EL MATADOR
Its easy enough to park your towel at Santa Monica, or Manhattan beach, where easy fast and cheap food, aren’t more than a stroll away. But if you take your towel and bev-mos a little further up the coast past Malibu, Point Dume, and even Zuma, you’ll find a pair of beaches there that offer so much beauty and astonishing landscape, that it’s a wonder it’s hardly crowded at all.

Often home to photo shoots, and commercials, El Matador, and neighboring El Pescadores are famed for their large rocks jetting out of the coastline, and giant caves that are in a constant tangle with the tides.I've found myself passing hours among hours kicking around stones and conversation in the caves on the beach. The only reason to leave is the tide rushing in to fill the cave before sunset.It's fun to get caught when the tides are coming up, but make sure you know what your doing. The tides are strong, and there are a few places where you have to completely immerse yourself in the water just to pass under the arches, that sometimes are only a few feet high.

If you do get caught and don't feel like testing your fins against psuedons mits, just travel up north along the beach to El Pescador. There you can climb the cliffs to higher ground. But make sure your fence hopping skills are up to par. El Pescador doesn't have as impressive huge rocks, or caves, but what it does have that is unique are thriving tide pools. These warm tide pools are teeming with life from little tiny fish to, sea snails, and hundreds of amazing starfish.This beach I have found is much more deserted than its counterpart. Ive spent a whole afternoon here without seeing anyone else, which makes it a great place to bring your dog. Even though its not allowed, the rangers wont bother you if you are capable of keeping control of your mut.

You can grab a quick bite to eat at the local grocery store down the coast, or travel even a little further away from Santa Monica to the famous Neptune’s Net. A local fish shack well known to motorcyclist’s surfers, and cruisers. I recomend the sampler plate, just cause you get a little of everything, and a tradition of mine, the 40 oz. Sol Beer. For some reason in the setting sun it just glimmers "drink me". Neptune's Net overlooks the pacific right off the 1 hwy, It’s a great place, to eat before you return south, or travel even further north.

Location: Off of the Pacific Coast Highway, 32215 PCH, Malibu, CA 90265
Hours: 8 a.m. to Sunset

THE VENICE CANALS

My AAA issued map didn't label the Canals, and only mentioned the Venice Beach as a side note to the famed Santa Monica Beach. The Canals are a small system of waterways connected to the ocean through Marina Del Rey. So with no direction I just headed west, assuming I would stumble upon them somewhere off the coast.

And sure enough after cruising west a couple of miles on Venice BLVD, two or three blocks from the ocean, I caught a glimpse of the waterways through a well constructed wall of greenery. I passed by the $12 a day parking and found a spot for free in the residential neighborhood to the south that surrounds the canals.

It was strange just stumbling onto the canals, I thought they might be hard to find, but there are several streets that actually cross over the canals on tiny one lane bridges.

When stepping over the threshold, and into the cloister of the Venice canals, you can’t help but feel like you’re in a different world. With crowded Venice beach just over your shoulder, the canals offer a relaxing, and impressive walkway through a unique and highly desirable neighborhood.

Once home to hippies and artists (including Jim Morrison) in the 60's, the properties on the canals skyrocketed in the 70's to now unimaginable prices.

In the turn of the century it was the vision of Abbot Kinney, an old-timey local developer. The 16 miles of Venice canals were completed in 1904, and was built to resemble the real Grand Canals in Venice Italy. Few of the original canals remain today, most of the canals were filled in and paved over when vehicles demanded more roads in the 20's. There isn't much to do here but stroll the paths and bridges, and marvel at the lifestyle this neighborhood could offer (If anyone you knew could afford it.) But as mentioned before, Venice Beach is right over your shoulder, with plenty of places to eat, from over priced "cafes" to burger and taco joints.

One great thing that separates Venice Beach from the other surrounding beaches is that it is pretty laid back. Definitely an atmosphere where you wont feel on display with your mid-west belly hanging out, or embarrassed of your out of state accent that comes back after a few drinks. Everyone is welcome at Venice Beach, for better or worse.

THE MALIBU CREEK

If you don’t stay to catch the sunset on the Neptune’s Net porch, be sure to chase it in the Santa Monica mountains surrounding Malibu creek and lake. There are 15 miles of streamside trail through oak and sycamore woodlands. From Boney Mountain to Malibu Lagoon it seems like the trails were carved out yesterday, they are so underdeveloped. In this type of wilderness in southern California, you really get a sense of what it must have been like a century ago. The mountains provide a fresh air that’s addictive to a pair of LA County lungs.

Don’t forget to bring your water and camping gear, you might just get hooked on the oxygen so much that you’ll want to stay till morning. It’s easy to find a campsite during the week, but if your crashing over the weekend make sure you book ahead.

The park is located four miles south of Highway 101 on Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road.
Latitude/Longitude: 34.1033 / -118.7331

GRIFFITH PARK

Probably one of the most visited parks in Los Angeles. With views over looking all of Los Angeles to the Pacific Ocean and covering 4,210 acres of land, Griffith Park offers a perfect place to spend the day, or just to come up for a hike on some of the 53 miles of trails.

At Griffith you can visit the amphitheater, the Greek Theatre, and Griffith Observatory, all completed by 1935. The park also includes Nature Museum, bird Sanctuary, the famous Hollywood sign, Griffith Merry-Go-round, The Los Angeles Zoo, and many other attractions.

The park is open 6 am to 10:00 pm. All hiking trails and mountain roads close at sunset. Ample free parking is available

ELYSIAN PARK

Sometimes Griffith can be too crowded to really feel like your escaping the city, but surprisingly enough the only reminders that you are in fact in the city at Elysian Park, is the beautiful LA skyline that will creep up on you in unexpected places. Home to Dodger Stadium, Elysian Park is Los Angeles’s oldest.

While hiking one of its 73 trails, cruising up its windy race-track like roads, or napping on the luscious greenery you’ll wonder why you’ve never been here before.

The word Elysian is derived from the Greek word, meaning Paradise. Though the area of Elysian Park has been tied with public land use as far back as 1781, it was officially reserved in 1886 as a Public Space.