My friend & I hiked here for the first time last weekend & the weather was a bit windy nevertheless…read morethe air quality was crisp & fresh after the rain. Thankfully, the trail wasn't muddy or wet either. The length of the hike was shorter than I had expected (2 mile round trip) but surprisingly had a few inclines & a lot of uphill at the end that led us to the private neighborhood. We both enjoyed this trail as there some shaded area & lots of greenery. You can even see glimpse of LA from the top on a clear day. I highly recommend this trail for those that like shorter hikes & easy to moderate intensity. I look forward to coming back.

No one answers phone. Office is closed. Sign on the states closed until we have our new location…read more No trail maps at the door. Wasted a trip out here.

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

Reservations are needed for this lovely little garden tucked into the middle of the CSULB campus,…read moreso we made ours the night before and grabbed a 12:00 PM Sunday spot. One thing to know before you go: check the operating hours. The garden was closing at 1:00 that day, so our visit was shorter than we would have liked. About 15 minutes before closing they started rounding everyone up, which was completely understandable, but next time I'd definitely book earlier. We brought Billy's mom and dad with us, and his father is 92 amazing years old, so we're always paying attention to how much walking, stress, parking drama, or general nonsense an outing involves. This one was about as easy as it gets. There's paid parking right next to the garden. I think we paid around $6.50, and the payment system was simple enough. Once you're inside, it's just beautiful. Little bridges, waterfalls, colorful koi everywhere (bonus! tons of baby koi this time!) lilies on the pond, flowers, and these bright red dragonflies flying around that completely caught my attention. There were families, students, people sketching, people feeding the fish, just a really nice mix of people quietly enjoying the space. What I especially like is that you don't have to make a whole production out of it. You can stroll, sit for a while, watch the koi, cross a bridge, look at the water, and just enjoy being somewhere pretty. Small, peaceful, easy, and genuinely lovely. It makes for a really nice family outing, and it's one of those places that's good to keep in your back pocket when you want to do something without committing to an entire day.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is a peaceful hidden gem tucked inside California State…read moreUniversity, Long Beach. I walked into a space that is smaller than some larger Japanese gardens, but the layout feels carefully planned with winding paths, traditional landscaping, a koi pond, waterfalls, bridges, and quiet corners throughout. It is the type of place where taking your time matters more than trying to see everything quickly, and the smaller size actually makes the experience feel more intimate. The garden feels like a world apart from the campus surrounding it, and the transition from the university grounds to the garden is immediate and effective. The koi pond is easily the centerpiece of the garden and one of the most enjoyable parts to spend time around. I found myself lingering by the water, watching the fish move through the pond as the sunlight filtered through the trees. The fish are large and active, and the surrounding greenery, stone features, and water elements create a very relaxing atmosphere. The garden does a good job balancing natural scenery with traditional Japanese design, with each section offering a slightly different view and feeling as I walked through. The bridges and stone lanterns add to the sense of place, and the sound of the waterfalls creates a calming background that stays with you as you move through the space. What I liked most about this garden is how calm it feels despite being located on a college campus. It feels separated from the surrounding area once you enter, making it a nice place for a quiet walk, photography, or just taking a break. The landscaping is well maintained, and the entire space has a slower pace that encourages you to actually stop and appreciate the details rather than rushing through. The garden's design rewards a slow approach, with each turn in the path offering a slightly different perspective on the pond, the plants, and the stonework. The visit is fairly quick since the garden is compact, but it works well as a relaxing stop rather than a destination that takes up an entire afternoon. Reservations are required, so it is worth checking availability before going. Admission is free, although parking is an extra cost and can be the main inconvenience, especially during busy campus hours. The garden's location on campus makes it accessible, but the parking situation can require a bit of patience. Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden is a beautiful spot if you are looking for a peaceful escape rather than a large attraction. The koi pond, thoughtful design, and quiet atmosphere make it a place worth visiting, especially on a nice day when you can take your time walking through the garden. It offers a brief but meaningful pause from the surrounding city and campus life, and the care that has gone into maintaining the space is evident in every corner.

Amazing experience! I'm not a fan of art, but just walking…read morearound sculptures was a great experience. Gardens are instagramable!

If this is your first time visiting, it's a must to visit! They have beautiful architecture and…read morehistorical statues, objects, etc. The admission is free, but parking is $25 on the weekend. You must reserve a ticket on their website. It took me around 3 hours to complete everything, but the villa is quite small, but with so many artifacts to look and read through. Overall, great museum to visit! Tip(s): - Parking is $25 on weekend - Admission is free, but must pay parking - Reserve tickets online

We've had the pleasure of hosting multiple wellness events at Valmonte Farm & Garden, and it truly…read moreis one of the most healing spaces we've had the opportunity to gather in. We especially love working with the on-site facilitator, Gary, and his son, Henry, who have been so gracious, supportive, and incredibly helpful to our team on event days. They make the entire process feel seamless, organized, and genuinely enjoyable. If you're in the area, we highly recommend experiencing this space for yourself. It feels like a hidden garden oasis just outside of LA -- the perfect setting to slow down, connect, and gather. We're so grateful to have found this space and look forward to creating many more beautiful experiences there in the future.

The good: I've been so excited to checkout Valmonte Farms…read moreand I've had it on my bookmarked list for so long! The worker at Wav Cafe recommended it to me as he also works at Valmonte and I'm so glad I got to check out their Saturday holiday market. This place is a dream. It feels like a hidden fairy oasis, hidden garden, rural gem, and rustic childhood dream. My husband loved looking at the fruit trees (avocado, peach, mulberry, lemon, etc.) The kids loved running around, seeing the chickens, petting the friendly cat, drinking free hot cocoa (there's free coffee too), and finding pine cones and interesting plants. I bought some fun turquoise jewelry from one of the picnic tables at the holiday market. They had vendors with bonsai plants, jewelry, thrifted clothes, crochet items and more. I loved the holiday music, moist leaves on the ground and magical feel. The bad: The hot cocoa could probably be served less hot especially for kids. The interesting: The parking lot is behind the public school and is maybe shared with the school? The bathroom is across the baseball field. My husband was wondering if he could purchase cuttings from their mulberry plant but a couple of the workers weren't sure. The parking lot does get full so I noticed folks park in front of the homes. They sell Valmonte farm merch too like sweaters. They also sell lemons, kale and other produce grown in the garden.

Did the city tour. Interesting to learn more about the town and the ladies that do it are very…read morenice. Some beautiful houses.

The Museum is in Old Torrance, across the street from Eat at Rudy's diner. It's housed in a…read moregorgeous vintage building which was the former library. (See photos.) I spotted the sign on the door last Sunday as I was leaving Rudy's: it said Open and Free. I was there in a shot, haha. It's free, yes, but donations are accepted. There's a glass jar by the door that held a bunch of dollar bills. The museum survives completely on donations, in fact. The city maintains the building & the grounds, but other than that they are on their own. So I contributed a ten spot on my first visit. The best part other than the cool old objects on view (see photos) was my conversation with the volunteer lady at the front desk. We talked for a long while. I got info on a couple of upcoming events of interest to me: A walking tour of Old Torrance, and the Fall tour of historic homes. The lady on duty (wish I'd gotten her name) and I decided that, with the price of gas so high, people should explore areas close to home....because there is much to be discovered right under our noses if we take the time to look around. I had a wonderful afternoon in Torrance that day, practically right in my own back yard. Louis Zamperini is affiliated with the museum, I learned. He's that cool guy who has an airport named after him in west Torrance. (At that airport, I intend to get involved with helicopters very soon.) http://www.yelp.com/biz/zamperini-field-torrance Anyways, the lady told me some great stories about Mr. Zamperini ( an Old Torrance native who now lives in West Hollywood): Like the time Mr. Zamperini, a wartime pilot, was shot down and floated in the Pacific for more than 40 days. Crikey! I asked how he kept from starving. He and another survivor caught fish and ate them raw, and they drank rain water. After being rescued, he spent a couple years in a prison camp, yikes. His family was notified that he was dead during the time he was adrift at sea. A death certificate was issued, and Mr. Zamperini has recently donated his own death certificate to the Torrance Museum! Haha! Apparently they will soon get some other stuff from him as well. This is a perfect place to bring kids. Free street parking everywhere around the museum. And my first visit here certainly won't be my last.

Fun street fair to check out vendors and community services. There is free parking at Kinecta…read moreCredit Union, and there is a bus that takes you to the fair.

I love going to the MB Old Hometown Fair. I am not much into the arts and crafts booths but I like…read moreto look through at everything. Most of the booth including the beer garden and wine garden's proceeds go to the Manhattan Beach school's soccer, football, tennis, baseball, lacrosse...teams. Last year I volunteered at the wine garden and we had a very nice selection of wines and all the proceeds went to the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. Parking is impossible so I recommend riding a bike or taking a free shuttle from the Northrop Grumman parking lot located on Aviation Blvd just North of Manhattan Beach Blvd. www.mbfair.org/

The Riviera Village Summer Festival is nice intimate and fun not very many things for the kids to…read moredo. It is more shopping and beer garden and more than anything else. There are a lot of vendors that sells clothes jewelry knickknacks a little pricey because they are considered crafted go early parking is hard to find even if there's a lot of it.

The Riviera Village Summer Festival occurs annually during the month of June. I nearly forgot to…read moreattend until I was driving to the Village to have breakfast. Luckily, I found free street parking, but there's plenty of metered parking nearby. They close the middle of the street to pedestrian traffic only, so those metered spots are unavailable. It's great. Dogs are allowed, so people bring them and the rest of the family for games, dining, music, and shopping. The vendors are lined up in the middle of the street. Vendors are selling clothing, jewelry, hats, and art, just to name a few. The main stage is usually set up near HT Grill. All the restaurants and shops that are normally open on Saturdays are open during the festival.