My good friend, Lee, from Staten Island NY came by to visit me here in Southern California. I took my daughter, Angelina, with me to pick her up at LAX that Friday morning. I thought it would be a great idea to take her to Venice Beach, considering New Yorkers do not go to the beach in the middle of January. Having that option is one of the things that I love about Southern California. We parked right next to the beach for $4 and we grabbed a bite to eat at Venice Whaler Bar & Grill. Then we walked to the beach from there.

The Beautiful Shore

My daughter wanted to play in the sand so we walked away from the craziness of the boardwalk and towards the shore of Venice Beach. We helped her collect some shells and beach rocks. We sat down and relaxed while Angelina played with the sand. The weather was comfortable, especially for January.

The Boardwalk

I wanted to show Lee where all the action is in Venice Beach so we headed toward all the shops on the beach. I wanted her to see all the diversity of people that hang out in Venice Beach. A strange guy with unusual roller skates, wearing a turban rolled over to us and started talking to us. I wish I took a picture of this guy. Every few feet there were people holding up signs promoting the Kush Doctor. The Kush doctor will help you get legal to grow, consume and possess medical marijuana. They stood in front of locations that look like doctor waiting rooms and were luring people in by saying, “Get legal now, the kush doctor is in” or “the kush bar is open.” Wow, you would never see that in New York.

Is Venice Beach for Me?

I am really not into the crowd anymore. A younger me would enjoy this place. I think I will stick to beaches that are calm, peaceful and perhaps a little more private. One of these days I will find a beach like that here.