Day three of our tour of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas had us seeking out the beach! The weather for the week looked pretty cold, so instead of waiting and hoping, we decided to make it happen regardless of the chill in the air. March is always hit or miss no matter the continental US beach location you select, and the pacific ocean is not known for it’s warmth!
The route we selected would take us into the Santa Monica Mountains, over to Malibu, then down to Santa Monica Pier. Three incredible locations, plus a short drive along the iconic Highway 1. The stops broke up the trip, so the kids never had a chance to get bored.
Last year, California was hit with a massive number of wildfires. This was really apparent when we started out hike on the Cistern Trail in Malibu Creek State Park. The landscape was so different than I expected, and likely due to the fact that all the ground cover and small trees were burned away. It really reminded me of our trip to Scotland a few years ago, due to the excessive rain the area has seen in recent months. The hills were carpeted in green, wildflowers everywhere. It was beautiful. I’m always amazed at how quickly nature recovers from such events.
Poppy! 
Setting up the drone 
California Bluebonnets! 
more wildflowers
After a quick hike to play with the drone and stretch our legs, we decided to eat a picnic lunch on the beach. We started at the Malibu Lagoon where the kids were able to splash in the freezing water, eat a few sandwiches, do some bird watching, and build sandcastles which could be swept back into the sea (my son’s favorite activity). I really wanted it to be low tide, so the kids could experience tide pools, but our timing wasn’t right. We moved over to the Malibu Pier where we watched surfers ride the freezing waves and picked up some decadent ice-cream from Malibu Farm located on the pier.
Lagoon fun! 
Malibu Pier 
Malibu Pier 
The architecture of the area is really interesting, so many small to large beach houses from shabby to chic. How they patch into the power lines, seemingly at each home creating a spiders web of lines, was startling. It isn’t something I have seen anywhere else in the US. Keith said it is very common in the middle east, and we both have seen it down in Central America, but not something I would expect your typical code official to let fly in the US.
My two in the front! 
The final stop on our coastal tour was Santa Monica Pier. It was approaching evening, leading to a temperature drop. Poor Aiden was freezing until Keith took pity upon him and hiked out to the car to get him a sweatshirt. The atmosphere was really fun with the classic boardwalk feel. It was the icing on an otherwise perfect day.
Cost was parking (both beach stops required a $12-$15 fee) and wrist bands for the kids to enjoy the rides at Pacific Park. We opted for the “All you can ride” bands for $35 dollars at the pier, but they did give us a few dollars off as a military discount. There are about a dozen rides, so well worth it if your kids plan to experience everything. Visit the Pacific Park website for current details.
The Cistern Trail hike in the Santa Monica Mountains was free.
If you are heading to California and need some budget friendly stops, these were all big winners!
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