There are too few summers in this life to spend them all suckling at the Bay’s icy Pacific teat.
Lucky for us, the SoCal coast is within driving range and lousy with warm-surf gems.
High atop our list: Venice. Here’s your weekend plan.
Bed
CASA is an old house set back slightly from the sun-soaked shops on Abbott Kinney, stomping ground of beach bums and A-listers. It’s stocked with military canvas-upholstered wood furniture a la Environment, surfing art and a Hemingwayesque trunk bar — plus Almond Surfboards and beach cruisers for you to ride. You’ll need them.
Bites
Gjelina is patient zero for the whole farm-to-table/industrial chic/ Edison bulbs craze. But it’s still the best of them all. And their take-out window, located next door, serves up delicious, healthy salads and mouthwatering lamb sandwiches. Have them wrap up a picnic for you.
1427 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Check the menu.
Beach
You could post up on Venice Beach. But for a beach that’s cleaner, bereft of territorial surfers and backdropped by the hills, point your beach cruiser northwest toward Will Rogers State Beach. The bike path from Venice runs all the way there, and you’ll pass the Santa Monica Pier along the way.
14800 Pacific Coast Highway. Parking.
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