Southern California is by far our most frequent vacation spot. The combination of beautiful weather, great sights and lots to do. February/March off season travel and the fact that Teresa’s sister lives there has meant we have travelled to Los Angeles and surrounding area more times than any other vacation destination. Teresa’s sister originally lived in Santa Monica and that area remains one of our favorites. She now lives in Malibu which is beautiful.
Unlike most children in Southern Ontario who have the opportunity to travel south our children have been to Disneyland in Anaheim multiple times (as well as California Adventure the Magic Kingdom’s sister park (they have only been to Disneyworld in Florida once)).
I thought I would try and give you and idea on what it was like to travel during the pandemic and then I can cover some of the fun stuff we have done in the first week.
Well, after all our planning and preparations for our trip we were ready to leave. We were very excited about the opportunity to visit our family starting with Southern California, specifically Malibu a (very nice) suburb of Los Angeles.
We had packed the day before, the only difference being the need to pack masks and hand sanitizer.
We set our alarm for 3:00 am (ugh) to be ready for our limo pick-up at 4:00. Bill, who I have been using for 20 years was right on time and we headed to the Switch Health Clinic for our rapid COVID antigen test, which is located in the value parking garage a short distance from the Airport. We arrived at 4:45 and had to wait for them to open for our drive-through appointment at 5:00. Unfortunately, I would say the check-in process was very (read very very) slow. The staff certainly did not seem to be ready to go at 5:00 (despite seeing us waiting there for 15 minutes) and then they seemed to have all kinds of technical problems. We finally got checked in and had the test administered and we off to the terminal at 5:25. Twenty-five minutes for a process that should take 10 minutes creates a level of stress given we wanted to ensure we got checked in, through security and customs in time for our flight.
Bill dropped us off at Terminal 1 and we joined the priority line (thank you Air Canada Million Mile club) to check-in. The good news was that Switch Health was much more efficient at analyzing the test and sending the results than they were at checking us in and administering the test. While in the check-in line we received our test results, less than 10 minutes after leaving the clinic. The tests were negative (yeah!), we were all set to check-in. Check-in was pretty standard with the exception of the requirement to show our COVID test results. Unfortunately the Air Canada lounge is closed for renovations.
The separate entrance for Nexus security was closed and for some strange reason security does not open until 6:00 am. I know that security opened earlier than this previously. I am not sure the reason for the 6:00 am opening but it certainly creates very very long lines and a lot of stress for travelers. Fortunately, we were able to join the priority line (Air Canada status again) and once the doors opened we were able to get into security fairly quickly and once through the doors there was a line for Nexus card holders. Security was busy and slow as the initial influx of people jostled to get through security.
Next was customs and we went through the Nexus section. Again, very very busy and some confusion as you had to go to a kiosk to be identified and get a receipt and then join a long line to get to an agent (normally you just go to the kiosk and then go directly to the agent). The line moved relatively quickly and we got through customs and into the terminal.
At 6:45 we were in the terminal. Time to spare, so relatively low stress level.
We boarded the flight at 7:30 and after a 30 minute delay we took off for Los Angeles. A few things about the flight. Teresa and I were wearing N95 masks (we thought this would be safest). Despite the fact that I think N95 is the safest mask the flight attendant told us we could not wear a mast with a filter/respirator so we had to cover it with an additional mask. This seemed strange to me, but ok. The flight was full, clearly people want to travel again. I will also say that wearing a mask for 5 hours is a real drag. It is by far the longest I have worn a mask, but it is a requirement and we understood this going into the flight.
Teresa’s sister and her husband picked us up at the airport (very nice) and we went for lunch at Superba in Venice - http://www.superbafoodandbread.com/. We had never been here before and it is always nice to try somewhere new. A great place for breakfast or lunch. We ate outside on their patio (converted parking lot) enjoying the California sunshine and warmth.
After a light dinner and some reading we were ready for sleep, we had been up almost 24 hours.
Lots of sleep, woke up feeling great.
UCLA - I went with my sister-in-law to her eye examination so that I could drive her home after she had eye drops etc. I went to Bluestone Lane - https://bluestonelane.com for coffee and oatmeal. Got caught up on the news using their free wifi. I then wandered around UCLA waiting for Maureen.
Trader Joes - We then went to Trader Joe’s, my favorite grocery store in the US for groceries, wine and beer. Whenever you travel to US make sure you check out the Trader Joe’s website - https://www.traderjoes.com/home to see if they have a location near where you are. They always have a great selection of fresh produce, meat, fish, dairy, snacks, beer and wine. We decided we would take it easy today as we are still getting over jet lag. Teresa and I walked down to the ocean and walked along the beach for an hour (very nice). It was nice to read and relax in the afternoon and get ready to watch game 5 of the Dodgers, Giants series. It is awesome that the game is at 6:00 pm and I don’t need to stay up until midnight to see the end of the game. Time for a beer and the pre-game show.
Our walk along the beach:
Good news is that Dodgers won but the strike 3 call for the last out was brutal. As small editorial (or rant). I think the call on whether the batter has gone around enough for a strike by the first or third base umpire is consistently the worst call in baseball. There is absolutely no consistency call to call and as our son Kevin often says it appears the umpire is not evening paying attention so when called on is just making it up. I wanted the Dodgers to win but the call was awful. Oh well, on to Atlanta.
Paseo Miramar - One of the great things about staying in Malibu is the amazing number of hikes that are close by. Teresa and I decided to go on a hike we had done before and enjoyed so headed to Paseo Miramar in the Santa Monica mountains - https://rootsrated.com/los-angeles-ca/hiking/paseo-miramar-trail-hiking. All Trails measures this hike at 7.9 km and rates it as moderate. The hike is steep so that is challenging but the path is wide and is dirt and gravel so that makes the hiking easier. There is no shade on the trail so you will feel significantly hotter than whatever temperature your weather app told you it was going to be. Bring lots of water. The views are spectacular. You can see the Pacific Ocean in both directions for most of the hike and it is beautiful. You also get great views of the mountain range, Malibu, Santa Monica and LA. The overlook is a nice finishing point with great views and a nice rest area before you head back on the same trail. It takes about 2.5 to 3 hours and should definitely be on your list if you are looking to do some hiking while around LA.
Just three of the many photos I took on the hike:
Santa Monica Farmers Market - Santa Monica Fish - Definitely one of our favorite things to do is to head to the Santa Monica Farmers Market - https://www.downtownsm.com/dtsm-farmers-market . It is open on Wednesday and Saturdays and when Teresa’s sister lived in Santa Monica we could walk there. However, on Saturday morning it is a short drive from Malibu with ample street and lot parking. The market has a great selection of local produce with many of the vendors specializing in a particular area. We were able to pick up everything we needed for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Photo of the market Saturday morning.
We then headed to Santa Monica Seafood Market and Cafe - https://smseafoodmarket.com/santa-monica-seafood-market-and-cafe/ and amazing retail store with a huge selection of fish. We have waited a very long time for our number to be called on previous visits but this time the wait was not too bad. We decided on striped bass and combined with the vegetables we bought from the market we had a delicious dinner.
LA Kings - we were able to get tickets for the Kings versus the Wild through StubHub for a reasonable price (we normally sit in the upper deck at centre ice where the tickets are affordable but the view is still good). As you probably know the Kings play at the Staple Centre which the Lakers and Clippers also play (along with concerts they must great really good use out of the stadium). Adjacent to the Staples Centre is LA Live a huge entertainment and dining area. It is definitely a neat place to visit and walk around. Unfortunately, I always find that because the number of restaurants at LA Live is fairly limited and there are no other restaurants around the arena it is often very difficult to get a table. We ended up eating in the arena, a hotdog and a beer which I am always good with. Unfortunately, the Kings lost and it would seem it is going to be a long year for LA fans. They may already know it as the arena was only half full (maybe everyone was watching the Dodgers game - they lost!). The highlight of the game was a goal by Anze Kopitar assisted by Drew Doughty and Johnathan Quick, definitely a throw back to the past.
Sycamore Canyon Hike - Our next hike was Sycamore Canyon - https://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-la-walks-point-mugu-20180908-story.html . All Trails has this hike at 5.3 km but I feel like there are enough side trails that you could make it longer if you wanted. It is rated as easy and it is. Very flat, it is probably more of a walk or stroll than a hike but if you are looking to get outside without exerting too much energy this is a great choice. Depending on the season you can see butterflies ( we saw a couple along with a deer) and it is a beautiful area. You can also mountain bike on the trail which looked like fun. Definitely a nice way to spend a few hours in the afternoon.
Dukes - https://www.dukesmalibu.com - We didn’t get into Dukes for lunch on the way back from our hike as the wait was too long but we have been there a number of times before. I think it is a must if you are in the area. With a cool, surfer dude atmosphere (remember I have a tattoo now and can make dude references) the beer is great, the views are amazing (the restaurant is right on the ocean) and the food is good to ok. It is always fun. As a side note, Teresa and I have also been to Dukes in Honolulu which we didn’t think was nearly as good (although I think the Hawaiian locations were the originals). The views were not very good, it is situated in a hotel and just didn’t seem to have the same vibe.
Cha Cha Chicken - Since we could not get into Dukes we decided to go to Cha Cha Chicken - http://www.chachachicken.com. We had never been here before but when we used to stay in Santa Monica I had run by their place often on my way down to the beach for my run to Venice. The food was delicious. You line up to order and then get a table and the server brings your food to the table. They don’t have a liquor license but you can bring your own drinks. I had the Coconut Fried Chicken, half size (it was a lot, a quarter probably would have been enough). It came with dirty rice (rice and beans) and grilled plantains. Food was great, fun atmosphere, definitely will go back again.
Biking Santa Monica to Venice - Another one of our favorite things to do is bike from Santa Monica to Venice (btw this is also a very nice walk). Teresa and I picked up bikes near the Santa Monica pier and we were all set. The bike path is right next to the beach and has great views of the Pacific Ocean and all the cool people along the beach. It is an easy ride, flat, paved so very enjoyable.
The Rose Venice - https://therosevenice.la . The Rose is one of our favorite restaurants in Venice. We have been multiple times and the food is always great. We were riding on a Monday so the restaurant was closed, but we will definitely go again the next time we are in Venice.
Abbots Pizza - Given we could not have lunch at The Rose we decided to ride our bikes up to Abbot Kinney a cool shopping street. We decided to go to Abbots Pizza Company - https://www.abbotspizzaco.com . We had walked by this place numerous times and there was always a long line. Not sure if they have been impacted by COVID or because it was a Monday we were able to get in easily. The restaurant is primarily takeout, they have a small counter inside and one outside (we got a couple of seats at the outside counter). Teresa had the chicken Popeye (chicken and spinach), I had BBQ chicken (delicious). Definitely will have to go back for another visit. Given we were burning off calories riding (?) we decided to stop at Salt and Straw - https://saltandstraw.com. We had been to this gourmet ice cream place in Seattle and they have delicious ice cream. The single scoop in a cup is huge and you can have two different kinds of ice cream in the cup … mmmmmm.
Santa Monica Pier - https://www.santamonicapier.org/ . After returning our bicycles we could not resist another of our favorites, a walk to the end of the Santa Monica Pier. Always lots of people, excitement and the views of the beach and the ocean are spectacular. It was a great way to end our excursion before heading home.
Run along the beach - The next morning I went for my first run in California. Running along the ocean is also on my favorites list. Unfortunately from Malibu you have to run along the shoulder of the PCH (Pacific Coastal Highway) before you can get to the beach path. This portion of the run is life threatening as there is not much room on the side of the road as cars wiz by you. Starting in Santa Monica is much nicer running through residential streets to the beach. But I made it safely there and back and had a beautiful 10K run. Photo from the run below.
Bike Ride - Santa Monica to Torrance - The next day Teresa and her sister were having some of her sister’s friends together for lunch and Teresa showed them how to make an Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) arrangement. I decided I would rent a reasonably good bike (the ones Teresa and I had rented were no speed cruisers which were fine for a short ride). I found Santa Monica Bike Rental - http://www.smbikerental.com and reserved an 8-speed hybrid bike. They are on 4th street in Santa Monica so not right on the beach but still convenient and definitely the cheapest place I found. My bike rental for the day, helmet and lock included was $25.
I planned to ride from Santa Monica to Torrance which is 60 km return. I picked up the bike at 10:00 am and started on my journey. It is a beautiful ride and you follow the path along the beach except for a section at Marina del Rey where you have to ride around the harbor.
I stopped for lunch at Smizzys - https://www.simmzys.com in Manhattan Beach. They have a great selection of draft beers (see photo below) and delicious cheeseburger (I figured I was burning enough calories on the ride to splurge.
Well, that is the highlights of the first week. We packed a lot in to our one week plus in Southern California. In terms of COVID the rules in California are very similar to Ontario so it was very easy to make the transition. You have to be double vaccinated to enter stadiums and museums, wear masks in stores and restaurants (you don’t have to show vaccine proof to enter restaurants). It certainly seems that people are fine to follow the rules (we have not seen any COVID ranting).
We have been watching the Dodgers games and it is great to be able to watch the games and not have to stay up past midnight to see the end of the game. The Dodgers have been kind of sucking but they have made it to game 6 so hopefully they can come through with a win. (note, they lost last night boooo...)
We had our COVID test for Hawaii this morning. Hawaii has very strict rules and procedures you must follow to avoid quarantine. Good news, our second negative test. We have a couple of days left in California and then off to Honolulu.
Let me know if you have any questions about the travel or any of the places in California. You can reach me at thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com
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