If you've ever parked by the airport, hopped on the hood and leaned against your windshield to watch the underbellies of planes climb into the sky, try doing that at Dockweiler State Beach while laying on a blanket atop the sand. This 3-mile stretch of sand in Playa Del Rey is a haven for swimming, surfing and volleyball in the flight takeoff path for Los Angeles International Airport. "The Strand," a 22-mile bike path running from Torrance to Pacific Palisades, passes through here. And if you're inspired by the LAX air traffic to take to the skies yourself, join the other seabirds brought here by Southern California hang-gliding schools to begin training off the slope above the sand.
Perhaps the greatest sport of all in the quirky and eclectic L.A. neighborhood of Venice is people-watching. The 3-mile beach attracts surfing fanatics and skateboarders, Muscle Beach attracts iron-pumping beefcakes, Ocean Front Walk is a melting pool of street performers and roller-skaters, and the tourists flock to see them all gathered in one petri dish of California counterculture. This is the historic home of L.A.'s offbeat artists and beat poets and the backdrop for many Hollywood productions. It's the most popular Southern California tourist destination after Disneyland, but after the short drive from Inglewood you may just want to relax and cast your line with other locals at the end of the Venice Pier.
So, you like your beach mixed with some cocktails, a fine meal and hundreds of boats in slips just waiting to hit the Pacific. Tucked in between Dockweiler and Venice beaches lies Marina del Rey, with a series of docking channels and walkways perfect for a romantic stroll, a 10-acre park with free summer concerts along the water, and a horseshoe-shaped sandy beach nestled at Admiralty Way and Via Marina. Relax on the deck of one of the restaurants in Fisherman's Village, take a break from the city with a night at one of the peaceful Marina hotels or just spend a buck, as of publication in April 2013, to take the Water Bus from dock to dock.
South of Dockweiler you can easily burn a day at the South Bay trio of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo beaches. Perched at the end of the Manhattan Beach pier, the Roundhouse Aquarium is a nonprofit research facility with a collection of sea life exhibits and classes and summer camp for kids. Admission is free but a suggested donation of $2 per person or $5 per family is suggested to support this neighborhood treasure. Hermosa Beach's flat, wide stretch of sand is a favorite of beach volleyball aficionados and those just looking to spread out a blanket and splash in the waves. End the day capturing the sunset, dining on seafood accompanied by a panoramic view from the dinner table and hearing live music on the Redondo Beach Pier.
