Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/510262
DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2015 44 A major attraction is the Redondo Beach Pier, a horseshoe-shaped walkway, with souvenir and sportswear shops. Another is the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, a state-of-the-art 1,457-seat musical and theatrical venue. Along with the Redondo Beach Historical Museum, there's SEA Lab, operated by the LA Conservation Corps, an ecological institute featuring touch tanks and interactive exhibits for children. The city's event calendar includes a free summer Concert Series; a lobster, a chalk and a kite festival; the Riviera Village Summer Festival; plus, the annual 10K run, walk, baby buggy race. One venue is visible even from the ocean: The Whaling Wall, with its depiction of grey whales, is Wyland's second-largest marine mural. And, if you travel with a pet, there's even a dedicated dog park. A MARITIME HAVEN I drove to the beach town from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) by driving south on Sepulveda—which becomes Pacific Coast Highway—and bearing right at the arched sign: Redondo Beach – King Harbor. This short stretch is bordered by a brand new cycling lane; it passes King Harbor's yacht- filled marina, the site of the new Shade Redondo Beach (sister to the Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach) and harbourside restau- rants, including the Cheesecake Factory and the Bluewater Grill. At Beryl Street, I turned right at the corner (between the Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach and Marina Hotel and the newly opened Redondo Beach Hotel), and followed the road around the Portofino Marina to the Portofino Hotel & Marina. This was my third stay at the Portofino, which is affiliated with the Noble House Hotels. The navy-and-white nautical decor pleases me, so does the hotel's boutique ambiance. Front rooms face the yacht-filled harbour while those in the back overlook the channel and feature expansive ocean views. From my balcony, I watched sail- boats dropping their sails, couples paddling in adjoining kayaks and sea lions romping. Redondo Beach participates in the Blue Zones Project, a public health initiative aimed at creating a healthy environment for residents and visitors by providing safe bike and pedestrian access, adding better lighting to the Redondo Pier and more urban greenery, plus emphasizing the benefits of exercise and no smoking. Encouraging better eating is intrinsic to the mission and many local restaurants have instituted low- calorie and low-fat menu items. Eating well on fresh seafood and won- derful California produce is a pleasure at the local, water-view eateries. At R10 Social House (named for the buoy), I relished beer- steamed clams and jidori brick chicken. At BALEENkitchen, at the Portofino, I savoured another pot of steamed Little Neck clams and listened to a terrific band. And, at Cap- tain Kidd's, my take-back-to-the-room order included enormous steamed shrimp. Taxis are readily available to and from LAX and local restaurants, so a car isn't really necessary unless you plan to visit other famous LA destinations, such as the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, Richard Meier's J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Villa, the chic boutiques on Rodeo Drive or the Hollywood attractions and studio tours. If you choose to stay in Redondo Beach, you'll find the laid-back, beachy Los Angeles so often depicted in mid-century movies; only now, it's been updated to 21 st -century standards. T R A V E L P L A N N E R Plan your trip to Redondo Beach at visitredondo.com. For more information, visit: Portofino Hotel & Marina: hotelportofino.com Voyager Excursions: voyagerexcursions.com DS LEFT TOP: Whale-watching excursions on board the Voyager depart daily from Redondo Beach Marina from December 27 through April. LEFT CENTRE: Observe sea lions frolicking, feeding and basking in their natural habitat. Irvina Lew