Beautiful and iconic spot along the Southern California coast. The views from the pier are great,…read morewhether you visit during the day with clear ocean horizons or at night when the coastline lights up on both sides. On a clear day, you can see Palos Verdes Peninsula in one direction and the Malibu coastline in the other. The surrounding promenade is lively and well-maintained, perfect for a walk, bike ride, or just relaxing by the beach. There are plenty of great restaurants, cafés, and shops nearby, making it easy to turn a simple visit into a full afternoon or evening outing. Parking can be a bit tricky, especially during busy times. There are metered spots available, along with nearby lots and street parking if you're willing to walk a bit. The pier itself is also home to the Roundhouse Aquarium at the end. Dogs are not allowed on the pier.

I had such a relaxing time at the Manhattan Beach Pier while visiting California. It was one of…read morethose simple moments that just felt good. The little aquarium at the end was small but really cute, and it's free (I LOVE free!!). Nothing over the top, just an easy stop while you're out there. The pier itself has plenty of room to walk or sit and zone out a bit. I spent some time just leaning on the railing, reading a few pages of my book, and taking in the ocean. I even spotted dolphins in the distance, which honestly made my day. Watching surfers paddle out toward the waves...and in the direction of the dolphins... it felt like such a classic California scene. I left feeling lighter than when I arrived for sure!

Bruce is hands down the best! not only is the tour itself…read moreso mesmerizing , Bruce himself is so knowledgeable about everything! my mom was EXTREMELY hesitant because she hates heights , but he made sure there were no sudden moves that would make her uncomfortable (besides the few wind gusts that are beyond his control) to say the least my mom agreed to going AGAIN!! We will definitely be back for a night tour. Thank you Bruce for being so attentive

We had a fantastic time flying a Los Angeles area tour with Bruce. We did the hour tour. Bruce is a…read moregreat pilot, knowledgable, and has a calm demeanor - exactly what you want when flying in a helicopter. We chose Bruce because of the 5 star reviews and because I wanted an owner / operator for the tour. My hunch was right and we had a very enjoyable tour of Los Angeles. Take a look at our photos! Book with Bruce and have a great time! His rates are reasonable (I know - I compared them to everyone else on Yelp) so you have every reason to get in touch and take that tour you've been thinking about!

I've made a promise to myself to explore more of what makes SoCal great. To this end, I will…read morecheck-in a city, post a couple of photos to get myself started and then have those as a reminder to explore more of that city and post more pics as I learn more. Inglewood is a city I've been wanting to explore going back to "The Great Western Forum"(IYKYK!). Only recently did I make new friends with peeps from Culver City who frequent Inglewood for the community center events at Rogers Park. But until I met them, Soul Food experiences had not been a part of their adventure - Wha da WHA???? How does one spend any time in South LA and NOT try to determine their fave Soul Food establishment??? They didn't even realize the melting pot of food cultures (Creole, Ethiopian, Nigerian, Persian, Jamaican, Burmese, just to name a few!) awaiting them. That venture aside, the community center activities have been a blast! I LOVE seeing communities out playing on a Saturday. People of all ages dancing, sporting, having fun! I love the civic pride and the warm, inviting residents. I love peeking around corners and seeing Main Street vibes of 50s, 60s, 70s architecture. I love the beautifully kept parks and the murals of tribute found all around this city. And - OF COURSE - I love the smell of the food cooking block after block! I'll post more pictures and spend more time driving around on my next visits. The pace is chill in Inglewood and I shouldn't rush through, grabbing glances like I have been. Inglewood will be an evolving exploration and I look forward to the pleasant surprises I'll find. Cheers! "CC"

Inglewood is a vibe…read more Growing up on the south side of Los Angeles off the 105 I can think about so many great journeys to and through the City of Inglewood including visiting friends and family in the bulk of the late 80s and most of the 90s. Before I went vegetarian and then/now vegan, we frequented the Ms' B's M&M's Soul Food spot at 4549 Imperial Hwy, lived for Rally's aka Checkers at 8500 Crenshaw Drive and of course hit up Randy's Doughnuts. There's a few freeways that run alongside the city including the 101, and 110, as well as through like the 405. Public transportation is accessible but surprisingly not as smooth as it should be especially being home to some of the biggest music and event venues in Greater Los Angeles. From the Kia Forum to SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome, this place is stacked. There's even a Cinépolis Luxury movie theater and huge epic "welcome to" Inglewood larger than life billboard monitor sign. It's super gentrified and getting more so every day, but still has it's charm, comforts and character in many places like it's parks, staples such as Roscoe's (Chicken n Waffles) , Stuff I Eat (vegan soul and comfort food spot going nearly 17 years strong) and many many more. Several schools served the city under their own school district, including Ánimo Inglewood Charter High School, City Honors High, Inglewood High School, Inglewood Continuation and Morningside High School as well as handful of private primary educational facilities. Traffic can range especially for sporting events and concerts with the Chargers, Clippers and Rams all being based in Inglewood since the 2020s. Much like concerts a lot of small businesses or lots will open up for reasonable pricing, or at least less than the main venue. While the K/Pink Line run through the outskirts of the neighborhood, it doesn't pass through the heart of the area and Iwood is creative, colorful and a collection of lots of diverse history.

The 2024-2025 NBA season kicked off today and what better place to kick off basketball season than…read morewith a visit to the Kobe Bryant Mural located in Torrance! Painted by Mike Trujillo; the mural highlights Kobe's basketball journey via all his jerseys. The mural starts off on the left with a painting showasing when he played high-school basketball at Lower Merion High School and wore #33. The mural then shows how he first wore #8 for the Lakers for when was first drafted and on to when he won three championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. The mural next highlights him wearing the #10 jersey for the USA men's basketball team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Lastly it shows Kobe sporting #24 starting in the 2006-07 season; all the way till he retired in 2016. I also loved how the mural had purple and gold hues for the background. This is an amazing mural to see and it can be easily missed as it is on the backside of the Burger City restaurant in Torrance. I definitely say though it is one not to pass up seeing as it's a great tribute to Kobe via showcasing all of Kobe's jerseys from the start to the finish of his career. This mural is something Lakers and basketball fans will truly appreciate. I know I certainly did!

Public art in Torrance, California…read more.. My friend, Craig Y., knew that there was a relatively new Kobe Bryant mural in his hometown. He tried to figure out where it was located on Torrance Boulevard. We found it in Old Town Torrance... on the wall of Burger City Grill. It's by Mike Trujillo and is awesome! The gigantic mural has great illumination at night! It includes all of the numbers that Kobe wore: from High School, to the Olympics, and when we was with the Lakers! Look for Kobe's Academy Award! It's very cool - go see it!

We spent countless nights in Redondo Beach hotels but this was the first time we visited the cities…read morehistorical museum. Parking was easily with two lots on each side of the museum as well as the street. Two wooden buildings were part of the museum but only one was open to visitors. There was a nice garden in between and a small water fountain bubbling in the middle. We made our way inside and greeted by the on site docent. He was friendly, outgoing and spent a few minutes briefly relating the history of the city and exhibits inside. A mixture of photos, artifacts, and timelines about the city were in the front room. I thought this room was nice to understand how the city evolved over time. The 2nd room display was about George Freeth who moved from Hawaii and credited with introducing surfing to California. Room 3 was not as interesting to us since it was mostly about local high schools but Room 4 highlighted local companies like the former GTE phone company and previous Olympic Games in LA. We spent less than half an hour here before we made our way back to the PCH. If in the area then it would be a nice stop but not necessary to go out of your way.

Katrina was awesome really enjoyed my time learning about Redondo Beach and the local history!read more

Basketball courts. Tennis courts. A skate park. Plenty of green for picnics. I've seen this park at…read moreits worse and it has been upgraded significantly. The grass is now well maintained, the tennis courts have been renovated and repainted (I would know; I once signed up for tennis lessons via City of Gardena and we used the courts here) and people have been mindful about their waste given there are plenty of trash bins around. As we are in the middle of a pandemic, they have attempted to close everything down with yellow tape but that doesn't stop people from still coming through and using the facilities. I'm sure staff aren't thrilled about that, but no one is really enforcing anything. Otherwise, it's a pretty cool park to hangout at. Here's hoping this pandemic ends soon. I can't wait to watch those early morning badminton teams play again.

The field is spacious for outside sports…read more The playground was pretty small but the park staff was there on a Sunday!

5 star service! 5 star food! 5 star sightseeing! 5 star hotels!…read more If you want to enjoy your trip without any worries, signet is your choice.

Went to Vietnam for 9days. Excellent tour guide, 5stars…read morehotels. wonderful food. Trip arrangements were suit for the weather.

It's a FREE public park / walking (hiking) area that's safe (dog free too) with a parking lot…read more It's a relatively small area however, so is more for strolling than having a rigorous adventure of challenges. It's perfect for all ages and abilities, 'tho the terrain might be naturally uneven in some areas, so watch your step.

This park is nestled in urban Redondo Beach/ Torrance. It should be nicknamed Charlie Brown's Park…read morebecause it looks like it needs a little love. No trash or odd humans, but a lot of forgotten trees and groundscape (?). Might be/ have been a scout campground. Some native plant restoration started and that should be good if people stop walking through it. It's pretty quiet. My partner is an aspiring bird watcher but was disappointed here. There is potential tho. PS - if you look at my photos you will see a reclaimed part of park that doesn't look open yet.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience here at Rubel Castle. Our host, guide,…read moreand local "Rubelligent" volunteer, Ms. Kathleen had all the intel about this historical property. She was so knowledgeable and helped set the stage for us to slip into a forgotten era and get a glimpse of how imagination met inventiveness with a DIY charm. ~ A LITTLE BACKSTORY FOR YOU ~ It's not pronounced Rubel as Barney from Flintstones. Rather, it's like Target is to Targét when we are trying to be fancy. So that's Rubel as in "Roo-bell." Unlike modern-day construction, Rubel Castle wasn't built overnight. It was made of collected recyclables and construction rubble that spanned many decades and took several friends and volunteers to build it. For Michael, however, the lifetime inspiration was first sparked at the age of 9. His love for canons was where it started and the rest is history you can hear about on the tour. But don't just show up like we did randomly one day. To book, visit RubelTours.org and make a reservation. ~ OUR TOUR EXPERIENCE ~ It's as if Michael Rubel, the creator and mastermind of this enchanted dominion had intended it to be--magical. Built in the castle period of wood and tin, every corner captured our interests, from antique cars to the 1890's Seth Thomas Tower Clock with a unique backstory (and only six in existence today). There were old vending machines, tools, trinkets, and machinery that time had long forgotten. Did I mention there was a drawbridge? Yes, and a dungeon too. I was just waiting for a dragon to come swoop down on us next. Walk in the footsteps of famous visitors like Alfred Hitchcock, Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Benny, and Bob Hope. It's a feast for the eyes no matter where you glance. I particularly enjoyed the bottle house that Michael built in 1968 as his "home" as a kid. That independent spirit was quite charming to see. ~ WATERCOLOR NATURESCAPE ~ We were fortunate to have our gracious host lead us on a tour and organize a special art crafting experience outdoors. It was absolutely lovely beneath the trees and between rusted vintage cars from the turn of the century. We each got a small canvas to paint our flowers in watercolor. (This particular experience takes place in the Spring and Fall, weather permitting.) We heard the squirrels rattling in the leaves and birds chirped and sang in the trees above. We discovered that peacocks apparently originated from this property, compliments of Michael Rubel. And did I mention that on the far side of the property, a custom garden was in full bloom? BOOK A TOUR Help support the Glendora Historical Society and keep this magnificently unique city-castle maintained. It's worth it.

A castle in Glendora? Yes, your eyes aren't deceiving you--Rubel Castle is real, it's magnificent,…read moreand it's gloriously eccentric. Thanks to the sheer persistence (and probably delightful stubbornness) of Michael Rubel, we now have this quirky, towering State Treasure sitting right in the middle of Glendora like a fairy tale that accidentally took a detour through a hardware store. This place is beautifully done, and part of its charm is that it's a full-on hodgepodge of relics, antiques, crystal trinkets, and "wait... what is that doing here?" moments tucked into every nook and cranny. You'll marvel, you'll laugh, you'll squint in confusion--honestly, it's everything you'd want in a castle built with love, imagination, and a dash of madness. And let's talk about the makeshift cemetery. Quirky? YES. Fun? Absolutely. Slightly spooky? Only if your imagination is over-caffeinated. But it fits the vibe perfectly--like the castle whispered, "You know what I'm missing? A tiny cemetery." The tours are fantastic, the guides are passionate, and the whole experience feels like you're stepping into a living scrapbook of California history and charming chaos. Overall: Amazing, amazing place. Book your tour. They only do tours every first Sunday of the month, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, tie a string around your finger--just don't miss it. Rubel Castle is truly a California State Treasure, and an absolute must-see for anyone who appreciates creativity, history, and a little eccentric sparkle.