Chilling in Santa Monica

I only had four days in L.A. and I was just trying to relax. So the highlights for me included running by the beach, enjoying a few outdoor cafes, getting in some shopping, and checking out a couple of the obvious sights. I spent most of my time in Santa Monica, but did venture out to Hollywood for a day.

Santa Monica had a couple of sides - the trendy, upscale side and the more working class side that most people don’t see. As a tourist you pretty much stay in the section of Santa Monica that has the boutiques, the nice restaurants, the pier, and the beautiful tree-lined streets. This area is pretty compact, and you can find plenty to do for a short two to three day stay.

Quick Tips:

If you are going to go hiking, take advantage of a clear day. Some days are much clearer than others, so we headed straight to Griffith State Park on the first suitable day. In hindsight, this was a great move given the haze and cloudy weather the rest of the time I was there.

Bring your rollerblades or rent a bike. The path down by the beach is awesome and runs for miles. I almost bought a new pair of rollerblades even though I had a pair at home. Lots of people are enjoying a leisurely jog, blade, or bike ride, and you’ll really soak in the California scene.

Best Way To Get Around:

It’s L.A. You need a car.

I was looking for a place where I could sit outside, grab a healthy meal, and enjoy hanging out with my friends -- Mani’s was perfect. It is a very popular place with the locals and the food was fantastic. It doesn’t matter if you are vegetarian (even vegan) or a meat lover because there is something for everyone and everything is prepared with organic ingredients.

I went a bit overboard because I couldn’t decide what to order. I tried the blueberry pancakes (the daily pancake special), the turkey chili (one of their specialties) and a Venice Burger (avocado, cheese, onions, a beef paddy, and great bread). My friend tried the special omelet. We had so much food, the waiter kept joking that we would have to take a nap after lunch, but we actually did finish it all because it was so good. I wish I had saved room for dessert because they had all kinds of cakes, pies, and cookies in the bakery section of the restaurant.

The service was also great. Our waiter was very laid-back, but pretty attentive. The atmosphere was very chill and the crowd was an interesting mix of very healthy-looking people. We sat outside, which I highly recommend on a beautiful, sunny day. There is also inside seating where people seemed to hang out for quite a while. The inside portion is a little weird because there is an area of clothes on display racks in addition to the tables and bakery counter.

All in all, this is a place that should not be missed.

I never miss the opportunity to get some good West Coast sushi when I go to California. Wabi-Sabi definitely delivered. The place is pretty laid-back, but stylish -- a nice place to grab dinner, but not overly fancy.

There are a couple of sections . . . we sat on the back patio area (an area I recommend). It was a little chilly out there at night, but only barely noticeable. The service was fine . . . nothing special, but more than adequate.

But most importantly, the sushi is fantastic. I tried the yellowtail, the eel, the salmon, and a couple of tempura selections. We also had a couple of very enjoyable appetizers (seaweed salad and eggplant). Everything was fantastic, although I didn’t particularly like the soft-shell crab. It was prepared a bit differently than I am used to so I focused on the other sushi items. They have all of the sushi standbys and a few interesting rolls. I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu (the soft shell crab notwithstanding), so be a little adventurous.

If you are looking for some great people-watching along Sunset Boulevard, Chin-Chin is a good place. If you are looking for great Chinese food, go elsewhere. Don’t get me wrong -- we enjoyed our meal and the food is definitely pretty good, but the atmosphere is what I will remember.

There were several Hollywood types –- lots of fake body parts, bleached blond hair, jewelry, nice cell phones, and even a couple of bona fide stars. We sat right next to Jessica Simpson, a very popular and beautiful young pop singer. I showed my age a little bit when I didn’t recognize her (I even made the faux pas of proclaiming, "That girl looks like Britney Spears!"). We even played a bit of a game I can best describe as "Are those fake or not?" -- Jessica appeared to be all genuine.

Getting back to the food, we tried a peanut noodle dish, the orange shrimp, and the pot-stickers. I left satisfied, but didn’t find anything to be overly flavorful. The meal was surprisingly inexpensive considering we were in a ritzy section of Sunset Boulevard. Plus, we enjoyed watching the traffic (there were some amazing cars) and the people walk by. The service was a little spotty, but nothing to complain about. It was also surprisingly easy to get a table outside.

After your meal, walk up the street and check out some of the shopping. The boutiques are pretty nice, although out-of-this-world expensive.

You can’t go to L.A. and not go to at least one place that epitomizes the West Coast scene. The Viceroy definitely fits the bill. You’ll see lots of beautiful people piling out of expensive cars, very trendy styling, and of course, a dose of attitude. If you don’t go early, expect a line outside. And as one of the little people, don’t expect the star treatment when actual stars regularly make appearances.

Having said that, I really enjoyed the place. It did start to get a little crowded as the night went on, but that just added to the scene. First, I enjoy people-watching and there was plenty of that. Second, the place is pretty cool, especially the bar area and the area around the pool (it reminded me of a couple of the Ian Schrager hotels I have seen). Finally, the food (if you go for dinner) was exceptional.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I had the braised ribs and my friend had the scallops. Both were exceptional, as were both of our appetizers. The wine selection was also quite nice (although somewhat daunting for a wine novice such as myself).

The atmosphere was relaxing and even thought the tables are pretty close, you don’t really notice until the group next to you starts to get a little frisky -- the woman at the next table was proudly displaying her new belly button ring to all of her friends (and the people at the nearby tables). The service was a little slow, but I only noticed because I was still a little bit jet-lagged. Make a reservation or forget about getting a table for dinner. All said, I highly recommend the Viceroy, despite the $10 parking fee.

I flew in on a Thursday afternoon and wasn’t up for anything too fast-paced on the first night, so my friend took me to her default impress-my-friends-on-their-first-afternoon-in-Southern-California place.

Moonshadow’s is located right on the water along the Pacific Coast Highway three miles north of the Santa Monica pier. It is reputed to have the best view in Malibu and I can't really disagree. If taken out of its environment, the restaurant would still be a good place to grab a drink and some healthy food, but when you add the magnificent view, this place is fantastic.

We got a bottle of wine and a couple of appetizers and just soaked up the smell of the salt water, the ocean breeze, and the sunset. This is a great place for friends to catch up and really start the weekend on the right foot. And despite my high praise for the view, the food deserves its due because it was actually quite nice. We had the beet salad and goat cheese appetizer and ate every bit of it. We would have eaten more, but this was only a pit stop before dinner a couple of hours later.

Other than a little rush hour traffic on the way out, Moonshadow’s is a perfect place to get your Santa Monica vacation started.

Venice Beach has been featured in numerous movies, so I wanted to check it out for myself. This beach is a bit edgier than most, but also more interesting. You'll find tattoo parlors, tarot card readers, the Muscle Beach outdoor weight lifting, outdoor basketball (think White Men Can't Jump), lots of beach food, T-shirt shops, paddle tennis (a game I hadn't seen before), lots of roller-blading, surfing, and everything else you would expect from a beach.

But the most interesting aspect of this beach is the people. Just walk up and down the strip and you will see a little bit of everything from beautiful girls in bikinis to starving artists. A couple of examples included a roller-blading Jimi Hendrix look-alike and a man with tattoos from head to toe. Everyone seemed to get along and we just strolled up and down for a couple of hours and took it all in.

I've heard it gets a bit dicey at night, so I would plan a day trip.

There are several routes that will take you through L.A., but Sunset Boulevard is one of the most interesting. You can see things like the Walk of Fame, Mann's Chinese Theatre, lots of stores (particularly expensive boutiques), outdoor cafés, Beverly Hills, rows of palm trees, expensive cars, and even some celebrities.

It took us a few hours to get from Hollywood to Malibu (because we made several stops along the way), but I enjoyed every bit of the drive. We stopped at a nice restaurant (Chin-Chin's) along the way and sat outside to soak up the atmosphere. I couldn't believe how many Ferraris, Porsches, and Rolls-Royces there were. It was also fun having lunch next to Jessica Simpson (a famous pop singer) and seeing all of the Hollywood types in their trendy garb.

Make a couple of turns into the neighborhoods (particularly Beverly Hills) and you will see some amazing homes. Of course, you can also stop and grab a map to the homes of the stars if you are so inclined.

If you want to see the best view of L.A. and get near the famed Hollywood sign, Griffith Park is a nice afternoon side trip. Lots of people hang out, hike, enjoy picnics, and just soak up the view.

There are miles of trails and you can go in several different directions depending on how secluded you want your hike to be. You can see for miles (particularly on a clear day), so take a nice camera. I made the mistake of taking the wrong shoes . . . some of the hiking can actually be quite strenuous. I also did not take any water. There aren't really any facilities, so you need to take anything you'll need while in the park.

All said, I really enjoyed this side trip. It was a nice way to take in some nature and get a little exercise to start your day. After you leave the park, I recommend a drive through Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard.

A walk along the Santa Monica pier is a nice diversion if you have some time to burn. The pier has lots of souvenir shops, junk-food vendors, arcade games, and rides (roller coaster, Ferris wheel, etc.). It is definitely a little bit rough around the edges, but fun nonetheless.

Next to the pier you will find a fairly nice section of the beach and a path for biking and roller-blading. A few blocks away, you will find plenty of nice restaurants and excellent shopping. I walked from the pier to the Third Street Promenade and spent a couple of hours browsing the shops and listening to the street performers.