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Red Mezz
Red Mezz
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
5
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Surfer's Paradise...

  • November 22, 2009
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Red Mezz from Inverness, Scotland
Surfer's Paradise...

A lot of the places along the PCH, and in LA in general are a great place to visit any time of the year. In fact, I think some of them even benefit being seen in the holiday season where the tourist levels are down, the shops and streets are decked out for Christmas and you still get the sun with out the heat.

But it seems that Malibu is somewhere that should definitely be seen in the glory of summer.

Malibu beach and pier are well known to pretty much anyone who's ever - well - who's ever watched US films. And it's easy to conjure up lots of images of what this famous and iconic beach should look like given the films and TV that it shows up so often in.

But in the cooling months of winter - it has an almost forgotten feeling.
The insanely expensive houses and properties that line the coast just off the PCH in Malibu are often aging and almost dilapidated. We visited one property that was being leased for $14,000 per month (yes, we choked at the price as well...) and though I'm sure it would have been a crazy luxurious house in the 70's, now it seemed more like a dated beach house.

The shops and businesses in the area are all but closed down, and except for the stalwart fisherman of the area, they don't seem to get much business - certainly at that time of the year. I can only assume that the residents of the houses along the beach are happy to drive through the mountains back to the city to get what they need.

The pier itself - an icon of Southern California - was completely empty when we visited on a sunny Sunday afternoon in December - except for one small family who showed up with a few fishing poles and a small bucket of bate bought from a local shop.

Malibu seems as if it had its hay day about 50 years ago - and is only now still glorious in memory. But this could be the lethargic winter persona, as it boasts some of the best deep sea fishing, local entertainment, and surfing on the Southern California coast.

I know that surfers get very excited about catching a break along the Malibu shore, and if surfing is your thing then you shouldn't let the opportunity to try it pass you by. I did notice that even in the cool winter winds off the shore - a handful of surfers were still attempting to find a really great wave.

I can't say it seemed like it had much of a night life - but perhaps I just didn't know where to look. There was a small lounge across the street from the pier which boasted the talents of Frank Stallone (yes - Frank Stallone) and to be honest I'm horrified I didn't get a chance to go and see him...

The pier was a nice, quiet place to go and enjoy the coast line - though I will admit it didn't seem as stunning a coast as I had imagined. (I had just returned from New Zealand and Fiji, though - so it had to do a lot to impress)

The beach itself was fairly unremarkable - but in the depths of December is was very quiet and if a good long stroll on a quiet beach is what you're after then Malibu is just the place.

From journal California Coast and the PCH...

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