky buggers. Service was super quick and before you knew it I had my calamari in front of me and I rekon there would have been enough fried octopus to feed a family of 15 in that glass. I gave it a good crack and I ate just over more than half. I had finished eating when I saw a seagull eyeing off our table. I warned Eric to watch out as he was coming in behind, when before we knew it this massive bird swoops in from a stop still start at the table, flaps in, grabs a big piece of my calamari, lands right back near our table, gulps down the stolen food and then flanked me on the other side and looked like he was going in for seconds. Well not on my watch now that I was on the case and I picked up the drinks menu ready to swat this bird if he took a second flyby. I think he must have known I meant business as he looked once more and then flew off. Everyone around us was just as amazed as us at the gallness of the seagull and I am just glad that I had eaten my fill as I am not sure I would want to eat anymore after the gull had been in there. In his defence he didn’t knock a thing off or over on the table in his grab, so points there need to be given.
On our way out of Malibu the sun started to poke its head out of the gloomy clouds. It was pretty impressive to see all the seafront homes knowing the cost of these puppies and somewhere amongst them all live celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston. Malibu was originally settled by the Chumash, Native Americans whose territory extended loosely from the San Joaquin Valley to San Luis Obispo to Malibu. Spanish explorer Juan Cabrillo is believed to have moored at Malibu Lagoon, at the mouth of Malibu Creek, to obtain fresh water in 1542. Malibu Colony was one of the first areas inhabited after Malibu was opened to the public in 1929 and it is one of Malibu's most famous districts. Long known as a popular private enclave for wealthy celebrities, the Malibu Colony today is a gated community, with multi-million dollar homes on small lots. The Colony commands breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, affording a spectacular coastline view stretching from Santa Monica to Rancho Palos Verdes. Like all California beaches, Malibu beaches are technically public land below the mean high tide line. Many large public beaches (Zuma Beach, Surfrider Beach) are easily accessible, but such access is sometimes limited to some of the smaller and more remote beaches. Some Malibu beaches are private, such as Paradise Cove, which charges an entrance fee to keep the crowds at bay.
Our next stop was Santa Monica Pier. The sun was now shining and it was like we were in a different part of the world. It was busy and after paying 8USD for parking we walked along the busy pier. The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier located in Santa Monica and is a prominent, 100-year-old landmark. The pier contains Pacific Park, a family amusement park with a large Ferris wheel. It also has a carousel from the 1920s, an aquarium, shops, entertainers, an arcade, a trapeze school, a pub, and restaurants. The end of the pier is a popular location for anglers. Santa Monica has had several piers over the years, however the current Santa Monica Pier is actually two adjoining piers that long had separate owners. The long, narrow Municipal Pier opened September 9, 1909, primarily to carry sewer pipes beyond the breakers, and had no amenities. The short, wide adjoining Pleasure Pier to the south, a.k.a. Newcomb Pier, was built in 1916 by Charles I. D. Looff and his son Arthur, amusement park pioneers. The Carousel was built in 1922 on the Pleasure Pier and features 44 hand-carved horses. It was rebuilt in 1990 and has a calliope that provides the musical accompaniment. The bridge to the pier and entry gate was built in 1938. It was really nice to have the wind blowing in my hair, walking amongst people that had won large stuffed toys, people walking with fairy floss and ice creams and the general vibe down here was contagious. We also got great views of the beach from here that was littered with people, and the crazy people were swimming!!! Even though the sun was out, the water temperature would have been 13C. Brrrrrrrrrrrr-not for this little black duck. There were the usual tourist attractions-souvenir shops, painted pictures, t-shirt stalls, get your name on a grain of rice and pool floaty toys that seems to be a worldwide tourist thing, even when there isn’t any water around. They must sell that crap right?
On our way home we travelled through Pacific Palisades and turned right onto the very start of Sunset Boulevard. We had all intentions of running that through all the way to Rodeo Drive, but as traffic can be unpredictable in LA we got stuck in a good old fashioned California traffic jam. We sat for 45 minutes before Eric had had enough and we did a U-bolt and took a different way into Rodeo using Google maps to keep us out of whatever the issue was with the jam. I don’t mind sitting in traffic if it is moving, but not to move more than a few meters in 45 minutes was crazy, even though it was very nice of Eric to give me an LA traffic jam. A very authentic experience.
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County that stretches from downtown LA to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades. The street is an icon of Hollywood celebrity culture and the phrase "Sunset Boulevard" is enduring shorthand for the glamor associated with Hollywood. Approximately 39 km in length, the famous boulevard roughly mimics the arc of the mountains that form the northern boundary of the Los Angeles Basin. Sunset (along with Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards) is frequently congested with traffic loads far beyond its design capacity. As a result, it is also notorious for cracks and potholes. Traffic on Sunset is often slow-moving, with bumper-to-bumper congestion not infrequent during rush hour in both directions. It was at the corner of Sunset and Courtney Avenue that actor Hugh Grant pulled over and picked up prostitute Divine Brown in the early morning of June 27, 1995. Many young, struggling actors, musicians, and other artists continue to live in the area. The best-known section of Sunset Boulevard is probably the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, which is a center for nightlife in the Los Angeles area.
We took a left on to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills passing the shopping district known for its designer label and haute couture fashion. The name generally refers to a three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops but the street stretches further north and south. Rodeo Drive is mostly frequented by tourists as celebrities usually shop in more discreet areas of Los Angeles. But it doesn’t hurt to still try and spot a celebrity on our pass through.
So that was my day with Eric visiting Malibu and Santa Monica. Christine got home around 6pm and we made a reservation for 7pm at their local Italian restaurant just down the road. It has been awhile since I have had a good pasta and this one was delicious. It was nearly exactly the same as the pasta I order at home at Avanti’s, it was just missing the minced chicken and now I can say I will get that pasta in the next few weeks once I am home. That is something that still hasn’t sunk in yet-I literally leave in 5 days’ time and with the international dateline I am home in 7 days. CRAZY and EMOTIONAL all at the same time.
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