I've been starving for a vacation with all of the work and life stresses as of late. Between the ongoing house renovation finances pulling in one direction, and the work unhappiness pulling in the opposite direction, the best one can do is plow forward as best as possible. Hubby was also embroiled in the completion of the house, and our marriage has been strained through these changes. I decided the best I could do is plan a girls trip close, but far away.
Just so happened that one of my friends was flying into Los Angeles for a work event and I conveniently had another friend, whom I haven't seen in years, residing in L.A. as well. It was a nice time, in between the stressful holidays to escape even just for a little bit of time.
'Ousted' in Venice Beach. Maybe it was the time of the year, and the fact that we stopped by around sunset on a cool evening, but Venice Beach was initially not a shockingly crazy as I was hoping for. The top memories for me were the plethora of graffiti art objects, even the palm trees, as you can see far left. As a fan of detailed, colorful and/or thought-provoking graffiti and stencil art, I was loving it. My friend and I had a bottle of champagne and walked along the shops. Saw a guy riding the LONGEST long board that I've ever seen. A stranger passed by and yelled at the long boarder, "you must be trying to compensate for something!" Ah, that's the Venice Beach I was looking for!
After visiting my friend, I met up with some other friends for lunch in Manhattan Beach. I arrived early so I killed time by walking around on the beach and pier. Watching surfers connect with the waves. Entranced. I ducked into a couple of shops and to my surprise, I almost *literally* ran into Vince Vaughn! (I was completely surprised given that earlier in the day I walked for several miles along Melrose Avenue and spotted no one.) Most of the patrons were gawking and pointing him out to their companions in the shop. I went on my merry way, trying not to ogle at him. I'm sure celebrities are sick of it.
I picked up my other friend who flew to the area for work and we hit the road south. The first night we stayed in Dana Point. To our surprise, a killer holiday event was in progress. The walk down to the harbor was decorated with lights. We picked a random seafood restaurant, Wind and Sea, and sat outside. I drank the best Mai Tai (or two) and we watched numerous boats float by decked out with holiday light decorations. It was such a chill, fun night. I think I caught my maritime bug here!
We went onward toward San Diego after walking around in killer San Juan Capistrano. The sun was setting as we were driving, so we exited toward Oceanside and parked quickly to walk out on the pier. This little pelican didn't give a damn about the many people walking past. He was on a mission to steal the fisherman's fresh catch. Pictured here is this little gypsy creepily staring at the fisherman (not pictured.)
The sunset was a story teller. It changed colors many times. At times it was cloudier, and other times it was brighter. Coming from a landlocked area, it was pure heaven to watch the sun slowly descend, with the clouds dancing around it, and the waves singing below. Gosh, I needed this.
The next night we stayed in La Jolla, and we did a bit of everything. Drank microbrew, shopped, ate and hiked the nice long pathway that runs along the coastline. The whole time I was walking along the coastline with my friend, gawking at the beautiful houses, I thought how lucky these residents are! I suppose the grass is greener, but I thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful expansive views. We also watched the seals sunbathing, cuddling and getting fussy with one another. I could have watched the seals all day. What interesting creatures they are.
The Southern Cali Speed Vacation, as I put it, was definitely the swaddling blanket I needed as of late. I felt a resurgence of blood in my body and feeling in my soul. Perhaps the waters' force had something to do with it. Perhaps it was getting away from it all. Or, maybe, it was the change in routine. The best recommendation for a this quick trip, is the connection to animals in their natural environment. I can't stress that enough with today's commercialization of animals. Otherwise, the views don't hurt either! Make a quickie out of Southern California if pressed for time. You won't regret it.
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