SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Southern California in one day
Looking for something to do with your out-of-town visitors? Here are five budget-friendly suggestions to help you pass the time.
Southern California in one day
Southern California hotel reviews
Top 15 California destinations
Best of California, for beginners
Here is an eclectic list of places where Travel section staffers like to take out-of-town visitors for a slice of SoCal life. The Bunny Museum, anyone?
HIDDEN TREASURES IN LOW-KEY DEL REY
Del Rey, an off-the-radar West Side enclave sandwiched between Marina del Rey and nouveau hip
Settled by Japanese Americans who fled the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Del Rey was farmland for decades and then, after World War II, a planned community. Now it's a loosely defined neighborhood of modest-size homes, small businesses and a stir-fry (or taco salad) of Asian and Latino cultures.
Ballona Creek: This once-wild font that fed fields of produce was long ago tamed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Now it's part nature refuge, part trash-littered flood channel. What could be more L.A.?
Starting at Centinela Avenue and heading west, walk or take a spin down the bike path along the creek's north bank and watch for great blue herons, snowy egrets, mallards, sandpipers and dozens more bird species. Then hook up with the beach path near Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey, about three miles away, or just hang out at the pier and watch the boats glide by.
Ronnie's Diner: A few blocks off the bike path, this blast-from-the-past eatery is a great stop to carbo load for your creek outing. It serves up more than 50 items for breakfast, including my favorite, honey buckwheat pancakes with walnuts ($5.25). Lunch offers nearly 30 sandwiches and melts ($5.95-$7.35), 10 types of burgers and more. Dinner adds entrees and nightly specials ($7.95) such as pot roast and chicken stew. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, plus dinner on weeknights. 12740 Culver Blvd.,
Beverage Warehouse: Tucked in a small industrial park near Ronnie's, this cavernous, no-nonsense market stocks hundreds of beers and ales from around the world, scores of single-malt scotch whiskeys and who knows how many tequilas. Plus there's a good selection of wines and sodas. Not a big drinker? It's worth a stop just to gawk at the colorful bottle labels. Open daily; hours vary. 4935 McConnell Ave., No. 21, Los Angeles; beveragewarehouse.com; (310) 306-2822.
Marina Farms: Last stand of Del Rey's agricultural heritage, this old-fashioned produce purveyor draws regulars from miles away. It sells a dizzying array of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus house-packed bulk items such as nuts, beans, trail mix, rice and some four dozen varieties of candy. Open daily; hours vary. 5454 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles; (310) 827-3049.
Tacomiendo Mexican Grill: In a neighborhood replete with tasty taco joints, this cramped, mini-mall storefront stands out for its handcrafted, health-conscious food. The big menu with (fairly) small prices embraces burritos large enough for two ($3.75-$6.95), fresh juice combos and daily specials. Open daily; hours vary. 4502
Getting there: Take the
-- Jane Engle
MAKING A SPLASH IN MANHATTAN BEACH
Dodger Stadium is always a fine way to introduce out-of-town visitors to the real L.A., but for the surreal L.A. -- the L.A. we kind of wish were more prevalent and affordable -- I'll take
Turn down Highland Avenue into that main drag and admire the pier glistening in the surf. I've had relatives gasp at the sight. Wow. Awesome. Now that's
There's a reason so many professional athletes live here. Heck, there are a hundred reasons. The lifestyle is casual. There's always something going on. The residents are lovely and/or handsome. If
The catch? Parking. There is only a handful of places right near the beach. Meanwhile, many of the parking garages have two-hour limits. Here's a tip: The parking garage at 12th Street and Morningside Drive has eight-hour meters on the very bottom level (upper levels have two-hour limits). A quarter will get you 20 minutes, so bring a roll.
Don't miss: The free aquarium and touch tanks at the end of the pier. $2 donation suggested. Also, anglers at the end of the pier frequently pull in 4-foot leopard sharks.
For breakfast: Uncle Bill's Pancake House draws big crowds on weekends for its generous portions and beachy vibe. Try to snag a table on the deck. 1305 Highland Ave., (310) 545-5177.
For lunch: One of the best places to grab a taco is the ultra-casual Wahoo's Fish Taco, a block from the beach. 1129 Manhattan Ave., (310) 796-1044.
For dinner: Fusion Sushi offers a large number of choices and interesting special rolls. The atmosphere is casual enough that you can come right off the beach. 1150 Morningside Drive, (310) 802-1160.
Getting there: From the north, take the 105 Freeway west till it turns into Imperial Highway; left on Vista del Mar, which leads directly into Manhattan Beach. From the south, take the 405, exit Inglewood Avenue. Go south to Manhattan Beach Boulevard and west to the water. Info: (310) 545-5313, www.manhattanbeachchamber.net
-- Chris Erskine
THE COLLEGE LIFE IN CLAREMONT VILLAGE
When it comes it L.A., there's the expected: Star-gazing at the Ivy for brunch and re-creating the opening scenes of "Entourage" along Sunset Boulevard at night. The "surprise" celebrity sighting is so . . . expected. Where to go for the unexpected? How about a little R&R in a quaint little college town?
Tucked away off the 10 Freeway in a quiet swath of suburbia lies downtown Claremont. Adjacent to six of the seven institutions that comprise the Claremont Colleges, these strips of tree-lined tranquillity are more whimsical than Westwood. The area recently had a building renaissance, leaving the older area (which is closer to the campuses) with more mom-and-pop shops. Just to the west, the remodeled 1920s-era College Heights Lemon Packing House and its neighboring open-air Village Square shopping center call to a more modern set. Here's the best of both worlds in the City of Trees and PhDs.
Don't miss: Bert & Rocky's Cream Co.: Pick your ice cream flavor(s) du jour at the local favorite at Bonita and Yale avenues, where samplings have included chocolate Butterfinger and cream cheese chip. That is, if you make it to the coolers without deciding on the blue ribbon-size caramel- and candy-coated apples or other confections. (Prices start around $3 a person, depending on your sweet tooth).
Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery: Finish the treats on a walk through campus to the free-of-charge Scripps College museum on Columbia Avenue. The permanent collection's highlights include American and Chinese paintings, more than 1,000 Japanese woodblock prints and photographs from the likes of
Rancho
Rhino Records: Don't forget this is a college town. And what would a college town be without the quintessential music shop? Proudly proclaiming on its website to be "independent since 1976," across Yale from the ice cream parlor, Rhino's ever-surprising and well-stocked collections give Amoeba a run for its money.
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