Beaches in Los Angeles

For my final post about Los Angeles I would like to talk about three beaches I recommend. I have been to all 3 of these beaches and love each of them.

The first beach I would like to recommend is Santa Monica Beach. It is the state beach in California. We went there a while ago, but I can still remember the famous boardwalk and ferris wheel.  The ferris wheel is $12.00 to ride and it is the first solar powered ferris wheel. This ferris wheel was the first one I had ever been on so it is really special to me. There is also an amusement park on the pier with an arcade, but you can't forget about the beach! The beach is always flooded with people.

Photo Courtesy of Discover Los Angeles

The next beach I would like to talk about is Venice Beach.  Venice Beach is famous for its "Ocean Front Walk".  On one side of the walkway there are vendors and stores and on the other side is the famous beach. On our first trip to Venice, we met the famous singer/roller skater, Harry Perry. He is a roller skating, guitar playing legend at Venice beach.  He has been featured in many movies and is even on Wikipedia.  When we went to Venice, we did not have to look too long to find Harry Perry. We spent time talking with him, listening to his music and buying his souvenir items and CD. Another thing to check out are the stores.  You can also rent bikes, skates, and scooters. Sadly, my family never got the chance to ride on the rentals, but we saw many people having a good time on them.

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Finally, I would like to talk about Malibu Beach. You may have seen in my last post about the restaurant, Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove in Malibu is one of my favorite beaches. This beach is not as crowded as normal beaches because if you don't eat at the restaurant, it costs $40 to park there.   I've also been to Zuma Beach in Malibu.  Zuma is famous for its surfing.

I hope you liked this week's post and this week's theme! I also hope you learned something along the way about Los Angeles and I stroked the urge for you to go there. Thanks so much for reading this post. I hope you all have a great day and safe travels!

Dining in Los Angeles

There are over nine thousand restaurants in Los Angeles to choose from. Most are good, some are bad. I am here to tell you about my experiences with three of my favorite restaurants.


The first restaurant I recommend is Tony P's Dock Side Grill in Marina del Rey. The food is almost as good as the views! My mom lived on a sailboat in Marina del Rey before she was married, so we love seeing all the boats in the Marina del Rey Harbor. I usually order Mama's Chicken Parmesan, but the menu is huge and there is something for everyone. There is an option of sitting inside or outside on the patio.  Both have good views.  In the photo below you can see their seating on the outside patio. On Trip Advisor Tony P's is rated 20 out of 111 restaurants in Marina Del Rey.  Marina del Rey is pretty close to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), so we usually eat at Tony P's Dock Side Grill on our way to or from LAX.

Photo Courtesy of Trip Advisor

Photo Courtesy of WinelistFinder 

The next restaurant I would like to recommend is The Counter. The Counter has numerous locations in Los Angeles. The burgers there are the best that my brother and I have ever had and that is saying something because our family loves a good burger. The Counter has four locations in Los Angeles. There is even one at LAX!  We first learned about this restaurant through a hotel employee. The Counter restaurant has very high ratings on Trip Advisor and was ranked 496 out of 8,516 for best restaurants in Los Angeles. The photo below shows their deluxe lunch and dinner menu. You get to choose what size, meat, cheese, sauce, and toppings go onto your burger. Their fries are also outstanding.

Photo Courtesy of Four Letter Life

Photo Courtesy of The Odyssey Online

Finally, the last place I recommend is Paradise Cove in Malibu. Paradise Cove is our family's favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. We love to go there and enjoy dining on the beach. The outside tables are literally on the sand.  The seafood there is very fresh. The portion sizes at Paradise Cove are huge so my family usually splits a meal. I love splitting the ribs and clam chowder with my mom.  Once we finish, we go out onto the beach and hang out.  I love to practice my photography on the beach there. On Trip Advisor Paradis Cove is rated 18 out of 44 restaurants in Malibu.

Photo Courtesy of Paradise Cove

Photo Courtesy of Paradise Cove

I hope these recommendation's help you in your travels to Los Angeles. These places are my family's favorites. I have included links to their websites.  I hope you check them out when you are in Los Angeles! Thanks for reading and have safe travels!

Los Angeles, The City of Survival

Los Angeles is one place most people want to go to. There are lights, sights and more. I have been to Los Angeles too many times to count and have been everywhere you can think of in the city. Here, I will be giving you an idea on how to survive in the "City of Angels".

The first thing you should do is plan your day so you will stay off the freeways during rush hour. I have been stuck in traffic for 2 hours going 5 miles!   Rush hour usually lasts 6:00 am to 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.   If you find yourself stuck in traffic during rush hour, I recommend getting off at the nearest freeway exit and enjoying some local sights while you wait.

Trafic in Los Angeles. (Photo Courtesy of rtkl.com)

The second insider fact is to always be aware of your surroundings, lock your vehicle and be especially careful at night.

One of my favorite things to do in L.A. is to visit its beaches.  In L.A, there are many beaches, each with its own personality. Depending on where you are staying, I recommend Venice, Malibu, and Marina del Rey Beaches. I will recommend places to eat at each of these beaches in my next post. 

Marina Del Rey. (Photo Courtesy of Destination360 )

Another fun thing to do in Los Angeles is to try its many excellent restaurants.  Some memorable meals I have eaten in Los Angeles include the Apple Pan in West Los Angeles, Paradise Cove in Malibu, and The Counter (a burger chain in many locations).

Finally I would like to talk about hotels.  Remember, getting around in L.A. can be difficult due to the traffic, so if you are traveling all over town, you should stay close to a highway.  I recommend using Trip Advisor  to find good hotels. It will tell you locations, ratings, and it even has menus.  Its really easy to use. My mom uses it where ever we go. It also has restaurant reviews if you want to know about other's experiences.

I hope I gave you a few tips to survive in Los Angeles. My next few blogs are going to be about Los Angeles as well so stay tuned! If you are planning to go to Los Angeles soon, I recommend following my blog so I can help you plan the best travel experiences. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Thank you for reading and have a safe flight!