Hello from The Perfect LA Saturday!
While this Saturday’s schedule is going to be shorter than last due to a prior commitment that I have in the evening, I promise that it will be every bit as exciting. Due to some advance reservations that may have to be made for some of these activities, please RSVP with me before Friday if you can make it. So, let’s dive right in.
May 20, 2017
Santa Monica & Venice
This Saturday’s activities are all going to be in the ocean-side Santa Monica and Venice area. It’s supposed to be a nice, warm weekend with highs in the 80s, so I thought that it would be a perfect day by the ocean. Most of these activities are within walking distance of each other, with the longest trek being a short drive (or Uber) from Santa Monica to Venice. I hope that you don’t easily tire of beautiful views, because we’ll be seeing a lot of the ocean during this week’s adventure.
11:30AM
Sonoma Wine Garden – $$
395 Santa Monica Pl., Suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 90401
http://www.sonomawinegarden.com/
Sonoma Wine Garden in Santa Monica a beautiful winery where you can spend the day enjoying a great lunch over one of the many wines they serve. It is also considered one of the best brunch spots on the Westside. While the brunch is a little pricey, I’ve been told that it’s worth it for the ocean views and bottomless mimosas. I mean, who doesn’t like bottomless mimosas?
1:30PM
Camera Obscura Santa Monica – FREE
1450 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/camera-obscura-santa-monica
The Camera Obscura is considered to be one of the “earliest optical inventions,” with possible uses in prehistoric art and religious ceremonies and a precursor to the modern-day camera. The earliest written observations of the Camera Obscura were found in Chinese writings dating back to the 4th century. The Camera Obscura in Santa Monica was “built in 1898 by Robert F. Jones, and given to the city in 1907, the camera spent almost 50 years documenting life on the Santa Monica beach. In 1955, the mechanism was installed in the nearby Adult Recreation Center, now a City-run art lab. Many images of the popular beach community throughout the years are on display to compare to the current view” (Atlas Obscura). As it’s supposed to be a sunny day, it should be the perfect time to use the Camera Obscura and check out the views of Santa Monica through this piece of history.
3:00PM
Mosaic Tile House – $
1116 Palms Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
http://www.cheripann.com/The_Mosaic_Tile_House.html
The Mosaic Tile House in Venice, CA is the “live/work studio” of two Los Angeles artists, Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran. Over the span of more than a decade, they have turned what was an ordinary house into a magnificent work of art covered in colorful glass and tiles. According to reviews of the house as well as my brief interaction with them to set this up, they seem to be very passionate about their art and excited to share with us. Our tour begins at 3PM. Entrance is $15.
4:00PM
Venice Canals – FREE
Corner of Venice Blvd. and Ocean Ave.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice_Canal_Historic_District
Venice, CA is known for its open-minded beach boardwalk and the famous muscle beach. However, hidden away a little more inland are the man-made canals that were the initiation of the “Venice of America” plan by Abbot Kinney. The canals are surrounded by a residential neighborhood and are a beautiful place to walk around and snap some good profile pics. If you’re interested in learning more about the history of the Venice Canal Historic District, see the link posted above. We’ll be walking over to the canals from the Mosaic Tile House, but if you plan on meeting us here directly, come to the corner of Venice Blvd. and Ocean Ave. If you can’t find me, please feel free to send me an email at theperfectlasaturday@gmail.com.
5:00PM
Venice Beach – FREE
Muscle Beach
From the Venice Canals, it’s a quick walk to the boardwalk and the beach. The Venice Beach Boardwalk is home of the famous muscle beach. Since Saturday is supposed to be nice and sunny with highs in the 80s, it seems like the perfect day to take a stroll on the boardwalk and walk down to the beach to throw around a football and lounge around. If you’re meeting us directly here, come to Muscle Beach at 5PM.
6:00PM
High Rooftop Lounge – $ (Optional)
1697 Pacific Ave.
Venice, CA 90291
Located in the Hotel Erwin, the High Rooftop Lounge is a 21+, open-air deck with great cocktails, DJs, and views of Venice Beach and the boardwalk. I can think of no better way to wind down this Saturday than drinks and a bite to eat at this rooftop lounge. Unfortunately, I will have to leave around 7PM so hopefully I will see you here before then.
Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday and making it The Perfect LA Saturday.