Off to the Beach: Venice Beach, Malibu, and Santa Monica

With the Star Alliance Round The World Ticket, Anne and Clemens traveled around the globe. After a few days in downtown L.A., it was time for them to leave the city and breathe in the ocean air at the beaches of Malibu, Venice Beach, and Santa Monica.

Downtown Los Angeles, 8 AM. We tiredly peel ourselves from the down comforters of our hotel bed. After days filled with sightseeing between Sunset Strip and Hollywood Boulevard, today's plan in the 4-million-people city is to be different: quieter and more relaxed. But first, coffee! And we'll get it as thousands of locals do: around the corner at The Coffee Bean. There, you can grab your breakfast via the drive-thru, essentially on the go in your own car.

Fueled by Grande Lattes, muffins, and cream danishes, we continue on the freeway and dive right into the never-ending traffic jam that Los Angeles is famous for. Left, right, wherever you look: cars! Spread across ten to twelve lanes. Often, so many on-ramps, off-ramps, bridges, freeways, highways, and other roads pass by all at once that it can make your head spin. Unless, of course, you're stuck in traffic. Like we are. So we turn on the radio, pop some pastries in our mouths, and keep one hand on the wheel. We don't need to shift gears; like almost every car in the U.S., we have an automatic transmission.

Today's goal: the famous beaches that are in front of Los Angeles and line up along the Pacific like a string of pearls, including well-known names like Malibu, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach. We want to escape the urban sprawl, have had enough of the hustle and bustle, the infinitely wide streets, the oversized pickups, and yes, the seemingly endless traffic jams - that's the plan. And indeed, after a short half-hour of stop-and-go, we suddenly find ourselves moving smoothly. With each mile we get closer to the ocean, the traffic seems to ease, and the pleasantly warm air wafting in through the half-open car window feels fresher.

First, we want to go to Malibu, to the beach that gained worldwide fame in the 1990s through 'Baywatch' featuring David Hasselhoff: the TV series with toned lifeguards and buxom lifeguard ladies. But before that, the freeway leads directly into the famous Highway No. 1 (actually California State Route 1) after a short drive through a tunnel, the legendary coastal road that connects L.A. with San Francisco. And there it is, the Pacific. Deep blue, it looms before us, separated only by an exceptionally wide sandy beach. After a total of one and a half hours in the car, we reach Malibu and now only need to find parking. But as it turns out, that's not so easy. After discovering that the only available parking spots cost nearly 20 euros per day, we cheekily park in the lot of a big American burger chain and stroll over to the beach.

Small tip: Semi-legal or illegal parking in the U.S. is taken quite seriously. Any tickets will be sent through rental car companies to Germany; to avoid any issues upon re-entering the U.S., these should be paid (quickly and cheaply, on-site with a credit card).

Our favorite beach is right between the Malibu Pier and the Malibu Lagoon: Surfrider Beach. This popular sandy beach is not only great for spending a day in the sun but also for riding perfect waves while surfing. Not into surfing? You can also play a game of beach volleyball; there's a net available. The beach is always supervised by lifeguards, and the swimming and surfing zones are separated by flags.

Since Surfrider Beach belongs to Malibu Lagoon State Beach, you can utilize the parking lot next to the lagoon west of the Pacific Coast Highway.

Such a long journey deserves to be rewarded, we think, with a meal at Malibu Farm Restaurant (23000 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu). It is located right on the Malibu Pier with a stylish decor. From here, you not only have an unforgettable view of the wide Malibu beach and the surfers in the Pacific, but you're also entertained by the many seagulls. They fly around you, screeching wildly, trying to snag some of our food. No chance; we aren't willing to share our salad and sandwiches today.

Finding parking at Malibu Beach is not so easy. A good parking tip for Malibu is the many restaurants. For example, near the Cross Creek shopping center or the Malibu Country Mart, there are usually plenty of parking spots from where you can stroll directly to a few shops, restaurants, and Surfrider Beach. These parking spots are free, but they are also not ideal for a beach day, as local security officers keep a close watch to see if cars actually belong to mall customers. It seems one must bite the bullet and pay 20 USD directly at the beach for parking.

After the little snack, we head south toward Venice Beach, another place whose reputation precedes it. Venice, the dream beach of all dreamers and free spirits, of all free thinkers and creatives. And those still holding onto the American Dream. Or have they? As we stroll along the Venice Beach Boardwalk (1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice), looking at the beach and extensive green spaces, we must admit we are only moderately impressed by the picture this small beach town offers. Instead of artists and free spirits, we encounter numerous homeless individuals, disheveled vagabonds, and visibly drug addicts.

Fortunately, there are still the skaters and their huge skate bowls on the beach (Venice Skate Park, 1800 Ocean Front Walk, Venice). These are bowl-shaped concrete structures built into the ground, making them perfect for skateboarding. A handful of talented young skaters and pioneers of skate culture are joined at all times of the day by countless spectators, rewarding each successful trick with applause, or gasping in awe when one of the skaters lands spectacularly on their backside.

Opposite the skate park, we spot a quaint bookstore that looks out of place against the backdrop of the eclectic Venice Beach Boardwalk. For nearly half an hour, we browse at Small World Books (1407 Ocean Front Walk, Venice) through a delightful collection of literature from around the world, momentarily forgetting that we are at the beach and that the sun is mercilessly shining down.

Back on the Venice Boardwalk and in the countless side streets, we notice a plethora of graffiti, sometimes small in the form of tags and writings, sometimes in the form of large murals. Some convey political messages as a farewell to the American Dream, others serve as pictorial metaphors of Venice and California. We stroll through the alleys behind the beach promenade for quite a while and discover new artworks at every corner, each more colorful than the last.

But then we slowly feel hungry again. And that leads us to Gjelina on Abbot Kinney Boulevard (1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice). This trendy restaurant is one of the hottest spots in the city and surprises us with its industrial chic interior. Despite all the iron and copper elements, it doesn't feel too heavy or oppressive. And lo and behold, the pizzas we order are surprisingly excellent, although at 20 USD they are not exactly a bargain.

Parking at Venice Beach is best between North and South Venice Boulevard, west of Lincoln Boulevard. A good alternative is the parking area at the end of Venice Boulevard. Here, parking costs 3 to 10 USD per day, depending on the season. From these parking lots, there are often free shuttles to the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

Warning: On sunny days, especially during peak season, Venice Beach is very crowded, leading to the development of many private parking businesses around the boardwalk. These typically charge exorbitant prices of up to 25 USD per day.

So if the 'official' parking lots are completely full, it's best to look for parking spots in the side streets like Mildred Avenue or Venice Way and pay the respective fee at the parking meter on-site.

Venice Beach is one of the most famous surf spots in all of Los Angeles. So it's normal that the current here is usually quite strong. The areas for surfers are separated from the swimming areas by red flags. Normally, a little refreshing dip in the ocean should be totally doable. If the wind isn't too strong, the waves are pleasantly small, posing no problem for swimming. Lifeguards are present on-site, constantly keeping their watchful eyes over the sea.

However, we save dessert for our next destination: Santa Monica, just a few kilometers further north. Less than half an hour later, we arrive at Sweet Rose Creamery (2726 Main Street, Santa Monica - additional locations in L.A.). Here, they say you can find the best ice cream in Santa Monica. And indeed, the variety of milk-based ice cream and sorbet flavors is impressive. It tastes great, too. In our case, it's a delightful mix of chocolate and nut ice cream or lemon sorbet with yogurt.

With the ice cream in hand, we stroll along the Santa Monica Pier, past food stands, craft stalls, and various rides. The atmosphere here doesn't have the ambiguous feel of Venice Beach; here, a young Asian woman earns some dollars by serenading the whole pier; here, the sun sets so dramatically into the sea, as if it were forever. But first, we still have something else ahead of us: the flashing car convoy back to downtown.

Everything started here in 1909 when the Municipal Pier, the longer and narrower section of the entire pier, was completed. Originally intended to lead sewer pipes beyond the surf, with the construction of the second pier, the Pleasure Pier in 1916, it became THE landmark and place of entertainment in Santa Monica.

To this day, Santa Monica Pier is a highlight of any trip through California. It's not just the location that makes it special, but all the activities you can enjoy here - from rides to the carousel from 1920 to the iconic Route 66 sign, as this is where it officially ends.

Right on the Santa Monica Pier, the amusement park Pacific Park offers the perfect evening entertainment. Here, not only do the colorful lights of twelve rides glow, but the romantic gondolas of the solar-powered Ferris wheel, the Pacific Wheel, provide the absolutely best views over the roaring ocean. The Ferris wheel towers nearly 40 meters above the sea, flaunting 174,000 lights that continuously blink in competition with each other.

The Pacific Park amusement park is open every day, with hours varying a bit. On weekdays, you can usually boost your adrenaline from 12 PM to 7 PM, and on weekends from 12 PM to midnight. Current information can be found on the park's website.

There is no admission fee for the park itself; you only pay for the rides. A ride costs between 5 and 10 USD, while a ride on the Ferris wheel costs 10 USD. Warning: A gondola on the Ferris wheel cannot be occupied by only one person, as that violates California law. So if you're traveling alone, you'll have to share the gondola. But that might be quite nice, too, right?

Directly beneath Santa Monica Pier is the beautifully decorated Aquarium 'Heal the Bay', where 100 local sea creatures swim around daily. Behind the aquarium is an independent organization dedicated to preserving coastal waters and their inhabitants in the Los Angeles region. It's no wonder that exciting tours and workshops take place here almost daily. More information on current events can be found on the aquarium's site.

Tickets for the aquarium can be purchased on-site. They are 5 USD per person, while children under 12 years enter for free.

At 'Seaside on the Pier', you can enjoy a delicious sandwich while leisurely observing the lively activity on the pier from the lounge-like rooftop terrace.

The food court at Pacific Park is the best solution for those uncertain about what to choose. Here you'll find tasty burgers and hot dogs at 'Beach Burger', giant family pizzas at 'Pacific Wheel Pizza Company', nachos and tacos at 'Whac-a-Mole Tacos', and everything from ice cream, popcorn, to cotton candy. Hungry yet?

The best drinks are at 'Mariasol Cocina Mexicana'. Because who can say no to a margarita at sunset on Santa Monica Pier?

There is a parking lot directly connected to Santa Monica Pier, accessible via a ramp at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue. On weekends, prices are 3.75 USD per hour and 18 USD per day (from April 1 to October 31) or 3.50 USD per hour and 15 USD per day (from November 1 to March 31). Weekend prices are a bit lower in the off-season, while they remain the same in peak season. There are two more parking lots located beneath the pier, reachable via Appian Way. However, these are more suitable for shorter visits, priced at 1 USD per hour for a maximum parking time of two hours.

Maps and information about current events on the pier are available at the Visitor Center located in the Pier Shop. You can also find plenty of details about the history of this historic pier.

Not in the mood for driving? The Expo Line goes directly to the Downtown Santa Monica Station. From here, it's a short walk to Santa Monica Pier.